NEW YORK: World number one Rafael Nadal battled back after dropping the first set Thursday to subdue Japan's 121st-ranked Taro Daniel and reach the third round of the US Open.
The 31-year-old Spaniard won his ATP-best 51st match of the year by 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 over the 24-year-old New York native, who fell to 0-4 against top-10 rivals.
Nadal, a 15-time Grand Slam champion who captured his 10th French Open crown in June, will face 59th-ranked Argentine lucky loser Leonardo Mayer on Saturday for a berth in the last 16.