Some things are meant to happen in life and perhaps Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal at the US Open is simply not among them.
Their 37 career meetings will still not include a match-up in New York after the ghosts of the 2009 final seemed to revisit Federer as he was beaten 7-5 3-6 7-6 6-4 by Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarter finals.
The Argentinian would surely have built on that triumph against the Swiss from eight years ago were it not for chronic wrist injuries, and even the most ardent fan of the Swiss would struggle not to have a smidgeon of pleasure for him after this.
Juan Martin Del Potro celebrates after his four-set victory over Roger Federer at the US Open
The Argentinian couldn’t hold his delight after setting up a semi-final with Rafael Nadal
A dejected Federer leaves the court at Flushing Meadows following his four-set loss
Federer looks dismayed as he loses a point during his four set loss to Del Potro
He now meets Nadal after bludgeoning Federer with his serve and forehand and summoning up a little more composure on the biggest points. The Swiss had four set points in the third set tiebreak, but could not put him away.
Perhaps he felt in his legs the five setters he went through in the first two rounds, or the back twinges that have recently affected him, and he will have to settle for two Grand Slam titles this year, which is still an extraordinary return for him.
Afterwards Del Potro thanked the vociferous support for him on the Arthur Ashe Stadium which, while outnumbered, provided at least as much noise as that of his ever popular opponent. He managed to ignore his missed first serves being clapped on occasions.
‘I think it’s my home court too,’ he said. ‘It makes me very happy every time I play here. I think I played my best match of the tournament, I hit my forehand as hard as I can, I deserved to win in the end.
Federer and Del Potro shakes hands at the end of a thrilling quarter-final contest in New York
Del Potro celebrates winning a point as his forehand and serve proved too much for Federer
‘I can’t believe I’m playing another semi-final after the injuries and surgeries, especially here in New York.’
Federer denied that the prospect of facing Nadal had played on his mind but admitted that his level of tennis had not been high enough in the past ten days to win the tournament: ‘I know going into the tournament I wasn’t in a safe place. I might have to depend on my opponent and I don’t like that feeling,’ he said.
‘It’s hard to explain what happened in the tiebreak. He was better in the big points. In some ways I’m actually happy I made the quarters, so I’m not disappointed, because it’s been a good run this year already. Unfortunately I ran into a guy who was better than me today.’
He plans to play a relatively full schedule until the end of the year, unlike several of his rivals near the top of the rankings.
Federer celebrates winning a point during his second set revival but he couldn’t kick on
Del Potro strides to make a wide return during his quarter-final victory over Federer
Del Potro began with a blitzkrieg of serving and forehands that saw him take the first set, but Federer was able to capitalise on his dropping service percentage to equalise.
The Argentinian, gratefully receiving a surprising amount of balls to his forehand flank, went an early break up in the third and could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had taken a chance to go 4-0 up.
But Federer hauled him into a tiebreak, which he led 6-4 as part of four set points that were saved before Del Potro clinched it 10-8 when he forced a volleying error that went long.
Del Potro broke for 3-2 in the fourth set after a horrendous overhead into the net from a player who, it is sometimes easy to forget, is in his 37th year.
When he served for it at 5-4 Federer pegged him back to 30-30 but then sent a panicked forehand volley from the simplest position which provided a match point, which was gleefully taken.