NewYork:Former world No.1 and former US open champion Roger Federer suffered a stunning upset in the fourth round of the US Open, the 17-time Grand Slam champion falling to Spanish 19th seed Tommy Robredo 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4 in a last-16 match on Monday. 

Federer’s failure came on the heels of a shock second-round Wimbledon exit and thwarted a potential quarterfinal showdown with 12-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, in what would have been their first duel on the New York hardcourts. 

Instead, it will be Robredo, in his first US Open quarterfinal, awaiting the winner of a later match between Nadal, who is 6-0 against his countryman, and Germany’s 22nd-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber. 

Robredo, who had lost his 10 prior matches against the Swiss star, suffered seven prior fourth-round US Open defeats and matched his best Grand Slam performance by finally breaking through. 

“I’m delighted. Today the difference is I won the break points and he did not,” said 31-year-old Robredo.