Federer, Nadal Once Again Will Not Play Each Other at US Open

 

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Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal have played each other dozens of times through the years. Their rivalry¹ has included memorable² matches, including finals, at all but one of the world’s Grand Slam³ championships.

They have never played each other at the U.S. Open.

Fans of the sport hoped that this year, two of the world’s best would finally face off at Flushing⁴ Meadow⁵ in New York.

Those hopes ended Wednesday night, however.

Just hours after Nadal won a spot in the semifinal round of the tournament, Federer lost in four sets to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

After his loss, Federer said of del Potro, “He came up with the goods when he needed to...and I helped him a little bit sometimes, too, maybe.”

Federer also said that, unlike just about everyone else, he did not spend any time at all thinking about a possible matchup with Nadal.

This is the sixth time in which they were one game away from playing each other in New York. It happened in 2009, when del Potro himself beat Nadal in the semifinals, and then Federer in the final.

Federer entered the quarterfinals undefeated in Grand Slam play this season. He won titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. But he hurt his back at a tournament last month, which limited his preparation for the U.S. Open.

Before the U.S. Open began, Nadal was honest as can be when asked whether he hoped to face Federer. The answer was no, because he would prefer to play someone who is easier to beat.

Nadal will next face del Potro on Friday in the semifinal.

The other semifinal game includes two men who have never been this far at any major: Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain versus⁶ Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

On the women’s side, the four remaining players are all Americans. It is the first time that has happened at the U.S. Open in 36 years. Venus Williams will play Sloane Stephens in one semifinal game, and Madison Keys will play CoCo Vandeweghe in the other.

And that’s What’s Trending Today…

I’m Caty Weaver⁷.

Words in This Story

dozen - n. a group of 12 people or things

rivalry - n. a state or situation in which people or groups are competing with each other

match - n. a contest between two or more players or teams

face off - phrasal verb. to be involved or become involved in a conflict, dispute⁸, or competition

matchup - n. a contest between athletes or sports teams

1 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

2 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

3 slam   

v.猛力地推、放或扔；砰地关上

参考例句：

• They were surprised by the slam of a car door.关汽车门时发出的声音使他们很吃惊。
• Why should you slam the window?你干吗要使劲关窗户呢？

4 flushing   

脸红

参考例句：

• The police succeeded in flushing the criminal from their secret meeting place. 警察成功地把这名罪犯从秘密据点赶出来。
• He turned away embarrassed, his face flushing red. 他难为情地扭过头去，羞红了脸。

5 meadow   

n.草地，牧草地

参考例句：

• The children ran free across the meadow.孩子们在草地里自由地奔跑。
• The meadow is peopled with wild flowers.草地长满了野花。

6 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

7 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

8 dispute   

n.争端，分歧；v.争论，争吵，辩论，辩驳

参考例句：

• They are trying to find a way of settling the dispute.他们正设法寻找解决争端的办法。
• The parties to the dispute should be more polite to each other.争执双方应相互礼貌些。