World number two Rafael Nadal will play for his 19th Grand Slam title on Sunday, after battling past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini on Friday and into his fifth US Open final.
The 33-year-old Spaniard dispatched Berrettini 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach a Sunday showdown against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who ousted Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-3.
“Very happy to be back into the final of the US Open,” Nadal said.
“It means a lot to be back where I am today after some tough moments at the beginning of the season.”
If Nadal wins on Sunday, his tally of Grand Slams will be one shy of Roger Federer’s all time record of 20.
Nadal, who shook off an early season right hip injury to win a 12th French Open title, seeks his fourth US Open crown — one short of the Open-era record of five shared by Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors — to reach the brink of Federer’s mark.
“It’s just another chance on Sunday,” Nadal said. “I want to enjoy a day off, have a good practice and Sunday is the day to play my best.”
Nadal, into his 27th Grand Slam final, beat Medvedev in last month’s Montreal final in their only prior meeting. But the world number two skipped Cincinnati, where Medvedev was champion the following week.
“He’s one of the more solid players on tour,” Nadal said of Medvedev. “He’s making steps forward every single week.
