NEW YORK, Sept 7, 2018 (News Wires) - Defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal and twice winner Novak Djokovic are one victory away from renewing their rivalry in the final with both expected to get through their semis Friday. World number one Nadal faces big-serving Argentine third seed Juan Martin del Potro while sixth seed Novak Djokovic meets Japanese 21st seed Kei Nishikori bidding to secure a seventh trip to the showcase match at Flushing Meadows. Nadal, who survived a gruelling late-night battle with Austrian Dominic Thiem in punishing humidity to reach the last four, has a commanding 11-5 career record against Del Potro with his last loss coming in the semis at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Spaniard, who beat Del Potro this year in the French Open semi-finals and Wimbledon quarter-finals, has looked nothing short of brilliant but is not about to get ahead of himself as the pair have split their 10 meetings on hard courts. "He (Del Potro) is a great player everywhere. But the challenge of playing him on hard (courts) of course is even higher for me personally than playing against him on clay," said Nadal, who has three US Opens among his 17 Grand Slam titles. "It will be a big challenge. It's a match in which we know each other very well. I know he's playing well. I know I'll have to play at my highest level to keep having chances of success." Del Potro will rely heavily on his service having won 83 per cent of his first service points through five matches here, well above anyone else remaining in the men's draw. In Friday's other semi-final, Djokovic will try to extend the form that has seen him win 24 of his last 26 matches, an impressive run that includes titles at Wimbledon and the US Open tune-up event in Cincinnati.
