Rafael Nadal reacts to marathon match win with pure class

It was a hot, brutal marathon match, and things looked bleak for Rafael Nadal early on in his U.S. Open quarterfinal battle against Austrian player Dominic Thiem.

After dropping the first set, 6-0, in a lackadaisical performance, Nadal fought back throughout the 4-hour 49-minute match to ultimately win, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5).

When it was finally over after 2 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, Nadal and Thiem, clearly exhausted, walked over to each other for a hug, some words and a touching moment of class and sportsmanship at the net.

Afterward, the No. 1 seed said, via the Associated Press:

"I'm very sorry for Dominic," Nadal told a rowdy crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. "He's a close friend on tour. He's a great guy. A great player."

After nearly five hours on a humid court, he knew it would be a difficult loss for whichever one of them was eliminated, and he continued to express his sympathy for Thiem.

(EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES)

At Nadal's post-match press conference, he praised Thiem, calling him a "great opponent" and added:

"Sorry for him. He's a tough guy. He's one of the best guys on tour. He always plays with - plays and practices with a great attitude and sad for him because when arrives this moment, he did all the things well to win the match. Me too, I think. I fight until the end, so it's always was question of a little bit of luck at the end."

Nadal will face No. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open semifinals Friday.

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