Rafael Nadal has had about as easy a time as possible in the U.S. Open quarter-finals, beating 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a little more than 90 minutes to close in on a showdown with Roger Federer.
There was no suspense to the No.1-seeded Nadal’s match-up with the 53rd-ranked Rublev.
Nadal, a two-time US Open winner, and Federer, a five-time champion, have never met at Flushing Meadows. Federer can change that by winning his quarter-final against Juan Martin del Potro later Wednesday.