Sinner beats Medvedev to set up Draper semi-final
World number one Jannik Sinner beats former champion Daniil Medvedev to set up a US Open semi-final against Jack Draper.
World number one Jannik Sinner beats former champion Daniil Medvedev to set up a US Open semi-final against Jack Draper.
Jannik Sinner survived a series of unpredictable momentum shifts Wednesday at the US Open, where the top seed defeated 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach his third major semi-final of the season.
This year’s Australian Open champion, who holds a tour-leading 21 match wins at majors this season, has now reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam events. The 23-year-old is the first man born in the 1990s or 2000s to achieve that feat and first Italian man in the Open Era.
Sinner produced a great variety of tactics en route to a two-hour, 39-minute win. It was a chess match as much as a tug of war from the baseline. The 15-time tour-level titlist contested Medvedev’s deep return position with serve-and-volleys, drop shots and firepower directed to every corner of the court. The longer the rally, the harder Sinner pummeled the ball.
“It was very tough, we know each other quite well,” said Sinner, who committed 38 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 57. “We played in Australia this year and then London. We knew it was going to be very physical. It was strange the first two sets because whoever made the first break then started to roll.”
Active players to reach the semi-finals at all four majors
| Player | Set Completed |
| Novak Djokovic | 2008 Australian Open |
| Rafael Nadal | 2008 US Open |
| Marin Cilic | 2022 Roland Garros |
| Jannik Sinner | 2024 US Open |
The winner of the first three sets raced to a double-break advantage and kept their foot down on the pedal. Medvedev polished his baseline game after 15 unforced errors in the opening set, during which Sinner dropped just one point behind first serve in a red-hot start inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fifth seed Medvedev began to skillfully absorb Sinner’s firepower and play more aggressive on second-serve returns to tally five consecutive games and soon after capture the second set. But if you blinked, you would have missed the next change of momentum. Sinner reeled off the first five games of the third set and pulled within one set of victory.
[ATP APP]Sinner crucially saved two break points at 2-3 in the fourth set, one fended off with a booming serve plus-one combination. Medvedev will rue his second break chance that game, during which he took a big swing at a backhand volley, sending the ball wide. Sinner earned a decisive break the ensuing game and later converted his second match point on his own serve.
Improving upon his 2022 quarter-final appearance in New York, Sinner showed quick speed as he moved forward and converted 28 of his 33 net points.
“We tried to work really hard on this aspect of the game. I know I can improve a lot, especially going to the net,” Sinner said. “I tried to serve-and-volley a couple of times, trying to mix something in. I’m very happy with how I’ve done it today and let’s see how I can handle the next opponent.”
One step closer to the title 😤@usopen | #USOpen | @janniksin pic.twitter.com/QG8WugzYCP
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 5, 2024
The World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings improved to 6-7 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Medvedev after trailing 0-6 early in the rivalry. Sinner then won five straight, including a memorable two-sets-to-love comeback in this year’s Australian Open final. Medvedev beat Sinner in a five-set Wimbledon quarter-final two months ago.
The lone major champion remaining in the draw, Sinner will face 25th seed Jack Draper in the last four. The Briton won their lone Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, which doubled as the lefty’s first tour-level match win, in 2021 at the ATP 500 at The Queen’s Club. Sinner was then ranked World No. 23 and Draper was No. 309. Now they will go toe to toe on one of the biggest stages in tennis.
Sinner, 53-5 on the season, is the third Italian man to reach the Flushing Meadows semi-finals in the Open Era (Corrado Barazzutti in 1977 and Matteo Berrettini in 2019). He is on a nine-match winning streak, having arrived at the season’s final major following his triumph in Cincinnati.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Aryna Sabalenka is the only Grand Slam winner to feature in the US Open semi-finals – BBC Sport takes a look at the four contenders.
Jack Draper came bursting onto the scene in 2022 and looked poised to quickly rise to the top of the sport. But the 22-year-old has had to remain patient, overcome adversity and work hard to reach Wednesday’s breakthrough moment at the US Open, where Draper advanced to his first major semi-final.
“This is not an overnight thing for me. I’ve believed for a long time that I’ve been putting in the work and doing the right things, and I knew that my time would come,” Draper said in his post-match press conference. “I didn’t know when it would be, but hopefully from here I can do a lot of amazing things. I’m very proud of myself.
“I’ve had times when I’ve maybe thought to stop or, ‘Am I cut out for this sport? Am I really good enough?’ And all these sorts of stuff.
“I kept on believing in myself, kept on working. Those are hard moments. This is not a hard moment compared to that. This is a privilege, and this is an honour to be in this position. This is why I work so hard, so I’ve got to just keep it going in my stride. I’m not afraid of being in these positions.”
[ATP APP]Throughout Draper’s young career, injuries have routinely hindered the Briton’s progress. Even in his 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 quarter-final victory against Alex de Minaur, Draper encountered a brief injury scare. He began stretching out his right leg, which was wrapped by the physio at 2-1 in the second set, but it did not hamper Draper’s march to victory.
The past few months, Draper has been enjoying the form of his life, claiming his maiden tour-level title in Stuttgart and now into the last four at Flushing Meadows. Regardless of what happens in his semi-final, Draper’s dream run has already ensured the lefty will rise to a career-high in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings.
“I’ve been working so hard for such a long time now. I’d say last year was a real turning point for me, kind of when I had my injury setbacks and taking a lot of time off over the summer because of my shoulder injury,” said Draper, No. 20 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
“I had to sort of watch all these young, amazing players winning amazing tournaments. I’m playing on the biggest stage in the world and I felt like I just wasn’t doing enough to get to that point myself.”
Now, the 25th seed is in the spotlight himself. Draper is the only player to not drop a set this fortnight.
“I think coming here this week, I’ve been feeling like a more complete player,” Draper said. “Physically, I’ve always — maybe in the past, worried a little bit about playing five sets and mentally and emotionally it being too much for me, just thinking, ‘Am I good enough to sort of play these best players in the world in best-of-five sets and stuff?’
“I still feel like I have so much left in my locker, I’m not worrying about if it goes longer, if it goes for a long time. It gives me a lot of peace of mind knowing that my body feels good or robust and I’m ready to go the distance if I need to. I feel really strong out there, so that’s something that’s really improved for me.”
Draper’s coach, James Trotman, added that the Sutton native’s physical improvements have been a key to his charge’s recent success.
“Jack has played some really high level tennis matches in the past, but physically it’s been a struggle,” Trotman said. “He’s a big boy, he’s got a big body. It takes time to grow into that. He’s had a lot of injuries and a lot of setbacks, so you’re not banking that consistent work.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]If Alex de Minaur was asked prior to the US Open if he would be satisfied with a quarter-final run, the answer likely would have been, ‘Yes’.
Though the 10th seed suffered a straight-sets defeat in the last eight Wednesday against Jack Draper, De Minaur leaves New York proud of what he has accomplished in his first tournament since suffering a hip injury at Wimbledon, where he withdrew prior to his quarter-final against Novak Djokovic.
“I’d rather try and think about what I was doing six, seven weeks ago and where I am now and try to focus on that, instead of dwelling on what just happened and me potentially having one of the bigger opportunities of my career and it just slipping away from my hands,” De Minaur said in his post-match press conference. “So I’m going to stick with the positives that I’m proud of myself.”
[ATP APP]Boasting a 40-13 season record, the Sydney native was aiming to become the first Australian man in the US Open semi-finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.
Despite showing signs of being hindered by injury, De Minaur did not blame his ailments after the loss.
“Sure, I wish I felt better. Let’s just put it that way. It’s tough. It’s a big opportunity. It’s a big chance,” De Minaur said. “I was expecting to feel better, I was trending in the right direction. And today was a little bit the opposite of that. But yeah, it’s fine.
“I dealt with it after Wimbledon. I’ll deal with it after here and I’ll be back in no time, and hopefully sliding from side to side without a thought in my head.”
Competing in his first hard-court tournament since Miami in March, De Minaur entered the quarter-final with a perfect 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the 22-year-old Draper. But the lefty’s heavy-hitting fueled him to a breakthrough 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win.
“I think Jack is never easy to play in the best of times and the way he can spread the court, being a lefty and really [able to] move you around the court, it takes a toll on the body,” De Minaur said.
“He’s got weapons. He knows how to use those weapons effectively. He’s yet to lose a set in this tournament, so he’s got to be doing something right… He’s got big weapons and he can hurt anyone.”
A four-time major quarter-finalist, De Minaur departs the season’s final Slam at eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He is aiming for his maiden trip to the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Jack Draper’s breakout run at the US Open reaches new heights as the Briton superbly fights his way past Alex de Minaur to reach the semi-finals.
Just weeks after Andy Murray hung up his racquet, Jack Draper continues to remind British tennis fans that the future is bright.
The 22-year-old lefty breezed past 10th seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday evening at the US Open to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final. Draper produced a display full of booming serves and heavy, spinning groundstrokes to earn a two-hour, seven-minute victory and book a last-four meeting with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner or fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
“It’s amazing, honestly. To be out here for my first match on the biggest court in the world, honestly, it’s a dream come true for me,” said Draper, who is the first Briton to reach the semi-finals in New York since Murray’s 2012 title run, in his on-court interview. “All the support means the world.”
Yet to drop a set. ❄️@jackdraper0 downs de Minaur 6-3 7-5 6-2 to advance into the #USOpen semi-finals!@usopen pic.twitter.com/02J7v9bMKG
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 4, 2024
Draper, who has not dropped a set across his five matches so far in New York, converted six of 20 break points he earned against De Minaur in his maiden major quarter-final. He is just the fourth Briton overall to reach a men’s singles semi-final at the US Open in the Open Era, after Greg Rusedski (1997), Tim Henman (2004) and Murray (2008, 2011-12).
“I think I played a solid match,” reflected Draper inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I feel the best fitness-wise that I’ve been in a long time, and I think that is where Alex has sort of got me in the past. I also think he was maybe struggling a little bit today with something, which might have helped me a little bit. But credit to Alex. He’s an amazing fighter and an unbelievable player. We’re going to have many more battles to come.”
Draper started aggressively in his bid for a first victory in four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with De Minaur. The Briton broke his opponent’s serve in the opening game and that set the tone for much of the match as Draper’s ability to pull De Minaur around the court proved crucial.
Competing in his first singles event since Wimbledon due to a hip injury, De Minaur appeared to aggravate that area again during the point with which Draper clinched the first set. Almost simultaneously, Draper began stretching out a niggle himself and later had his right upper leg wrapped by the physio at 2-1 in the second set. Yet it did not hamper the Briton in his march to victory.
Although he went on to let a 4-2 lead slip in the second set, Draper produced a classy return game for another, decisive break in the 11th game. The third set was more straightforward, as Draper dropped just six points on serve before wrapping a commanding win that improved his record against Top 10 opponents to 4-11.
Regardless of what happens in his semi-final, Draper’s run at Flushing Meadows has already ensured the Briton will rise to a career-high in the PIF ATP Rankings after the US Open. He is currently up five spots to No. 20 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, and he could rise as high as 14th by reaching the championship match.
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Czech Karolina Muchova overcomes illness to reach her second consecutive US Open semi-final with a 6-1 6-4 win over Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Grigor Dimitrov’s quest to reach a fourth major semi-final and first since 2019 ended in disappointment on Tuesday at the US Open, where the former World No. 3 was forced to retire during his match against Frances Tiafoe in the fourth set.
The Bulgarian was trailing 3-6, 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-4 when he walked to the net. After the match, Dimitrov shared the details of his retirement.
“I think it’s a combination of everything,” said Dimitrov, who won a gruelling three-hour, 39-minute five-set match in the previous round against Andrey Rublev. “Clearly my rehab process is a little bit slower than before. I mean, I felt a couple of things prior to the match. It’s the game. It’s just the game, and I need to keep my head up.
“As I said, I just need to reassess a little bit of certain things that I can change. Can maybe do a little bit better. Also physically to the way that I have been preparing. But again, given all the circumstances from Montreal up until now, I wasn’t really sure I’d be even able to do as well as I wanted to do. And again, that’s what I’m saying I take this quarter-final any time.”
Dimitrov suffered a third-round exit in Montreal and then lost in his opening match in Cincinnati. He bounced back in New York to reach his second major quarter-final of the season (Roland Garros).
However, physical issues have been a problem for Dimitrov in the latter stages of majors, with the 33-year-old also retiring in the first set during his fourth-round match against Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon.
Dimitrov is determined to learn from his problems but reveals it is mentally testing.
“It doesn’t get easier, I tell you that much. But when you’ve done certain things a certain way throughout your career, I think a lot of moments outside of tennis really humble you in a very different way,” Dimitrov said. “That’s why when something like that comes around, for sure I take it and I hurt with it, you have to. I don’t want to just brush it off.
“I put it aside, but also I have a lot of exciting things ahead of me. I’m going to get home, and try to rest a little… heading to Asia to finish the year off. So you see, when you put it that way, of course you want to be here and fight for the trophy, but there’s always a brighter future in that sense.
“So will I hurt? Yeah for sure and it should. But I don’t want to just put it aside. I want to also reassess myself and everything that I’ve been going through, throughout these past three, four weeks and see the plus and the minuses. What can I improve, what I could have done better, what I need to do.”
[ATP APP]Dimitrov leaves New York in contention to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since he won the prestigious year-end event in 2017. The nine-time tour-level titlist is 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 470 points behind eighth-placed Alex de Minaur, who in the final qualification spot will play Jack Draper in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Frances Tiafoe’s belief has grown at this year’s US Open with every victory. The American moved past Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday night to reach the semi-finals in New York for the second time.
With his latest triumph, Tiafoe has put himself firmly in contention of becoming the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick lifted the US Open in 2003. The 26-year-old revealed that only now has he allowed himself to dream of what could lie ahead in the next five days.
“I just came from the final in Cincinnati. I’m coming here feeling pretty good. It always helps going to a place where you’ve had great success. But to be honest with you, I wasn’t really thinking to make a semi or win the event,” Tiafoe said in his post-match press conference on Tuesday. “I just saw the draw and I was, like, man, I have got to play Ben [Shelton].
“I’m not as highly seeded like I was before, so I don’t know where I’m going to sit at. Playing Ben, that’s not something you’re going to look past, are you? Once I kind of got through that, the draw shakes up, and then you’re kind of, like, why not? Just day by day. Now my feet are in the semis.”
Tiafoe won a five-set thriller against Shelton in the third round before he eliminated Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Alexei Popyrin in the fourth round. The 26-year-old then produced a consistent display to overcome Dimitrov, who was forced to retire in the fourth set when Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1.
Watching on in Arthur Ashe Stadium was Roger Federer. However, the 20-time major champion was not the only person that caught Tiafoe’s attention.
“That was pretty sick,” Tiafoe said when asked about Federer. “Obviously, I wasn’t thinking about it that much. [I was] more pumped about [actor] Kevin Hart instead of Roger, honestly! The past couple of years at Laver Cup you kind of get used to that, seeing him in the stands.
“But this dude was different. winning five years in a row. The way he looked in the suit is the same way he looked when he was playing. No sweat. You know, tees ironed perfect. What’s up with this dude, man? Hair perfect. It was just funny, man…What a guy. What a legend. So nice he’s enjoying his life. Doing his thing, just popping in wherever he kind of wants to and everyone embraces him. Unbelievable, wherever he goes. I mean, he’s such an icon. Ultimately it was pretty dope. But seeing Kevin Hart was sick.”
[ATP APP]Tiafoe put on a show for Federer, actor Hart and the 23,000 fans inside Arthur Ashe and will hope to do the same on Friday when he faces countryman Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals.
The American, who is No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, revealed it has been a dream since they were teenagers for himself, Fritz and World No. 14 Tommy Paul to go deep at majors and compete for the biggest titles in the sport.
“I think we all been knocking on the door. Taylor’s been in and out of Top 10. Myself, I was Top 10 this time last year. Tommy is knocking on the door of quarters, playing great. Ben too. It’s only a matter of time,” Tiafoe said. “You put yourself in positions, it’s only a matter of matter of time and the game is open. It’s not like it once was where you make quarter-finals, you play Rafa, and you’re looking at flights.
“I mean, that’s just the reality. Now it’s just totally different and no one’s unbeatable. Especially later in the season when guys are maybe a little bit cooked. Maybe just not as fresh and they’re vulnerable. It’s pretty exciting. First time since ’09 [for an American Slam finalist]. Hopefully it’s me.”
Fritz & Tiafoe make American history at US Open
Fritz takes a 6-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead into the clash but Tiafoe is not concerned about his record against the 12th seed.
“He’s a tough player. He plays great from both sides, has a great serve, he’s moving much better now. It’s going to be tough,” Tiafoe said when asked about Fritz, who is into his first major semi-final. “It’s going to be a big one for both of us, playing for a final. I don’t think those matches are anywhere near what this match would be, so it’s kind of tough to even go from that.”
Tiafoe, who lost in the semi-finals to Carlos Alcaraz in 2022, will be aiming to reach his first major final on Friday and third of the season.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]