Nadal creates US Open history with stunning comeback win

Rafael Nadal has created history at the US Open after overcoming Dominic Thiem in a blockbuster quarter-final victory.

The tennis world was in shock when Thiem blew the world No.1 off the court early, needing only 24 minutes to win the first set 6-0.

It was just the fourth time in his career Nadal had suffered a ‘bagel’ at a grand slam – but more than four hours later he had written himself into the tennis record books.

Nadal faltered in a fourth-set tiebreak but managed to hold out Thiem and win the match 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) just after 2am in New York, setting up a semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro.

“(It has) been a great battle. The conditions were tough. A lot of humidity. For me it was a very tough start then I tried to stay in the match in some way in the second set, and I did,” he said.

The Spaniard’s victory after losing the first set 0-6 made him the first man in US Open history (in the Open Era) to achieve the feat in the fourth round or later.

He is the first man to do so in the quarter-finals or later of any grand slam since Gaston Gaudio’s remarkable 0-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 8-6 victory in the 2004 French Open final.

Nadal hadn’t lost a first set 0-6 at a grand slam since Roger Federer dished one out in the 2006 Wimbledon final.

Those in attendance were shellshocked, as were fans on social media:

However, the Spaniard managed to right the ship once the second set was underway.

Nadal eyed a victory in four sets but was torched by Thiem in the fourth-set tiebreak and forced into a tiring fifth frame.

Former US Open champion awaits Nadal

Del Potro outslugged John Isner earlier in the day to reach the semi-finals after a towering battle in a sweltering Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The two big men battered each other to near exhaustion in the heat and humidity but it was the Argentine third seed who proved the stronger to prevail 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in three-and-a-half hours.

With the mercury hitting 35C and humidity at about 50 per cent, the US Tennis Association invoked its new extreme heat policy, which allowed the players to take a 10-minute break after the third set -while officials called a halt to junior matches on the outside courts for more than two hours.

“I’m so happy to reach another semi-finals 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.

“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.”

with AAP