NEW YORK, Sept 5: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer’s US Open run juddered to a halt on Thursday when he was bounced by his burly bogeyman but Kim Clijsters was on fine form as rain clouds finally cleared from Flushing Meadows.

Federer fell once again to Argentine David Nalbandian, this time 3-6 7-6 6-4 6-3.

Clijsters reached her first U.S. Open semi-final with a comprehensive 6-1 6-4 victory over France’s Amelie Mauresmo.

The Belgian will face former champion and third seed Lindsay Davenport for a place in Saturday’s final after the American ousted Argentine Paola Suarez 6-4 6-0.

Her long-term boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt underlined his revival in form, beating Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-2.

He next plays third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spaniard beat American Todd Martin 6-2 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3.

In the last eight he will face crowd favourite Younes El Aynaoui. The Moroccan, who is developing a cult following in New York, reached his second straight U.S. Open quarter-final by bouncing former world number one Carlos Moya 7-6 7-6 4-6 6-4.

Before Federer and Nalbandian took to court, only five singles matches had been completed since Monday because of severe rain delays, forcing officials to seriously consider holding the men’s final next Monday.

But the action was thick and fast on Thursday evening with matches sprawled on to far-flung courts as organisers played catch-up.

In the women’s draw, Russian seventh seed Anastasia Myskina beat Frenchwoman Mary Pierce 7-6 6-1 in a fourth-round match which spanned four days because of the weather.

When they resumed on Thursday, with Myskina leading 7-6 2-0, she needed just 14 minutes to book a place in the quarter-finals against third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Italy’s Francesca Schiavone followed her into the last eight after upsetting 15th seed Ai Sugiyama 6-7 7-5 6-2.

The victory puts Schiavone into the last eight of a grand slam for just the second time.

Aside from the many rain delays, Schiavone’s match was briefly halted when umpire Lynn Welch was struck on the head with a tennis ball from an errant throw by a ball boy.

Cut and bleeding across the bridge of her nose and side of her eye, Welch received treatment in the chair but said she wanted to continue.

Results:

WOMEN’S (Fourth round): Anastasia Myskina (RUS x7) bt Mary Pierce (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-1; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x29) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN x15) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-2

Quarterfinals: Kim Clijsters (BEL x1) bt Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x5) 6-1, 6-4; Lindsay Davenport (USA x3) vs Paola Suarez (ARG x24) 6-4, 6-0; Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL x2) bt Anastasia Myskina (RUS x7) 6-2, 6-3; Jennifer Capriati (USA x6) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA x29) 6-1, 6-3

MEN’S (Fourth round): Guillermo Coria (ARG x5) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; David Nalbandian (ARG x13) bt Roger Federer (SWI x2) 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x6) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x11) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Juan Carlos Ferrero (SPA x3) bt Todd Martin (USA) 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3; Sjeng Schalken (NED x12) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER x8) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Younes El Aynaoui (MOR x22) bt Carlos Moya (SPA x7) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-4.—Reuters/AFP