Youzhny, Nadal reach U.S. Open semis

Tennis Betting Lines

09/09/2010 - Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mikhail Youzhny and eight-time major titlist Rafael Nadal won their quarterfinal matches on Thursday at the 2010 U.S. Open.

Nadal, the world No. 1, handled eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in the night match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, Nadal needs a U.S. Open title to complete the career Golden Slam, which is all four majors and an Olympic gold medal.

If Nadal can capture the title here, he would become just the seventh man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

Nadal, who has yet to drop a set at this year's event, was actually trailing 4-2 in the first set. However, Nadal won the next three games to turn the tables against his fellow Spaniard. After each player held serve, Nadal broke Verdasco's serve to take the first set.

With the score tied at 2-2 in the second stanza, Nadal won three consecutive games to take control. He cruised to victory from there to set up a meeting with Youzhny in Saturday's semifinals.

Verdasco lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarters here last year.

The 12th-seeded Youzhny earned a 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the 25th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka in four hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Russian advanced to a Grand Slam semifinal for the second time in his career. Youzhny, who reached the semis here back in 2006, is the first Russian into the semifinals of a Grand Slam since Marat Safin at Wimbledon in 2008.

Wawrinka, playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, cruised past Youzhny in the first set before things heated up in the second.

The tight second stanza ultimately went to a tiebreak, which saw the Swiss stave off three set points before the Russian finally captured it with a smash forehand winner.

Wawrinka then eased his way past Youzhny in the third, serving the set out with some big blasts.

Youzhny had no trouble taking the fourth set after racing out to a 3-0 lead. The Russian kept the momentum going in the final frame by breaking Wawrinka's serve. Youzhny then held serve and seemed to be in control.

The Swiss, though, fought right back with a hold and break of his own to even things at 2-2. The Russian followed with a break and hold to take a 4-2 edge. After each player held serve, Youzhny broke Wawrinka's serve to take the match.

Nadal owns a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series with Youzhny.

Saturday's other semi will pit second-seeded Swiss icon Roger Federer against third-seeded Serbian star Djokovic. Federer is 10-5 lifetime against Djokovic, including wins here in New York in each of the previous three years. The Swiss topped the Serb in the 2007 U.S. Open final and the 2008 and 2009 semifinals.

The 16-time major titlist Federer is 4-1 versus the former Aussie Open champion Djokovic in Grand Slam competition.

Federer has played in the last six U.S. Open finals, including a loss against Juan Martin del Potro here a year ago. The reigning Aussie Open champion Federer captured five straight U.S. Open championships from 2004-08.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

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