Rafael Nadal has spoken of his friendship with Richard Gasquet ahead of their US Open semi-final clash.
The Spaniard described his opponent as a "very nice person" and said that he is one of the professional tennis players he feels closest to.
"He's a nice guy, very nice person, one of the players on the tour that I feel closer to] because we are from the same age," BBC Sport quotes the 27-year-old as saying.
"We grew up in similar ways and we played when we were kids.
"Today we have the chance to be in the semi-finals of the US Open, so it's great. It's a great thing for both of us, so I'm very happy."
The winner of the match will take on either Novak Djokovic or Stanislas Wawrinka in the final.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
