Rafael Nadal reached the semifinals at the 2008 US Open tennis tournament on September 4 2008 for the first time in his career less than a month after he became world number one and won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.

Nadal played against American Mardy Fish who started well and managed to win the first set 6-3. While the home crowd was rooting for a sensational American victory over Nadal, the latter proved why he is considered the best tennis player in the world, quickly winning the next three sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Fish’s mistakes certainly helped the Spaniard to reach the semifinals where he will play against Britain's top player Andy Murray. Murray advanced to the semifinals after winning against Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro (7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5). Murray, like Nadal, will play his first ever semi-final at the US Open.

The advantage, however, is on Nadal's side because of the five times the two have faced each other, Nadal has always emerged as the winner.

So far Nadal has notched up a total of 75 wins in his career and only eight losses. If he wins the US Open Nadal will become the first tennis player to have won three consecutive Grand Slam titles. Earlier in the year Nadal won the French Open and Wimbledon after beating current number two and former number one Roger Federer on both occasions.

Federer is yet to play his quarterfinal game at the US Open against Gilles Muller, Luxembourg’s qualifier, who managed to dismiss Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round of the tournament.