Defending champion Rafael Nadal dug deep to outmaneuver powerful Russian Karen Khachanov and win their thrilling US Tennis Open third‑round match in four sets.
32-year-old Nadal, was a set and a break down before fighting back to win 5‑7 7‑5 7‑6 (9‑7) 7‑6 (7‑3).
The Spanish top seed failed to serve out the match at 5‑4 in the fourth, but recovered to take the tie‑break.
World number one Nadal will play Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the last 16.
The 17‑time Grand Slam champion, aiming for a fourth US Open title, needed all of his enormous will‑to‑win and tactical play to see off Khachanov, who hit 22 aces and 66 winners.
It was Nadal's first real test after not dropping a set in his previous two matches at the US Open.
[Source: BBC]
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