The US Open is down to its final four. What’s been a great two weeks of tennis, filled with upsets on the men’s side, has led to a rather predictable semifinals. With the exception of Andy Murray, all top seeds advanced to the semis, and it should come as no surprise to any follower of tennis that Juan Martin Del Potro broke through this year.

Let’s take a quick look at the matchups, with my predictions attached.

Matchup #1: Rafael Nadal (3) vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (6)

Nadal has quieted down the doubters with two weeks of magnificent tennis. This is a tournament that Nadal usually struggles at, but he’s arguably looked better than ever before at the US Open this year. This is ironic considering the fact that Nadal’s coming straight off an injury that sidelined him for most of the summer. While there are concerns about a minor stomach injury he sustained earlier this week, it seems like everyone can agree that his knee is back to 100%.

Del Potro, on the other hand, is playing inspired tennis and has really shown no vulnerability through the course of the tournament. He’s had some very impressive wins, but no major challenges to date, or at least no one on Nadal’s level. This will be an interesting test.

My prediction: Del Potro wins in 4 sets. He’s one of the world’s best hard court players, and at just 20 years old, he looks even sharper than he did last year. Nadal’s never made it this far at the US Open, and has his losses the past few years (i.e. Ferrer, Youzhny, Blake) have come to generally weaker opponents than Del Potro.

I’d love to see Rafa win, but look for Del Potro to establish himself as another name on the big stage. He could very well win the entire tournament.

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