Nadal’s nose just fine at US Open; now 18-0 against Gasquet

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal’s nose was just fine. So was his tennis. No stitches or even a bandage, 48 hours after he drew blood by accidentally smacking himself with his racket — and not a trace of trouble, as usual, against Richard Gasquet. Nadal improved to 18-0 against Gasquet across their careers and ran his head-to-head set streak to 34 in a row by winning their third-round matchup at the U.S. Open 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 on Saturday night. After No. 2 seed Nadal grabbed the initial nine games, Gasquet finally claimed one 70 minutes in. Gasquet raised both arms as the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd feted him with a standing ovation. Nadal now meets American Frances Tiafoe for a quarterfinal berth.