Sinner shakes off Medvedev, reaches US Open SFs

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

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.

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

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.

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