US Open 2013 preview: Rafael Nadal vs Tommy Robredo

Rafael Nadal

The shell-shocked 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer said he “self-destructed” during his quarterfinal match, and it’s true that he let Tommy Robredo off the hook on countless break points.

Yet the Spaniard deserves credit for remaining composed at the crucial moments. He might not have been facing vintage Federer, but he still had to stare down the most decorated player of all time.

Robredo moved well despite a leg injury and kept Federer under pressure with superb defence. He also hit 31 winners, proving that he is more than just a human backboard. After several seasons plagued by injury, the 31-year-old fully deserves his first ever US Open quarterfinal place.

If Robredo is a surprise contender at this stage of the tournament, Nadal’s last eight appearance was taken for granted. The second seed stormed through his first three matches in New York, and although Philipp Kohlschreiber put up more resistance than expected in the last 16, edging the first set and staying competitive for the next two, the Matador was never really in trouble. Showing no signs of the knee pain that kept him off the court in the latter half of 2012, Nadal closed out the German in four sets to keep the dream of a second US Open title alive.

The task facing Robredo today is Herculean. Not only is he aiming to beat Federer and Nadal back-to-back at a Grand Slam, he is attempting to beat a man who hasn’t lost a hardcourt match all year.

Moreover, he has taken only one set off Nadal in their six previous meetings. Robredo has an excellent forehand, a decent serve and is mentally sound, but he’ll have to play well above himself to have any chance against the Rafael Nadal of 2013.

The 2010 US Open champion is arguably even better than he was three years ago. The ferocious topspin and tireless scrambling are still present and devastating, but he is now more comfortable at the net, choosing the right moments to move forward and finishing points with deft, rock solid volleys.

Robredo capitalised on sloppy play from an erratic Federer on Monday, but Nadal doesn’t do erratic. The Majorcan will coast through this one in three routine sets.