US Open: 5 best men's singles matches in the last 10 years

Modified Aug 20, 2019 11:11 GMT

Novak Djokovic poses with his third title at the 2018 US Open

#2 2018 Quarterfinal: Nadal beats Thiem 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7(4) 7-6(5)

Nadal embraces Thiem after an epic quarterfinal battle

In one of the best hardcourt matches of his career, Dominic Thiem burst out the blocks by bagelling Rafael Nadal to take the opening set in 24 minutes. It was Nadal's first 0-6 set at the US Open in 14 years since a second-round defeat to Andy Roddick in 2004.

But as the match progressed, Thiem's intensity dropped and Nadal responded with two breaks of the Austrian's serve, squaring the match at a set-apiece.

Nadal took the third set 7-5 and was a tiebreak away from taking the match but Thiem dug deep to force a decider.

The Austrian saved three successive breakpoints at 5-5 in the fifth as a deciding set tiebreaker ensued. Both players remained solid on serve and at 5-5 in the tiebreak, both players were two points away from victory.

It was Nadal who arrived at match-point first and converted the opportunity when Thiem fired an overhead long to end a gladiatorial 4-hour 49-minute battle. The defending champion lived to fight another day on a night when his opponent won six more points than him.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

Know More

Who Are Roger Federer's Kids? Know All About Federer's Twins

Edited by Arvind Sriram