Del Potro comes back from the brink, meets Federer next

Del Potro, the 2009 champion who will next face Roger Federer, saved two match points in the fourth set of what was arguably the best of the tournament so far. “Oh my God, I don’t know (I won). What can I say after a battle like this. I was sick the last two days and I just tried to improve game after game,” 24th seed Del Potro, who took a pill near the end of the opening set, said on court.

“I fought like this because of you guys, so thank you very much,” he added in reference to the noisy Argentine fans who had turned the Grandstand Arena into a raucous soccer-stadium like atmosphere. 

“The crowd was on his side. But it was a great atmosphere,” said Thiem. “I mean, we’re not playing every day in an atmosphere like this.” 

American Sloane Stephens, back to her best after a year out because of a foot injury, faces Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova, who beat Maria Sharapova in the previous round. She will be followed on Arthur Ashe Stadium by Williams, with Sam Querrey, the only American male player left in the draw, closing proceedings against big-serving Kevin Anderson. 

Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta against Argentine Diego Schwartzman will start action on the main arena. Roger Federer crushed Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4 6-2 7-5 to ease into the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open and remain on a collision course for a semi-final showdown with Rafa Nadal. who scored a straight sets win over Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov.