Defending champion Rafael Nadal and World No. 4 Andy Murray guaranteed a US Open dream line-up on Friday, completing an all-star, top-four lockout of the semifinal places.
Second seed Nadal cruised past 2003 champion Andy Roddick, the American 21st seed, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 and will tackle Murray for a place in Monday's final.
Murray, the fourth seed, became just the seventh man to feature in all four Grand Slam semifinals in the same year when he thwarted big-serving American John Isner, the 28th seed, 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2).
Top seed Novak Djokovic, who will also be playing in his fourth Grand Slam semifinal of 2011, will face five-time champion Roger Federer, the third seed, in the other semifinal.
Nadal pulled off his seventh win in 10 meetings against Roddick and was untroubled as the 29-year-old American was slowed by a left thigh injury which twice needed treatment and the all-court dominance of the Spaniard.
Nadal, who became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam when he won here last year, will be playing in his fourth successive US Open semifinal and will be buoyed by having defeated Murray in the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Djokovic made sure of his semifinal place when Serbian teammate Janko Tipsarevic quit with an injury with the top seed 7-6(2), 6-7(3), 6-0, 3-0 to the good.
Federer eased past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to gain revenge for his shock Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to the Frenchman.
Bopanna-Qureshi lose
Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi crashed out in the doubles semifinals following a straight set loss to the Polish pair of Marcin Matkowski and Maruisz Fyrstenberg.
At the end of an 82-minute battle, the sixth-seed duo from Poland got the better of the Indo-Pak Express 6-2, 7-6(4).
Matkowski and Fyrstenberg, who defeated Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the quarter-finals, completely dominated in the first set, converting two of the three break points they got, besides getting 75 per cent of their second serve right as opposed to the 22 per cent of Bopanna-Qureshi.
Oudin-Sack win
American teenagers Melanie Oudin and Jack Sock helped restore some lost pride to the host nation at the U.S. Open on Friday when they won the mixed doubles final after Andy Roddick and John Isner were knocked out of the men's draw.
The pair, who were only allowed to play in the competition after organisers granted them a wildcard, vindicated their invitation by beating the Argentine pairing of Gisela Dulko and Eduardo Schwank 7-6(4) 4-6 10-8 (tiebreak).
“I gave him a few tips here and there, and we worked really well as a team,” said 19-year-old Oudin.
“We were wildcards and we didn't even know we would get to play but we get better and better.
“Hopefully we can play again next year, if he says 'yes'.”
The 18-year-old Sock, who made it to the second round of the men's singles competition after also getting a wildcard to the main event, gave his partner an instant reply.