BARELY.

Hee hee… Yes people, after Rafael Nadal started the 2008 United States Open Tennis Championships with the dominance you’ll only get from a player ranked no.1 in the world, he got his first scare of the tournament when a virtual unknown named Sam Querrey almost shocked the world.

In a match that forced Rafael Nadal to shift to another gear to beat the unseeded Sam Querrey 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3, Nadal found himself matching his best result at the very tournament that simply hates his guts.

Playing for the sixth year at Flushing Meadows hoping for a better result this time, Nadal rallied to beat Sam Querrey to reach the quarterfinals against Mardy Fish. And it wasn’t easy too.

Nadal was down 6-5 in the third set and was on the brink of losing two straight sets to the unseeded Sam Querrey. Thankfully, Nadal was able to find the form that enabled him to beat then world no.1 Roger Federer at this year’s French Open and Wimbledon.

That form also brought Nadal the Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the world no.1 ranking he’s relishing as of the moment.

”In every tournament you have one bad day, that’s the normal thing,” Rafael Nadal said. ”When you are playing not your best, the important thing is to win. I did today.”

”Probably I am not in the freshest moment in my life, but I am fine. The important thing is I am there. I am in the quarterfinals. I have a tough match against Fish. I have to play my best for the last part of the tournament.”

Can Rafael Nadal win the 2008 U.S. Open Championships? Bodog Sportsbook has the odds.

Roger Federer 3.00

Rafael Nadal 2.25

Novak Djokovic 4.50

Andy Roddick 34.00

Visit Bodog sportsbook for more tennis betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

2008 U.S. Open Rafael Nadal