Top seed Rafael Nadal advanced to the US Open semi-finals by defeating eighth-seeded Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday, stretching his Grand Slam win streak to 19 matches.

Nadal, seeking his first US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, will play on Saturday for a finals berth against Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, who outlasted Swiss 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Nadal has reached his third consecutive US Open semi-final, but has never reached the championship match, losing to Britain's Andy Murray in 2008 and eventual winner Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina last year.

"It was a very important victory," Nadal said. "It's a very nice feeling to be in the semifinals third time in a row in one of the most important tournaments in the world, for me right now probably the most important."

Nadal, 24, seeks his ninth career Grand Slam title and third in a row in 2010 after Wimbledon and the French Open. Only Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Rod Laver have won three Slams in a row in the Open Era that began in 1968. (ANI)