Pablo Carreno Busta admitted he was "destroyed" after emerging victorious from a five-set battle with Canada's Denis Shapovalov to reach the US Open semi-finals early on Wednesday.
The 20th seed overcame his 12th-seeded opponent 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 in four hours and eight minutes inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Spaniard will play fifth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, who progressed to the semis earlier on Tuesday with a four-set win over Croatia's Borna Coric.
"I'm destroyed, but I'm very, very happy after this fight, this battle," said Carreno Busta, who was a US Open semi-finalist in 2017.
He said it was "incredible" to be back in the last-four again after working "very, very hard" with his coach during the quarantine shutdown.
Carreno Busta admitted though that fortune was on his side at times in the match. "I was a little bit lucky here," the 29-year-old said.
Shapovalov was undone by ill-timed double faults and misplaced shots during key moments of the match.
His service game was particularly wayward during the two tie-break sets he lost. Shapovalov hit 11 double faults while Carreno Busta had only one. The Canadian smashed 76 winners compared to just 33 by the Spaniard.
But Shapovalov was also his own worst enemy, recording a whopping 77 unforced errors to the 42 hit by Carreno Busta.
The tie-break sets that Carreno Busta won were a test of endurance, lasting 77 and 68 minutes.
When Shapovalov sprinted to a 6-0 win in the fourth set in just 28 minutes, the writing seemed to be on the wall for the Spanish player.
But after a medical timeout, he surged to a 5-2 lead in the deciding set before a couple of errant forehands by Shapovalov in the final game handed Carreno Busta victory.
He had progressed to the quarter-final match by default after Novak Djokovic was disqualified during their last-16 match for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball.
The disqualification of Djokovic blew the men's competition at Flushing Meadows wide open. His departure means the US Open will crown a first-time Grand Slam winner on Sunday.
In Wednesday's quarter-final matches, second seed Dominic Thiem plays Australia's Alex de Minaur and third seed Daniil Medvedev takes on Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev.
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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