NEW YORK - Former world number one Carlos Moya quelled a brave challenge from Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis to win 7-5 6-2 6-7 6-4 and reach the US Open quarter-finals today.
The Spanish 17th seed was pushed hard by 19-year-old Gulbis but came through to set up aclash with third seed Novak Djokovic or Argentine 23rd seed Juan Monaco,
"I was a bit tired and nervous at the end," Moya said.
"I feel like a 20-year-old and the way I am playing, it's great. When you're the oldest guy in the draw you get a lot of support from the crowd and it's a great feeling to be in the quarters."
The 31-year-old Moya was in charge early on but world number 88 Gulbis, in his first US Open, hit back superbly to snatch the third-set on the tiebreak.
But Moya broke in the 10th game of the fourth set to clinch victory and reach his second US Open quarter-final, having previously made the last eight in 1998.
Meanwhile, Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela outlasted unseeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6 6-2 7-6 1-6 6-4 to book his place in the quarter-finals.
World number 49 Wawrinka led 2-0 in the deciding set but the more experienced Chela hit back to set up a meeting with second seed Rafael Nadal or another Spaniard, 15th seed David Ferrer.
Wawrinka, who beat former champion Marat Safin in the second round, began well but Chela hit back and then moved ahead after snatching the third-set tiebreak 8-6.
The Swiss romped through the fourth set and took a 2-0 lead in the fifth but as tiredness set in Chela sensed his chance and won five of the next seven games to clinch victory after three hours, 41 minutes.
