David Ferrer joined Rafael Nadal as the only Spaniards in the Open Era to reach the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year as he overcame Frenchman Richard Gasquet and rain delays to claim a 7-5, 7-6(2), 6-4 win Tuesday at Flushing Meadows.
He also became the third player this season to accomplish the feat, putting him alongside Roger Federer and Andy Murray.Novak Djokovic will join the trio should he defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in his Round of 16 match at the US Open.
“I'm very happy for that,” said Ferrer. “This season was the best of all my career. I'm playing consistent all the year.”
Rain delayed the start to 12:50pm, and the fourth-round match did not conclude until just before 8:30pm when Ferrer prevailed on his fifth match opportunity. Play was twice interrupted in the third set, at 2-2 and again at 4-3.
Gasquet, who like Ferrer finished with 34 unforced errors and struck 32 winners to his opponent’s 35, had his share of chances to draw even in the second set. The No. 13 seed went up a break 4-2, but conceded the lead as he served for the set in the ninth game, and squandered four set points in the following game.
“I think I have luck in important moments because I was tonight set points down in the second set,” said Ferrer. “The first round with [Kevin] Anderson I was also three set points down. With [Igor] Sijsling in the second round also the same. So I think in important moments I played good, but of course I had luck.”
The 30-year-old Ferrer will look to reach the US Open semi-finals for a second time when he next faces the winner between Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and German Philipp Kohlschreiber. Tipsarevic led Kohlschreiber 5-2 when rain suspended play.
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