NEW YORK -- Rafael Nadal watched as his opponent hit an overhead beyond the baseline on match point, and then dropped his racket to his side. He walked quietly to the center of the court, then stepped over the net and embraced 25-year-old Dominic Thiem.
It was the first still moment in nearly five hours of epic, smash-ball, anything-you-can-hit-I-can-hit-harder tennis. Under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Nadal and Thiem delivered the New York crowd another memorable marathon, this time for a spot in the US Open semifinals.
"What is important about this match is the level of tennis, the dramatic match," Nadal said in his press conference shortly after play ended.