- Leonardo Mayer beat Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7-3) on a tiebreak to win the opening set
- Nadal stormed back to take the next two sets 6-3 and 6-1 at Flushing Meadows
- Two-time winner Nadal advances to the US Open fourth round for the ninth time
- Nadal will face Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the quarter-finals
Rafael Nadal came from a set down to beat Leonardo Mayer 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to advance to the last 16 of the US Open.
The two-time champion stormed to victory despite dropping the first set at Flushing Meadows to book his place in the fourth round.
Argentina’s Mayer proved a stubborn opponent for Nadal and he won his first ever set against the Spaniard in four meetings between the two via a tiebreak in the opener.
Rafael Nadal came back from a set down to beat Leonardo Mayer on Saturday night
Mayer took the opening set after overcoming Nadal 7-3 on a tiebreak at Flushing Meadows
Mayer powered home a series of aces during the tiebreak, one was recorded at 129mph, to win 7-3 after a no-break first set.
Nadal was left frustrated after he missed a series of break points early on and was 0-14 to start the match in that category until he finally broke Mayer in the seventh game of the second set.
That proved a turning point and he went on to take the second 6-3, breaking his opponent again in the ninth game.
In the third Nadal began finding his rhythm and made short work of Mayer, winning 6-1 off the back of some dominant service games to the delight of fans in attendance.
Two-time champion Nadal progressed to the last 16 of the US Open with the four-set victory
Nadal strips to the torso during a break in play as the Spaniard proved too strong for Mayer
Mayer looked to be fading but he managed to make the fourth set more competitive, breaking Nadal in the eighth game.
But despite the resistance, Nadal eventually served out the match to take the fourth 6-4 – with Mayer making two consecutive unforced errors to seal his victory.
The win means World No 1 Nadal advances to a fourth-round showdown against Alexandr Dolgopolov – the Spaniard remains on course to meet Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Argentina’s Mayer has never made it past the third round of the US Open in four attempts