By HOWARD FENDRICH
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time by edging past 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday night.
Sinner, who took over as title favorite after the Week 1 exits of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, is the only man left in the field with a Grand Slam trophy. He won his first at the Australian Open in January by beating Medvedev in the final in five sets after dropping the first two.
As reflected by the exact score, this match was unusually fierce as they took turns dominating one set at a time. At first it was Sinner who was superior. Then that role was played Medvedev. Then Sinner regained the upper hand in the third. In the fourth, from 3-all, Sinner rallied, saved a pair of break points and then beat Medvedev for a 5-3 lead.
Sinner – a 23-year-old from Italy who was acquitted in a doping case less than a week before the start of the US Open after testing positive twice for trace amounts of an anabolic steroid in March – will go up against No. 25 Jack Draper of Great Britain on Friday for a spot in the title match.
The other semifinal of the day will be No. 12 Taylor Fritz vs. No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the first All-American men’s match at this stage at a major in 19 years.
The women’s semifinals on Thursday night are Jessica Pegula vs. Karolina Muchova, and Aryna Sabalenka vs. Emma Navarro. Pegula knocked out No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Draper reached his first Grand Slam semi-final – becoming the first British man to do so at Flushing Meadows since Andy Murray won the 2012 trophy – by overwhelming No. 10 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5 6-2.
Draper has won all 15 sets he has played so far, but it looks to be tougher against Sinner.
“This is not like an overnight thing for me. I’ve believed for a long time that I’ve put in the work and done the right things, and I knew my time would come,” said Draper, whose upper right leg was taped by a trainer after he felt something at the end of the first set. “I didn’t know when it would be, but hopefully from here I can do a lot of great things. I am very proud of myself.”