Tennis:Rafa Nadal's tennis proved too hot for a gallant Gael Monfils and simply irresistible to one star-struck male fan as the rejuvenated Spaniard marched into the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The third seed was initially given a tough time by the elastic-limbed Frenchman but found his best form to complete an impressive 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-3 victory.
Nothing seemed to ruffle Nadal, not even a peck on the cheek from an excitable spectator who breached courtside security to rush on as the Spaniard stripped to the waist after shaking hands with his opponent.
"For me it wasn't the problem. The guy was really nice," a jovial Nadal said after reaching the last eight of his least successful slam for the third time.
"He was a great fan. He said, I love you, and he kiss me."
Monfils, who posted his only victory against Nadal at the start of the year, played near-perfect tennis for much of the first set, attacking Nadal at every opportunity.
It seemed highly unlikely that he could maintain the intensity of his play, however, and Nadal had the French 13th seed gasping for air after some brutal exchanges early in the second set as the momentum shifted.
Showing no sign of the abdominal injury that needed on-court treatment in his previous match, Nadal looked full of energy as he got into the groove to move 5-3 ahead in the second set.
He squandered a 40-0 lead when serving for the set as Monfils raised his game but made no mistake on the fourth set point and from that moment the outcome was never in doubt.
Nadal dominated the third set and despite a brief blip in the fourth when he was pegged back to 3-3 he looked to be approaching the levels he reached in winning this year's Australian Open.
"For sure it's an important match for the confidence," said Nadal, who missed two months of the season with knee problems. "I'm in the quarter-finals, so that's very good news and very good result for me."
"The knees are perfect. That's very important for me. Gives me lot of confidence."
Nadal will face Chile's Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile Kim Clijsters penned another heart-warming chapter into her riveting US Open chronicles to set a date with budding writer Serena Williams, while Andy Murray ran out of ideas to prolong his stay in New York.
Murray had been tipped as one of the favourites to win his first major title here but he scarcely resembled a player rated second best in the world as he yelled, screamed and shouted his way to a 7-5 6-2 6-2 last 16 defeat by Croatian Marin Cilic.
"Today I could have been better in pretty much every part of the game, whether it was mental or serve, forehand, backhand returns. I just struggled today. I played poorly," Murray said.
"I'm disappointed. I don't know how long or how quickly it will take me to get over it," added a glum Murray.
The Scot's abysmal performance left Cilic to face another rising 20-year-old, Juan Martin del Potro, in the quarter-finals. The Argentine sixth seed cantered to a 6-3 6-3 6-3 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Belgian mother-of-one Clijsters, who flew into New York with more toys stashed in her suitcase than rackets, showcased her lightning court speed as she dispatched China's Li Na 6-2 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.
Next up for Clijsters, who needed a wildcard to play here as she does not even own a ranking yet, will be three-times champion Williams.
The American second seed has been doing the rounds in New York promoting her autobiography but conserved enough energy to surge past Italian world number 10 Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-3.
Looking forward to her match with Clijsters, Williams said: "She's such a great person. I wish only the best for her but obviously not in the next match.
"Initially I was (surprised with her comeback) but a couple of weeks ago I knew she was someone to watch out for."
While many tennis fans are wondering how Clijsters - a 26-year-old woman who has been out of action for over two years - can create so much havoc at a grand slam, men's world number one Roger Federer had an easy explanation.
"It's like riding a bike; once you know how to ride a bike, you never forget that," said the new father of twins.
"That's why I'm not that surprised. I think it's a beautiful story. It's nice that she hasn't lost the love for the game. Going out of the game at 23, that's for me just shocking. It's nice to see her back in the game."
Federer and the fans may be delighted to see Clijsters back but her vanquished rivals are unlikely to agree.
After taking down 14th seed Marion Bartoli and world number three Venus Williams in previous rounds, Li was the latest to be on the receiving end of the Clijsters masterclass.
No longer bogged down by the litany of injuries that forced her out of the game in 2007, the 2009 incarnation of Clijsters described her amazing run to the last four as "wow."
However, just 15 months ago the thought of becoming the first mother to win a major since Evonne Goolagong in 1980 had not even entered her head.
"I felt like an elephant just trying to move. Even two steps was terrible," recalled Clijsters about her first experience with a racket following the birth of her daughter Jada.