My bet is on Federer

New York:  Rafa Nadal's latest US Open victim, his friend Fernando Verdasco, said his pick to win the year's last grand slam would be Roger Federer and not his Spanish Davis Cup teammate.

Nadal stayed on track to win the only major title to elude him by vanquishing Verdasco 7-5 6-3 6-4 to reach the semi-finals without the loss of a set at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.

"He's playing good," Verdasco said of top-seeded Nadal, who dropped his first and only service game of the tournament in the third game of the opening set of their quarter-final to end a run of 62 successive holds.

‘Tough match'

"If I am not wrong, I think that he will play the final against Roger. It's going to be a tough match, because I think Roger plays really good in these conditions.

"I think if I need to bet here, I will bet for Roger. I think that he won five times here and he likes these conditions."

Nadal, who improved his record to 11-0 against Verdasco, said his fellow-left-hander's prediction was understandable.

"For sure Roger is the favourite of the tournament," Nadal said after booking his third successive trip to the US Open semi-finals. "Especially because he won five times. And six finals in a row. No one doubt on that.

"And I am in the semi-finals, so I don't think about the final. Everybody free to think, and what Fernando says is completely fair."

In suggesting conditions could favour Federer, Verdasco was most likely referring to the fast hardcourt used at Flushing Meadows rather than the cold and wind.

The weather conditions had, though, helped Nadal on Thursday, by robbing Verdasco of a chance to compete against Nadal.

"I think that for the game I need to beat Rafa, these conditions were very bad for me," said eighth-seeded Verdasco. "My game plan was to try to push him all I can with my serve.

"It was very difficult even to make the toss of the ball. And to try to play aggressive, try to play inside of the court ... the ball was moving all the time and was impossible to play the game I need to try to have chances to beat Rafa."

Men's Quarter-finals

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x12) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x25) 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x8) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4