Rafael Nadal has revealed that he was pleased with the level of his performance during his four-set victory over Borna Coric at the US Open.
Nadal, a two-time winner at Flushing Meadows, was facing a potential banana skin in 18-year-old Coric, who is regarded as a future world number one in the sport, but the Spaniard had too much for his opponent, running out a 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4 winner.
The left-hander acknowledged that he struggled with the conditions during the third set, but overall, he was delighted with how he dealt with the talented youngster.
The 29-year-old is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "I think I started playing well. The first two sets was a very high level for me, then I got a little bit tired.
"The conditions here are very humid, I am sweating a lot and in those conditions I suffer a bit. I was able to play aggressive in the fourth. He is an amazing player and has a great future."
Nadal will now play Diego Schwartzman in the last 64.
Darren Plant
