2010 U.S. Open, Quarterfinals: Nadal Cruises (Again); Youzhny Grinds To Five-Set Win

There are only two quarterfinal matches remaining at the 2010 U.S. Open. Rafael Nadal will face Fernando Verdasco and Stanislas Wawrinka will take on Mikhail Youzhny on Day 11 for the right to play on Super Saturday.

Tune in to ESPN2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8-11 p.m. for live coverage. According to the official TV schedule, Tennis Channel will be broadcasting doubles, juniors and wheelchair matches from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

After Roger Federer's magical Day 10, here are a few things worth checking out on Day 11:

Not before 2 p.m., Arthur Ashe

Quarterfinals, No. 25 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) vs. No. 12 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)

Youznhy  is the draw's last remaining eccentric. Novak Djokovic might be funny, but his shtick is forced. Youz is Jack Torrance, but instead of a fire axe, he wields a tennis racquet. And he's more than capable of drawing blood.

Watch as he tenderizes his own face like a nice veal cutlet.

The AP reported on this in the spring of 2008.

When Youzhny hit a backhand into the net during his third-round match Monday at the Sony Ericsson Open, he angrily whacked himself in the head three times with his racket strings. The forehand to the forehead sent a thick stream of blood running from above his hairline down his nose nearly to his mouth.

The best part of the story? He went on to win the match in three sets.

"I saw that," said James Blake, who lost in the quarterfinals Wednesday. "That was pretty funny - not for Mikhail, I'm sure."

"Mardy Fish does that. He punches the strings and ends up bleeding on his knuckles. I did that as a kid and I kind of stopped doing that. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Neither do his recent celebrations. Not that I really care. They're bizarrely endearing.

Youzhny turned and made a fist, shaking it twice at waist level in a low-key gesture of celebration. Then he placed his racket strings atop his head and saluted the crowd, raising his right hand to his forehead.

Questioned at courtside about this unusual salute, he grinned and said in heavily accented English, "That was special for the crowd."

(Youznhy does apparently represent something called The Central Red Army Tennis Club.)

Anyway, I'm rooting for Youz today. If not, he'll come after me with a bloody tennis racquet.

Arthur Ashe, not before 8 p.m.

Quarterfinals, No. 1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. No. 8 Fernando Verdasco (ESP)

Why hasn't the USTA played this dopey thing on the Arthur Ashe Stadium scoreboard?

Nadal's working the Vin Diesel look here. Jeans, white T-shirt. Occasional bare chest. He lives his life one quarterfinal at a time...

Verdasco doesn't get to star in Shakira videos, but during his fourth-round match against David Ferrer, he did pull off this ridiculous passing shot on match point. Still, he might be in trouble Thursday night. Verdasco is 0-11 lifetime against Nadal.

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