France’s Lucas Pouille made the biggest upset of the US open by beating Spanish Rafael Nadal in tough 5 set marathon match in last 16. The 22-year-old recovered from a break down in the fifth before converting his fourth match point in the tie-break to win 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6).

“There were things I could do better. Had the right attitude. I (fought) right up to the last ball,” said the No 4-seeded Nadal, a two-time champion at Flushing Meadows. “But I need something else. I need something more that was not there today.”

“I am close to being 100% again and I believe I can have a couple more good years,” said Nadal whose most recent Grand Slam title came with his ninth French Open in 2014.

The defeat leaves Nadal — forced out of the French Open third round with a wrist injury that also saw him miss Wimbledon — without at least one Grand Slam quarter-final appearance for the first time since he was a teenaged tour newcomer in 2004.

“It took everything. I could not dream better than that,” the world number 25 said after his four-hour victory.

Pouille will play compatriot Gael Monfils, who beat Marcos Baghdatis.

Pouille was joined in the quarterfinals by a pair of countrymen, No 9 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No 10 Gael Monfils, giving France three men’s quarterfinalists at the American Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 89 years.

 

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