Preview: Sinner, Medvedev set for blockbuster US Open QF clash

  • Posted: Sep 04, 2024

Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev are the only major champions left at this year’s US Open. However, come Wednesday night just one will remain, with the pair set to meet in a blockbuster quarter-final clash in New York.

Their encounter at Flushing Meadows will be their third at a Grand Slam this year and if their previous matches are to go by, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and the fans watching globally will be in for a treat.

Back in January, Sinner rallied from two sets down to overcome Medvedev in a thrilling Australian Open final to clinch his first major. Sixth months later at Wimbledon, Medvedev gained revenge at the quarter-final stage, defeating the 23-year-old in five sets.

Medvedev takes a 7-5 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead into Wednesday’s meeting and Sinner knows he will be pushed to his limit again.

“[It will be] a tough match. There is going to be a lot of rallies, so hopefully I’ll be ready physically. It’s going to be a physical match, also a mental match,” Sinner said. “I won in Australia, he then won in Wimbledon. That was five sets. So hopefully it’s going to be a good match. We’ll try to do our best on court, hopefully you guys enjoy the next one and then we’ll see how it goes.”

Sinner is on a nine-match winning streak, having captured his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last month. The top seed swept past American Tommy Paul in the fourth round to reach the quarters in New York for the second time (l. to Alcaraz 2022) and has been impressive at majors all year, reaching at least the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams. By doing so, he became just the eighth men’s singles player since 2000 to accomplish the feat.

Chasing a Tour-leading sixth title of the season and ninth semi-final, Sinner will be desperate to move past the fifth-seeded Medvedev, who is the second-highest seed left in the draw behind Sinner after Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev exited tournament.

Medvedev will be determined to pour cold water on Sinner’s red-hot form and comes into the meeting with greater experience at Flushing Meadows. The 28-year-old has enjoyed his best moments at the US Open, where he captured his first and only major in 2021 by beating Djokovic in straight sets. He then returned to the final last year but the Serbian Djokovic gained revenge.

Medvedev won his first six meetings against Sinner before the Italian made improvements to his serve and showed a willingness to close the net more to counter Medvedev’s deep return position and flip the script in their rivalry. The 28-year-old feels he is prepared for what is to come.

“I feel like in a way we know our game and what we will try to bring on the table,” Medvedev said when asked about facing Sinner. “Then it comes to always these moments like a deuce and break points, maybe [I’ll] try to surprise.

“Hopefully we can have a great match, I know that if I want to beat him I will need to be at my best, which I have managed to do a couple of times. It’s going to be a great match.”

Sinner vs. Medvedev Lexus ATP Head2Head

Year  Result  Event 
2024 Medvedev d. Sinner Wimbledon
2024  Sinner d. Medvedev Miami
2024 Sinner d. Medvedev Australian Open
2023 Sinner d. Medvedev Nitto ATP Finals
2023 Sinner d. Medvedev Vienna
2023 Sinner d. Medvedev Beijing
2023 Medvedev d. Sinner Miami
2023  Medvedev d. Sinner Rotterdam
2022 Medvedev d. Sinner Vienna
2021 Medvedev d. Sinner Nitto ATP Finals
2021 Medvedev d. Sinner Marseille
2020 Medvedev d. Sinner Marseille

Medvedev arrived at the major off the back of opening-round exits in Montreal and Cincinnati and produced a patchy first-round performance against Dusan Lajovic in New York, where he eventually prevailed in four sets. However, the fifth seed has been dominant since, defeating Fabian Marozsan, Flavio Cobolli and Nuno Borges in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals at the US Open for the fifth time.

The former Nitto ATP Finals champion, who is currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, holds a standout 9-1 record in major quarter-finals, with his only defeat coming to Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros in 2021. Sinner is 3-5 at the same stage.

Sinner and Medvedev are both chasing their second major crowns and the winner will play 10th seed Alex de Minaur or 25th seed Jack Draper in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw, Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe are set to face off on Friday in the last four, guaranteeing an American Slam finalist for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2009.

For now, Sinner and Medvedev will be focused on the match in front of them, which is second in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday from 7 p.m. EDT/ 1 a.m. CET Thursday.

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De Minaur, Draper chase maiden major SF in New York
In Wednesday’s opening men’s singles quarter-final, Alex de Minaur and Jack Draper will each bid to break new ground when they face off in the second match of the day inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 10th-seeded De Minaur, who has won all three of his Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Draper, will aim to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam event for the first time in his fourth quarter-final at that level. The Australian arrived in New York having not competed on the singles court since Wimbledon in July due to a hip injury, but he has dropped just three sets in four matches en route to the last eight.

The No. 1 Briton in the PIF ATP Rankings, Draper will contest his maiden major quarter-final as the only man in the draw to reach the last eight without dropping a set. The 22-year-old, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour title in Stuttgart earlier this season, will hope his booming lefty serve can help him down De Minaur. Should he prevail, Draper will jump to a career-high No. 20 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

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