Top seed Rafael Nadal advanced to the US Open semi-finals by defeating eighth-seeded Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday, stretching his Grand Slam win streak to 19 matches.
Nadal, seeking his first US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, will play Saturday for a finals berth against Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, who outlasted Swiss 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
World number one Nadal reached his third consecutive US Open semi-final but has never reached the championship match, losing to Britain's Andy Murray in 2008 and eventual winner Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina last year.
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Nadal, 24, seeks his ninth career Grand Slam title and third in a row in 2010 after Wimbledon and the French Open. Only Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Rod Laver have won three Slams in a row in the Open Era that began in 1968.
Swiss second seed Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, and Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic meet in the other semi-final. Both were off Thursday but barring rain Nadal must win three matches in four days to claim the title.
