Nadal passes epic Russian test

                                      

World No 1 and defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal was forced to stave off Russia's Karen Khachanov in four spellbinding sets to reach the last 16 on Friday.

Nadal was forced to battle back from a set down under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium to come through 5-7 7-5 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3) in a brutal encounter lasting four hours and 23 minutes, a record time in the history of the US OPEN .

The Spaniard will now take on Georgia's world No 37 Nikoloz Basilashvili who reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time by seeing off Argentina's Guido Pella 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4).

Austrian ninth seed Dominic Thiem reached the last 16 for the fourth time in five years in a match lasting three hours and 19 minutes.

Thiem defeated America's Taylor Fritz 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 and will tackle 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson for a place in the quarter-finals.

South African Anderson ,outlasted Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov 4-6 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-4 in a match that saw the new Louis Armstrong Stadium roof closed for the first time at the tournament.