Nadal and Roddick lose their temper over delays as Murray advances
Nadal and Roddick lose their temper over delays as Murray advances
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Second seed Nadal saw off Gilles Muller of Luxembourg with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-1, 6-2 victory while fourth seed and 2008 runner-up Murray cruised to a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over US wild card Donald Young.
I NEED TO COOL DOWN my ANGRY man: Rafael Nadal's girlfriend Maria
Francisca Perello watches the Spaniard play against Gilles Muller of
Luxembourg during Day 11 of the 2011 US Open at the Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center in New York yesterday. pic/afp
But it was 2003 champion Roddick who grabbed the headlines when his last-16 clash against David Ferrer of Spain was suspended because of water seeping up through a crack in the surface on Louis Armstrong Court following another night of torrential rain. After playing just two games of their resumed match, the players were taken off court as groundstaff tried desperately to soak up the water.
Furious Andy
When Roddick and Ferrer returned, the 29-year-old American was furious at the conditions. Telling besieged referee Brian Earley that the surface was still too wet to play, he packed his bag and stormed off to jeers from the crowd. "Why are we here if there is water there?" asked a furious Roddick. "I'm getting really pissed off.
Jesus, what are we doing here. It's killing me. I am baffled right now."
The match was then switched to Court 13 as officials kept up their bid to clear a huge backlog caused by two days being washed out by rain. Nadal had trailed 0-3 overnight after just 15 minutes of play had been possible on Wednesday, but with bright sunshine replacing rain, the Spaniard raced into the last eight.
Next up for the champion is either Roddick or Ferrer.
Nadal, whose fourth round match had originally been slated for Tuesday, had led a player revolt on Wednesday, angry at having to go on court when the Arthur Ashe Stadium surface was still damp and with rain still in the air.
Safety first
He claimed players' safety was being compromised by tournament officials.
"It was a tough day yesterday for the players and the fans who waited many hours. Sorry about that, but thanks for still being here," said Nadal, who will have to play four days in succession if he is to feature in Sunday's final.
"The situation yesterday was not easy for us and the organisers. They tried their best but they were wrong. Everyone makes mistakes." Murray, who had joined Nadal in Wednesday's protest, avenged his loss to the 84th-ranked Young at Indian Wells in March to reach the last eight for the first time since he fell in the 2008 final to Roger Federer.
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