Del Potro returns to US Open semifinals

Juan Martin del Potro beat John Isner in stifling conditions to advance to the US Open semifinals for the second year running.

Del Potro, a champion at Flushing Meadows in 2009, got past the American 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Argentine extended his head-to-head record over Isner to 8-4.

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— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) September 4, 2018

In the semifinals Del Potro could face Rafael Nadal – whom he lost to at the same stage of last year’s tournament – should the world No.1 defeat Dominic Thiem in Tuesday’s late-night match.

Del Potro also reached the semifinals at Roland Garros this year, where he was again stopped by Nadal.

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With the mercury hitting 32 degrees Celcius and humidity at about 50 per cent, the USTA invoked its new extreme heat policy, which allowed the players to take a 10-minute break after the third set.

But that clearly didn’t help Isner, who quickly trailed 3-0 in the fourth.

“I’m so happy to reach another semifinals in my favourite tournament,” Del Potro said in his on-court interview.

“That’s very special to me. Beating John in these kind of matches is like an epic, an epic match.

Del Potro on what he did during the heat break: "I lay down on the table and I didn’t want to come back again because with this heat it’s impossible to play tennis."

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“We both were tired in the end, we both fought until the end and I think I survived with my serve. That was the only difference I think.”

Del Potro’s serve held up at crunch moments and he saved the three break points he faced while he managed the break Isner on three occasions, including the final game of the match.

Isner hit 67 winners to Del Potro’s 49 but the victor made just 14 unforced errors to prove too consistent for his good friend.

Enjoying a career-best season, Isner was trying to become the first American man to reach the US Open semis since Andy Roddick in 2006.

He was playing his first quarterfinal in New York in seven years and had two months earlier reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and peaked at world No.8.