Nadal keeps his record intact

Rafael Nadal kept his perfect record intact at the US Open on Tuesday as he powered past Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez into the quarter-finals. The top seed won 6-3, ­6-4, 6-4 and in four outings to date he has yet to drop a set or even his serve.

Next up in his sights is old foe Fernando Verdasco, another Spaniard against whom Nadal has a perfect 10-0 win-loss record.

Verdasco took four hours 23 minutes to see off compatriot David Ferrer in a typically gruelling Iberian clash that involved merciless, end-to-end tennis.

Home hopes, meanwhile, were blown away by Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka when he outlasted Sam Querrey in a marathon fourth round tie.

The 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 defeat means that there will be no US player in the men’s singles quarter-finals for the second year in a row.

Last year was the first time that had happened in the Open era dating back to 1968.

The 20th-seeded Wawrinka joins Roger Federer in the last eight, making it the first time two Swiss players have reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam in the Open era.

The match, played in tough, windy conditions, lasted four hours 28 minutes.

“I think for sure the crowd was hoping that he can stay in the tournament. But if you watch the match they were very fair. For me it was great to play that kind of match with that crowd,” the 25-year-old Wawrinka said after reaching his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

His opponent for a place in the semi-finals will be 12th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who defeated Tommy Robredo, of Spain, 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Wawrinka reached the fourth round by playing some of the best tennis of his life to defeat Andy ­Murray in four sets, while all the pressure was on Querrey as the last US player left in the tournament.

Windy conditions

In the women’s tournament, two-time champions Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams booked a semi-final showdown with hard-fought victories, struggling in windy conditions to overcome their toughest foes yet.

Defending champion Clijsters, trying to become the first winner to repeat since Williams in 2001, struggled but stretched her Flushing Meadows win streak to 19 matches by ousting Australian Samantha ­Stosur 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

“I didn’t play a good match but I was able to win it,” Clijsters said.

“Even after the match I was like, ‘How did I win this?’ Next match everything will have to be a lot ­better.”

US third seed Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who has not won a US Open crown since completing her back-to-back feat, eliminated French Open winner Francesca Schiavone 7-6, 6-4.

Entering tomorrow’s semi-final, Clijsters and Williams have split 12 matches, although Williams has lost their past four meetings, including a 2005 US Open quarter-final and a fourth-round match last year that went three sets.

“We had a great match last year. It was really close,” Williams said.

“I’m sure we’ll have another really good matchup. I would like to kind of flip the way it turns out.”

Williams, who has yet to drop a set in this Flushing Meadows fortnight, became the first 30-year-old woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since France’s Mary Pierce at the 2005 US Open.

Schiavone, who fell to 0-8 against Williams, was frustrated after her defeat.

“I think I lost a little bit more this match than she won,” the Italian said. “It’s a lot of disappointment. I have the quality and the chance to beat her.”

Women’s QF

Vera Zvonareva reached the semi-finals of the US Open last night with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Kaia Kanepi. The eighth seed will play either Caroline Wozniacki or Dominika Cibulkova for a place in the final.