NEW YORK – Juan Martin del Potro’s upset of Roger Federer on Wednesday denied the U.S. Open its marquee match between Federer and Rafael Nadal. Even before the tournament started, the assured semifinal meeting of Federer and Nadal felt like the final, a fitting culmination of a Grand Slam season defined by their resurgence.
Instead, del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, will take on Nadal in Friday’s semifinal. It’s no secret that most fans, especially casual observers, were hoping for Fedal XXXVIII—even ticket prices for Friday’s semifinal match started crashing after del Potro pulled off the upset.