Murray routs Young; Nadal, Djokovic advance

For the heavier U.S. Open favorites in the bottom of the men's draw, form returned Thursday even if the normal format didn't. Defending champion Rafael Nadal and No. 4 seed Andy Murray, finishing fourth-round matches barely started before Wednesday's rain, both won in straight sets.

Nadal, who was down 0-3 when play resumed, crawled back to 6-6 and then steamrolled Luxembourg's Gilles Muller in the first-set tiebreak on his way to a 7-6 (1), 6-1, 6-2 victory. Murray, behind 2-1 but on serve with American wild card Donald Young at the day's start, reeled off a clockwork 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 decision.

For Young, the 22-year-old former phenom who made his own big splash before things got really wet in Flushing Meadows, the result was not surprising despite his upset of Murray at the Indian Wells tournament earlier this year.

Having his match delayed for two days, Young said, "probably bothered me quite a bit.'' What bothered him more, though, was the steadier, more experienced Murray, who committed only 17 unforced errors compared with Young's 53.

"He didn't miss,'' Young said, "didn't give you much, so you feel under pressure pretty much the whole time.''

Nadal, likewise, played a much cleaner match than his opponent, with a mere 11 unforced errors, compared with Muller's 43.

"I served with high percentage . I don't have a lot of unforced errors,'' Nadal said. "When I had the chance to attack, I did. I played few fantastic passing shots.''

So, for Murray and Nadal -- and the two American winners, Andy Roddick and John Isner, in fourth-round play Thursday -- the pressure is a matter of time, with their quarterfinal due Friday, semifinal Saturday and final on Monday. (Players in the top half of the draw had completed their fourth-round matches on Tuesday and are therefore a day ahead.)

The final originally was scheduled for Sunday, but tournament officials decided to give the players a day of rest.

"If you don't have rest,'' Nadal said, "you have a big chance not to be enough fit to play well the next match.''

Nadal will be matched against Roddick and Isner will face Murray in Friday's quarterfinals.

Roger Federer set up a semifinal meeting with Novak Djokovic when he beat recent nemesis Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, at Arthur Ashe Stadium Thursday night.

Federer lost to Tsonga at Wimbledon this year after winning the first two sets. He subsequently lost to Tsonga at Montreal on hard court.

This will be Federer's fourth straight semifinal against Djokovic at the U.S. Open. He ended Djokovic's 43-match winning streak at this year's French Open.

Djokovic advanced after his Serbian countryman Janko Tipsarevic had to retire with left hamstring pain in the fourth set with Djokovic leading 7-6 (2), 6-7 (3), 6-0, 3-0.

"He really put out a great effort out there," Djokovic said. "He was playing great tennis the first two sets. Start of the third was really high intensity, high level of tennis. And then, physically, unfortunately, he couldn't hold on."

With Jeff Williams