He also earned his 15th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal victory, a streak that began after del Potro beat him here in 2009. Nadal has been rejuvenated for much of the year, reaching the Australian Open final (he lost to Federer) and soaring during the clay season to notch his record 10th French Open title. “He played so smart from the second set till the end of the match,” del Potro said of Nadal. Now, no longer able to stand in the corner and set his feet, Del Potro struggled. While del Potro staggered, Nadal only gained strength, urging himself on with repeated fist pumps.

Source: New York Times September 09, 2017 00:45 UTC