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PIX: It's Sinner vs Draper in US Open semis!
September 05, 2024

Images from the US Open men's singles quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Wednesday.

Sinner beats Medvedev in seesawing US Open quarter-final

IMAGE: Italy's Jannik Sinner in action during the US Open quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday.Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Top seed Jannik Sinner broke through Daniil Medvedev's defences to win 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a seesawing US Open quarter-final on Wednesday.

Sinner beat Medvedev in this year's Australian Open final and left the Russian disappointed at a Grand Slam again in New York, closing out the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a forehand winner.

Medvedev, the 2021 champion, had defeated the Italian in the Wimbledon quarter-finals but could not crack the code this time. He did not help his own cause with 57 unforced errors.

"It was very tough, we know each other quite well," said Sinner. "We knew it was going to be very physical."

IMAGE: Daniil Medvedev was error-prone. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

An out-of-sorts Medvedev put up more than double the number of unforced errors his opponent had in the first set, with Sinner dropping only one of his first-serve points and looking ready to cruise to the semis.

The Russian came back hard in the second set, however, going up a break with a backhand winner down the line in the second game and winning a 24-shot rally to convert on another break point chance in the fourth.

The momentum whipped back to Sinner in the next set as the Italian won the first five games straight, leaving TV commentators at a loss for words.

A close fourth set turned in the world number one's favour when Medvedev handed him a break with an unforced forehand error in the seventh game.

 

IMAGE: Italy's Jannik Sinner greets Russia's Daniil Medvedev after winning his quarter-final match. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

The Russian saved one match point to hold serve in the ninth game and exhorted the crowd for support as he walked back to his bench at the changeover.

However, Sinner did not have to wait long for his victory, wrapping up the match in the next game.

The Italian's win means there will be a new U.S. Open champion on the men's side, as Medvedev was the only former winner to reach the quarter-finals in a tournament full of surprise early exits by top contenders.

Sinner will next play Britain's Jack Draper for a place in the final.

Draper sees off De Minaur, makes first Grand Slam SF

IMAGE: Britain's Jack Draper celebrates after outclassing Australia's Alex De Minaur in the US Open men's singles quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Wednesday. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Jack Draper beat 10th seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday in the US Open quarter-final to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final and bolster British hopes of a first men's major singles title since Andy Murray's Wimbledon win in 2016.

The 25th seed, becomes the first British man to reach the semi-finals of the US Open since Murray in 2012, as well as the first Briton to make it to the last four of a Grand Slam since Cameron Norrie at Wimbledon in 2022.

Having beaten unseeded opponents in his four previous matches at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set, Draper faced his biggest test against the Australian, who won their last three meetings.

However, the 22-year-old had little trouble against De Minaur, who was hampered by a hip injury, and cruised to victory in just over two hours to set up a semi-final against either Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev.

"I think I played a solid match. I feel the best fitness-wise I've been in a long, long time and I think that's where Alex has sort of got me in the past," Draper said in his on-court interview.

"I also think he was struggling a little bit today with something, which may have helped me. Credit to Alex. He's an amazing fighter, an unbelievable player and we're going to have many more battles to come."

IMAGE: Alex De Minaur makes a backhand return. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

De Minaur struggled to find his range from the start and was broken early, setting the tone for the match as he racked up the unforced errors and Draper raced into a 4-1 lead.

Finding himself on the ropes, the Australian ratcheted up his forehand power, but Draper served well to clinch the first set.

With Draper up a break and leading 2-1, the second set was briefly interrupted when both players had injury concerns.

De Minaur, who pulled out of a Wimbledon quarter-final in July due to a hip injury, appeared to touch his hip while moving gingerly, while Draper required a timeout to have his right thigh strapped.

IMAGE: Jack Draper is the first British man to reach the semi-finals of the US Open since Murray in 2012, as well as the first Briton to make it to the last four of a Grand Slam since Cameron Norrie at Wimbledon in 2022. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

When play resumed, De Minaur broke to level the set at 4-4, but Draper recovered from his injury well and broke in the 11th game before consolidating to seize a 2-0 lead in the match.

De Minaur was unable to shake off his own injury, however, and his fitness continued to deteriorate as the match wore on.

The 25-year-old could not compete with Draper's power and precision in the third set as he was broken twice in succession before losing in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the fourth time in his career.

Draper next faces another tough test in either Australian Open champion Sinner or 2021 U.S. Open winner Medvedev, who meet later on Wednesday.

Source: REUTERS
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