NEW YORK, Sept 2 (AFP): Rafael Nadal kept his US Open campaign on track Sunday despite a painful knee as Spanish-speaking claycourters clamped a stranglehold on the bottom half of the draw.
The 21-year-old second-seeded Spaniard charged into the last 16 by defeating big-hitting Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-1, winning 10 out of the last 11 games after a tough first set.
Following him into the fourth round were compatriots and close friends Carlos Moya and David Ferrer as well as Argentine pair Juan Monaco and Juan Ignacio Chela, all better known for their skills on clay rather than hardcourts.
American hopes of posting a third qualifier for the last 16 after Andy Roddick and James Blake were sunk when Robby Ginepri went down 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to Switzerland's other top-100 player, Stanislas Wawrinka.
French Open champion Nadal once again had strapping on both knees when he took on Tsonga, but he looked much more at ease than in the first two rounds when he struggled with his fitness and needed courtside treatment.
Things were improving, he said, but Nadal admitted that the pain was still a factor he had to deal with.
"When I go on court, I start with a little bit of pain, but after it is not so bad. The knee gets a little bit warmer," he said.
Injured Nadal battles on in US Open tennis
FE Team | Published: September 04, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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