Rafael Nadal recovered from a slow start against the local favourite Mardy Fish to ease into the semi-finals and remain on course for a clean sweep of all the principal honours in the game. The Spaniard has powered his way to victory in French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics during the last three months and is now setting his sights on a first title at Flushing Meadows after despatching Fish 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2. Surrendering the opening set meant Nadal was detained until after two o'clock yesterday morning on a day when the preceding matches were keenly fought but the strongly-built world No 1 was not complaining. "You want to play well in all tournaments and in the past I have not always done well here," he said as he contemplated his first New York semi-final which will be against Britain's Andy Murray. The pivotal moment for Nadal against Fish was in the seventh game of the third set when the American missed two routine forehand volleys. The Spaniard needed no second invitation to make a vital break which destroyed the stubborn resistance of Fish. A break to love in the third set ensured that a match that at one stage looked like going into the dawning to a new day came to a swift conclusion in favour of the top seed.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
