Nadal faces generation game at US Open before potential Federer clash

Rafael Nadal has the next generation in his path to a much-hyped meeting with Roger Federer at the US Open.

The world number one found his form at Flushing Meadows after a couple of shaky performances to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2 6-4 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013.

If he can defeat Andrey Rublev, and Federer keeps up his end of the bargain, there will be a first clash between the two great rivals in New York.

Rublev is the most surprising of the quarter-finalists and, at 19, the youngest man to reach this stage at the US Open since Andy Roddick 16 years ago.

The Russian has been overshadowed by the likes of Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov but is the first of the next generation to make the last eight at a slam.

Rublev knocked out his second top-10 seed but was helped by David Goffin’s knee injury, the ninth seed struggling on serve as his teenage opponent wrapped up a 7-5 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 victory.

Rublev grew up idolising Nadal, along with countryman Marat Safin, and said: “Rafa’s the real champion. I’m just going to try to enjoy, I have nothing to lose.”

Nadal does not buy that approach, saying: “Of course he’s young but, at the same time, he’s in the quarter-finals. He has a chance to be in the semi-finals for the first time in his career, and I have been there a couple of times.

“So of course he has things to lose. And of course I have things to lose and things to win. But this sport is about victory. This is not about defeats. At the end of your career, nobody remembers the defeats.

“Of course he’s young, and when you are young you feel that everything is new. But he already won a lot of matches on the tour. He’s not a kid that he came now in this event.

“He’s a great guy. He has been in Majorca practising with me a couple of years ago.”

Nadal would not swap his career, of course, but he does envy Rublev’s youth.

“If I can come back to 19, I take it,” he said with a smile. “That’s the best part because normally you have a lot more years to enjoy the tour, a lot more years to enjoy life.

“Of course, it’s better to be 19 than 31. I always wanted to be young. Even when I was eight years old, I was not very happy when it was my birthday. It’s still the same.

“I am happy being young. I don’t want to get older. For the moment, I didn’t find the way to stop that watch.”

Nadal had struggled with his forehand and his return of serve in particular against Taro Daniel and Leonardo Mayer, losing the first set both times.

But here those creases had been ironed out and he was in full control from the moment he broke the Dolgopolov serve in the third game.

Nadal put his indifferent form in the first three rounds down to anxiety caused by three close losses in his last three tournaments – against Gilles Muller at Wimbledon then Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios on the North American hard courts.

Nadal said: “I was practising unbelievably good the week before the tournament starts. A few tough losses in a row makes you feel a little bit more stressed when you are competing.

“And then of course I was not perfect, but in every match happened a little bit the same. When I was able to have the break and take some advantage on the score, I was playing much better immediately.

“So that’s the good news. It’s about being a little bit more relaxed. Every victory, every set that you win is more confidence.”