Rafael Nadal drops first set but rallies to defeat Rinky Hijikata at US Open
Rafael Nadal defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 7-6 (7-6), 7-5 in the men’s singles semi-finals at the US Open.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 2 – Rafael Nadal was not going to get out of his first-ever US Open semi-final tie.
The world No. 1, who has reached four Slam finals in a row, saw his hopes for an 11th Slam title and his record 26th US Open title all come crashing down in a six-set quarter-final defeat to Japan’s Renny Hijikata.
The third-ranked Spaniard, bidding to become the first man to successfully defend his title, lost his first match in a Grand Slam final for 20 years after winning his fourth US Open title in nine days by beating Hijikata in a second set in which both men fought back to within sight of the match.
Having previously beaten Novak Djokovic (2013 final) and Andy Murray (2008 final) at Flushing Meadows, Nadal’s US Open victory means that he won the last two Slams as a 20-year-old, following his own success and becoming only the second man so far (after Roger Federer in 2014) to have won all four Grand Slam titles at their first appearance.
The only other man to simultaneously hold all four majors is Roger Federer, who won Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open in the same year between 1997 and 1999.
The 30-year-old Nadal has become only the fourth man in the Open era (after Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Margaret Court) to achieve back-to-back grand slam titles.
Nadal next will face a tall task to defend his title if he is to have a shot of his own for a third consecutive year.
The defending champion, who will be 36 in December 2017, will also be looking to become only the second man (after Roger Federer) to retain all four majors at 20 years old.
Nadal’s opponent this evening was Renny Hijikata, the 19th seed from the Philippines.
Hijikata served for the match at