US Open day 7 wrap: Rafa out, Kerber & Djokovic march on

Rafa Nadal is out, Angelique Kerber isn’t, and Caroline Wozniacki is blazing an improbable trail through the US Open draw. Yes, it’s been one heck of a Day 7 at Flushing Meadows.

Quick Hits

• Lucas Pouille beat Rafa Nadal in five.
• Angelique Kerber downed Petra Kvitova.
• Tsonga & Monfils continued the French charge.
• Caroline Wozniacki dismissed Madison Keys.

The men’s action

Rafa Nadal is out of the US Open. The two-time champion was beaten in a five-set epic by 22-year-old French star Lucas Pouille. In a pulsating, four hour encounter, Pouille held his nerve in the fifth set breaker to win 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6(6).

“Every point was great,” Pouille enthused post-match. “It’s just never over until the last point. I was a break down in the fifth; I came back. And then 6-3 in the tiebreak, he came back. It’s never done until the last point is over.”

RELATED: The rise and rise Lucas Pouille

Lucas Pouille is one of three Frenchman to register wins at the US Open today. The world No.25 was joined by both Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the French dominated the draw. Monfils, who will face Pouille in the quarterfinals, was a 6-3 6-2 6-3 winner over Marcos Baghdatis.

“He’s a really good friend,” Monfils said of Baghdatis after the match. “I’ve known him for a long time. We played each other as juniors. It’s a pleasure to play against him. You need to be at your best.”

Tsonga, meanwhile, had to be at his best during his 6-3 6-3 6-7(7) 6-2 win over in-form American Jack Sock.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic finally got to play a full match. The world No.1, who benefitted from two retirements in the opening three rounds, blitzed up and coming British star Kyle Edmund 6-2 6-1 6-4. Djokovic, who required treatment on his arm in the third set, was rarely troubled by the 21-year-old, as he eased through to the quarterfinals in under two hours.

The women’s action

If Petra Kvitova was Angelique Kerber’s first tricky test of the US Open, she passed it with flying colours. The world No.2, who will take the top spot off Serena Williams if she wins at Flushing Meadows, was in dominant form during the big hitting, left-handed encounter.

“I think it was a tough match, Petra is a really great player. It’s really nice to be back here, it’s a special tournament,” Kerber said after the 6-3 7-5 win. “Everything started for me here in 2011, reaching the semifinal, and this time I feel like a new tennis player, enjoying every single moment and taking every challenge to play my game.”

Kerber will face last year’s runner-up, Roberta Vinci, in the quarterfinals. The Italian, who is doing an impressive job of defending the points she earned in 2015, beat Lesia Tsurenko 7-6(5) 6-2.

One woman on a perhaps improbable charge through the draw is Caroline Wozniacki. The two-time runner-up, who has enjoyed a torrid 2016, continued her impressive run of form with a 6-3 6-4 win over Madison Keys.

“I know that when I play my best I’m tough to beat and I just do my thing,” Wozniacki said. “I’m not surprised that I could make it this far because I always believe in myself and I always think that when I get on court I’ll win the match.”

Wozniacki will face another surprise opponent in the quarterfinals: Anastasija Sevastova. The 26-year-old beat Jo Konta 6-4 7-5 to become the first Latvian to reach the quarterfinals since 1994.