US Open Day 5 round-up: Nail-biter and major upset for Nadal as Indians lose

Fabio Fognini of Italy (in red) was two sets down to Nadal, coming back to take victory

The action continues across the board as we enter the 6th day of the US Open. Following several upsets in the first few days of the tournament, play seemed to have stabilised, with all of them beating their competitors. This all ended with a nail-biting, 3 hour 46 minute match which saw world no 32 Fognini 2 sets down before playing a blinder to take the win.

Shocker as Nadal ousted

In the biggest upset of the evening, 22nd seed Fabio Fognini of Italy played an absolute nail-biter against 8th seed Rafael Nadal to take a stunning victory over the Spaniard. In a match that went to five sets, Nadal won the first two sets to lose the subsequent three 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.

It is the first time that the double US Open winner has lost in a Grand Slam having been two sets up.

The final set of the match was an absolute nail-biter, with Nadal and Fognini exchanging a whopping seven service breaks in a row before Fognini finally sealed victory in a match that went on for just under 4 hours.

Fognini will proceed to play Spain's Feliciano Lopez in round 4.

Top seed Novak Djokovic defeated his Italian competitor, 25th-ranked Andreas Seppi in straight sets, taking the match 6-3, 7-5, 7-5. The victory was not as easy as the Djoker’s two previous ones – he lost only 3 games in his first-round match against Brazilian Joao Souza, and won his round 2 match against Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

Seppi proved his mettle earlier this year when he beat Roger Federer at the Australian Open, and despite losing to the World No. 1 made sure it was not all easy for him.

Djokovic had to serve twice to take the match, admitting his opponent had “played a very good game.”

In the next round, Djokovic will face Roberto Bautista Agut, who advanced when opponent David Goffin retired due to heat illness at 2-6, 5-7, 6-3, 3-1.

Elsewhere, women’s top seed Serena Williams beat her compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Although she was expected to take victory in straight sets, but was a set and a half down before she came back with a blinder to win 8 games on the trot and close out the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.

She will play another American in the next round – 19th seed Madison Keys, who beat 15th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in their last meeting in straight sets – 6-3, 6-2.

Older sister Venus Williams beat 12th seed Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4 in a surprise victory. The 18-year-old was the last person to have beaten Venus’ older sister, World No. 1 Serena at the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup.

Leander Paes and doubles partner Fernando Verdasco lost to Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey, who beat the top-seeded Bryan brothers in their previous round match. It ended 5-7, 6-4, 3-6 to the Americans.

Sania Mirza and mixed doubles partner Bruno Soares, the defending champions and top seeds in their category, lost out to the Czech-Polish pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lukasz Kubot 3-6, 3-6. Mirza has advanced in the doubles category with partner Martina Hingis (the pair are top-seeded following their win at Wimbledon this year) and will now play Chuang Chia-Jung and Timea Bacsinszky.