After a tense four-hour, seven-minute affair, Rafael Nadal lost out of US Open 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6) to Lucas Pouille.

A netted forehand handed the Frenchman a fourth opportunity to close it out with the two-time US Open champion.

Staring down three match points on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the improbable comeback in the deciding-set tie-break looked to be on Rafael Nadal’s racquet on Sunday night. 

Three match points saved and a short three-quarter court ball on his forehand had the two-time champion on the brink of wresting control of the match.

Nadal had beaten the 22-year-old in their only prior FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter.

It would not be Nadal’s day. 

“Today the attitude was great,” Nadal said. “In terms of energy, in terms of motivation, I was great. 

“In terms of tennis, I needed more.

“I needed to serve better in some moments. I needed to create more pain on the opponent with my shots. 

That was something that I didn’t make today. He played well … I didn’t play bad, but I didn’t play well enough.”

Up a break at 4-3 in the deciding set, Nadal looked to be closing in on his seventh quarter-final at Flushing Meadows. 

Pouille – who had survived back-to-back five-setters in his two previous rounds – summoned the strength to level the match.

He then closed out his first victory over a player ranked in the Top 5 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“If he wants to become a champion he cannot be tight in that moment,” Nadal said. 

“Especially when you are 22, when you are playing against a player that in theory you have nothing to lose, you have everything to win.

“It is not a moment to be tight. It is a moment to play aggressive. I think he did, and he did very well.”

It marks the first year since 2004 the Spaniard has not reached a Grand Slam quarter-final in a calendar year. 

NOVAK DJOKOVIC COASTS INTO Q/F

For only the second time all tournament long, Novak Djokovic played a full match on Sunday night at the US Open. 

The top seed showed the rest has only helped.

Djokovic moved into the quarter-finals in New York for the 10th consecutive year, beating 21 year old Kyle Edmund 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

In the last eight, the defending champion will face ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the 22nd time. 

The Serbian leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 15-6, including 11 of their past 12 meetings. 

Tsonga advanced to the quarter-finals with a four-set win against American Jack Sock.

TSONGA SACKS LAST AMERICAN HOPE, SOCK

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended American hopes at the US Open as he defeated last man standing, Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-2 in New York on Sunday.

The Frenchman had a match point in the third set but Sock saved it and looked to have the American crowd behind him heading into the pivotal fourth set. 

Tsonga broke the 23 year old twice in the final set to move into his second Grand Slam quarter-final of the season.

Tsonga fell in the last eight to Marin Cilic at the US Open last year.

He will look to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final since he made a run on home soil last year at Roland Garros (l. to Wawrinka).

The 31-year-old Tsonga controlled the contest with Sock during the first two sets, winning 85 per cent of his first-serve points (28/33) and hitting 28 winners to take a two-set lead. 

Sock rebounded in a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium, though, running around a Tsonga serve to hit a forehand winner and take the third set.

After the clean forehand, the Nebraska native, who was looking to reach his first career Grand Slam quarter-final, lifted his arms to try to rally the crowd. 

But Tsonga’s big-match experience paid off in the fourth as he did not face a break point in advancing. 

“The experience obviously helps. He’s been around for a while, been in those positions,” Sock said.

MONFILS SURGES INTO Q/F

Gael Monfils booked his spot in the US Open quarter-finals for the third time after dismissing Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday at Flushing Meadows.

The Frenchman is in keen contention to qualify for the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 for the first time. 

Monfils is currently eighth in the Emirates ATP Race To London and boosted his bid with his fourth straight-sets win of the tournament in New York.

The 30-year-old Monfils also reached the last eight at the US Open in 2010 (l. to Djokovic) and 2014 (l. to Federer).

He goes on to face either Lucas Pouille. 

The Frenchman was a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in January (l. to Raonic).

He is bidding to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final since 2008 Roland Garros (l. to Federer).

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