Juan Martin del Potro upset Roger Federer in the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, denying the tournament its first ever meeting between Rafael Nadal and Federer.
Federer and Nadal seemed to be on a collision course when they were drawn in the same half of the bracket, but del Potro played spoiler. In a rematch of the 2009 final—which del Potro won in five sets—the Argentine kept Federer off-balance, winning a crucial third-set tiebreaker on his way to a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4.
Del Potro's shock victory over Federer, the tournament's No. 3 seed, is even more remarkable considering his journey to the quarterfinals.