NEW YORK, September 6-Rafael Nadal solved the travel plan dilemma of brand-new father Gilles Simon, sending the distracted Frenchman home to see his newborn son with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 defeat Sunday in the third round of the U.S. Open.Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka put an end to speculation over Andy Murray’s lack of a Grand Slam title as he slammed the Scot 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3 in a comeback victory.Wawrinka was able to turn the tide in the combative match after losing the first set, keeping Murray on the back foot as he carved out an upset. The Swiss took a thigh wrapping midway through the third set and kept up the pressure to deny Murray, two years after the fourth seed lost the final to Roger Federer.Murray was twice visited by the trainer“The first time, just tightness in my quad; the second time, just getting pins and needles around my right elbow,” Murray said.“He played better than me. There’s not a whole lot more to it. He had a chance to win the first set, didn’t take it. I had a chance to win the second set, didn’t take it. I just struggled from then on, in the third and fourth sets. I was disappointed that I was struggling physically. You know, I tried to find a way to come back. I didn’t quite do it.” Top seed Nadal’s trip into the second week of the season’s last major had a silver lining for 42nd-ranked Simon, whose son was born a few days ago, four weeks prematurely.Simon will be catching the first flight home, while Nadal presses forward in his quest to win the first New York title of his career and complete his Grand Slam trophy set. The Spaniard faced and saved his only break point in the final game after two hours.“It’s been hard to focus for me the last three days,” Simon said.“I was playing good. The two first sets were nice, but I missed a lot of return. By the third set, I have to say that I was already in the plane. Rafa knew I’m impatient to see my baby. He knows that I’m not really sad today, even if I lost.” The understandably distracted Simon committed more than 40 unforced errors. With four Spanish players in his quarter of the draw, Nadal next plays good friend Feliciano Lopez, who advanced when Sergiy Stakhovsky retired 6-3, 4-0 with a right toe infection.“I’m playing a little bit better every day,” Nadal said. “Today was a solid match. The serve is still good, so that’s a very important thing. I’m in fourth round, that’s good news for me, without losing a set. I’m happy where I am, but it’s only the fourth round.” Spain’s Fernando Verdasco defeated David Nalbandian 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and compatriot David Ferrer, seeded 10th, stopped Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-2.A trio of women’s Grand Slam champions moved into the quarter-finals, with holder Kim Clijsters, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone and Venus Williams all advancing untroubled.Belgian second seed Clijsters beat Serb Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open winner, 6-2, 6-1. Schiavone, who lifted Roland Garros honours in a June surprise, beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-0.
Schiavone will next test herself against Venus Williams, winner of seven majors, after the third seed easily accounted for Israeli Shahar Peer 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Clijsters said that pressure to defend the trophy never figures into her game plan.
“It’s a privilege. (The pressure) is something that comes because you’ve done well in the past,” said the 27-year-old.
“It’s always good to have a tough match, a match where you have to challenge yourself against your opponent and the conditions and everything,” said the American.
“I was happy to do that today. I know it’s not gonna be something I just walk through when I play against her. I have to stay focused and ready to take every point or else she will. It was a good challenge.”
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