Rafael Nadal v Juan Martin del Potro Preview – September 7th, 2018
Rafael Nadal survived an epic duel against Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals of the US Open 2018 and sets up a tie with Juan Martin del Potro in the final four. Nadal and Thiem’s match went to four hours and 49 minutes, the longest match at this year’s Grand Slam event. That was a brutal, long slog for Nadal, who is the top seed at the US Open 2018 and he had to twice fight back from being a set down. Del Potro had a long battle of endurance as well in his quarter final, taking down John Isner in four sets.
Rafael Nadal v Juan Martin del Potro odds*
Rafa Nadal 8/13
Juan Martin del Potro 13/10
* (betting odds taken on September 5th, 2018 at 6:39 pm)
So that is back to back gruelling tests that Nadal has managed to survive. In the third round, he had to fight back having lost the opening set against Karen Khachanov and then needed a tie-break in the third and fourth sets to claim his victory. In the fourth round there was another 3-1 set success for Nadal as Nikoloz Basilashvili pushed the Spaniard harder than expected.
But this is Nadal, he grinds, he digs deeper than most can and that has shown at the US Open 2018. He will run and run and run and because of the sets that he has been dropping and now the physical efforts taking its toll in the latter stages of the event, we are going to look for another 4 Sets affair at 6/4 odds* (betting odds taken on September 5th, 2018 at 6:39 pm) when Nadal clashes with Del Potro in the semi finals.
Former US Open champion Del Potro had to fight back from a set down against American John Isner in his quarter final match. There was an extreme weather condition put in place with temperatures getting up to 38c on the court and the humidity was so bad that matches across the outside courts at Flushing Meadows had to be put back. The conditions clearly took their toll on the players. After Isner had won the first set on a tie-break you could see him fading badly as early as the second set, won by Delpo.
Del Potro then looked totally shattered at one point in the third set and after their 10-minute break for the heat between the third and fourth sets, neither of them really looked much better for it. So it was just a slog and as survival of the fittest and fortunately for Del Potro, it was a fantastic service display which helped get him across the finish line. That is going to be a necessary asset for him as he takes on Nadal.
A Rafael Nadal 3-1 option in set betting is at 10/3 odds* (betting odds taken on September 5th, 2018 at 6:39 pm).
Head to head
Nadal leads the head to head with Del Potro 11-5 and this will be the third meeting between the two of them this year. Nadal took wins over the Argentine at Roland Garros and at Wimbledon in their high-profile Grand Slam clashes this season. Nadal has won seven of the last nine against Del Potro and this will be their third meeting at the US Open, with one win each from the other two. A little surprisingly perhaps, Nadal has won three of the last four between them on outdoor hard courts.
Prediction
We are going to stick with Nadal in this one. Quite where he keeps pulling things out from is a mystery, but the 32-year-old looks in prime shape. Even though Delpo went a set less in his quarter-final, the heat of that match pretty much level the playing field against Nadal almost-five-hour nigh epic against Thiem. There were times Isner let Delpo off the hook, Nadal won’t likely do the same.
