ESPN 2007 US Open

NEW YORK -- For more than two years, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have ruled the tennis elite. Confirming their greatness, they reached the finals at the two previous Grand Slams, the French Open and Wimbledon.

But now, courtesy of dashing David Ferrer, there will be no historic third consecutive meeting in a major final for the No. 1 and No. 2 players. Playing a breathtakingly aggressive style that left Nadal battered and bruised, Ferrer ground out a surprising victory, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2, over his fellow Spaniard.

The match consumed 3 hours, 28 minutes and finally ended at 1:50 Wednesday morning at the National Tennis Center.

Ferrer thus advances to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the second time in his career; he will play Juan Ignacio Chela, a winner over Stanislas Wawrinka, on Thursday. Ranked No. 15 in the world, Ferrer is terrific. He sometimes approached an unconscious level of play against Nadal, battling right on top of the baseline and ripping shots from both sides.

Nadal, perhaps the ATP's quintessential iron man, gradually fell apart. Both of his knees were heavily taped to reduce the effects of tendinitis, and he repeatedly flexed his left (serving) hand as the match wore on. Most players wouldn't even have attempted to play in this tournament with his severe knee pain, but Nadal fought grimly to the end.

"Nothing new," a downcast Nadal said later. "He is a very good player. He's having an unbelievable season. He's very good, very fast."

How was Nadal physically?

"I don't want to speak about my body," Nadal said. "[It] is an excuse. He beat me.

"[I'm] disappointed for me, but that's the sport of tennis. I [gave it] 100 percent."

Interviewed moments after the biggest win of his career, Ferrer did not appear to be a someone who had just played nine sets of tennis in the past two rounds.

"I am very tired, but to beat Rafa, I have to run a lot, no?" Ferrer said. "I'm happy for that and sorry for my friend Rafa. Tonight is very special for me.

"Tomorrow, I don't want to run more."

Nadal is virtually unbeatable on clay; he never has lost a match at Roland Garros and owns three sterling silver championship cups. He has progressed to two consecutive finals at Wimbledon, where the grass is growing to become more and more like clay.

But the fact remains: Nadal never has progressed beyond the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam played on hard courts. The count now is 0-for-8.

The U.S. Open has been particularly problematic. Last year, he lost in the quarters to Mikhail Youzhny, and back in January, he fell in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Fernando Gonzalez.

Clay, of course, is Nadal's natural habitat. Its forgiving nature plays directly to Nadal's strengths of speed and stamina. The swift hard courts, however, blunt his extraordinary defense and heighten his only major weakness, his service game. While Nadal has made a great effort to flatten out his topspin forehand, he remains, very much, a creature of clay.

On the rare occasions when things aren't going well, Nadal tends to get negative and starts retreating deeper and deeper behind the baseline.

In the pivotal third-set tiebreaker, Ferrer challenged an out call on his serve, and the replay confirmed it was an ace that gave him a 3-0 lead. When Nadal's looping forehand drifted long, he took the tiebreaker and, soon, the match.

Ferrer converted his second match point when Nadal's backhand lob sailed long. Ferrer, who was coming off a five-set match, now has won seven of eight five-set matches.

Afterward, Ferrer thanked Nadal for not making any excuses, but said, "Rafa was with physical problems."

He smiled and smoothed his long, wet hair.

"What is it?" Ferrer said, looking at his watch. "Two-thirty in the night. Now I am very tired."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.