Nadal looks to gain first U.S. Open final

NEW YORK, Sept. 10 (UPI) — World No. 1 Rafael Nadal looks to earn a rare important place in tennis he’s never been — the finals of the U.S. Open.

Nadal owns eight Grand Slam titles but he’s never advanced to the finals of the U.S. Open. He’ll have a chance to change that Saturday when he goes against 12th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny in the tournament semifinals.

The other semi features No. 2-ranked Roger Federer, who is very familiar with the men’s singles final at the U.S. Open. He has won the event five times and was the runner-up last year. He’ll play No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic, a familiar opponent who lost the 2007 U.S. Open final to the Swiss star in his only trip to the tournament title match and dropped semifinal decisions to Federer each of the last two years.

Youzhny is appearing in his second U.S. Open semifinal but he’s never been farther than the quarters in any other major tournament. In 2006 he earned his other semifinal berth by beating Nadal, against whom he is 4-7 overall.

Nadal is yet to lose a set in the tournament while Youzhny is coming off a five-set quarterfinal win over Stanislas Wawrinka. Three of Youzhny’s other four matches in New York went four sets.

Federer also hasn’t dropped a set at the Open and Djokovic, after a five-setter in the first round, won in straight sets in his other matches. Federer is 10-5 against Djokovic in his career, including a close three-set win in last year’s Open semifinals.