Juan Martin del Potro ousts Rafael Nadal in U.S. Open semifinal

The sixth-seeded Del Potro defeats the third-seeded Nadal in three sets. 'I think this is the best moment of my life,' the 20-year-old Argentinian says after his victory.

Reporting from New York - Juan Martin del Potro is 6-feet-6, all lanky arms and legs, and when he gets all those moving parts in synchronicity, the forehands bound off the 20-year-old's racket. To Rafael Nadal, it must have sounded as if he were inside a popcorn popper -- Pop, pop, pop, the tennis balls seeming to multiply as they passed Nadal over and over.Del Potro, the sixth-seeded player at the U.S. Open, dominated the third-seeded Nadal, winning a men's semifinal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 today at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Del Potro, of Argentina, will play in his first major final Monday at 4 p.m. EDT against the winner of today's other men's semifinal between top-seeded and five-time defending champion Roger Federer and fourth-seeded and three-time semifinalist Novak Djokovic.Wearing a sleeveless black shirt, black shorts and black shoes, Del Potro looked like a stick of licorice. The power he generates from both sides, forehand and backhand, kept Nadal on the defensive.Del Potro is now 17-1 since Wimbledon, though he has never beaten either Federer or Djokovic. "This is part of my dream," he said. "I'm very close to doing it, but this moment now is so nice. I've always dreamed of this moment."Nadal, 23, who has won four French Open titles plus a Wimbledon and Australian Open championship, struggled at several stages of the tournament with a strained abdominal muscle, and three times today he bent over and clutched his side.After refusing to speak about the abdominal injury as long as he was still in the tournament, Nadal said it has been a problem since a tournament in Montreal last month."I think I had some [swelling], a strained muscle," Nadal said. "I think during the two weeks here the strain has [turned] into a little bit of a rupture."Nadal said the pain was a problem especially when he served. "I couldn't serve a little faster or change a lot of directions," he said. "I could only serve in the middle because if I served it outside, the abdominal [would] kill me."The final point was like so many. The Spaniard served, but Del Potro was able to stay in the point until he was able to jump into a forehand that landed near the line; Nadal was only able to respond to with a weak netted shot."With my right abdominal, to compete with this player, it's very difficult," Nadal told the crowd. "He's playing unbelievable."ESPN2 interviewer Darren Cahill mentioned to Del Potro that maybe many fans had hoped for a Nadal-Federer final on Monday."I'm sorry," Del Potro said. "Tomorrow I will fight until the final point for you. If I win, if I lose already I think this is the best moment of my life."