US Open 2024: World No 1 Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev to reach first semifinal and set up Jack Draper showdown

At least everyone got a good night’s sleep for once. Who would have predicted that? Who would have expected that, by midnight, the crowd inside Arthur Ashe would be headed for the subway? 

Who would have thought this quarterfinal between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev would be anything other than a grueling battle until the early hours?

This, after all, was their third meeting at a Grand Slam this year. At Wimbledon and in Australia they had gone the distance. 

Together, those matches lasted nearly eight hours. This flew by in comparison and at the end of it all, Sinner remains on course for a first US Open victory.

After barely two and a half hours, he had beaten the No 5 seed 6-2 1-6 6-1 6-4. And the scoreboard doesn’t lie – there were very few periods of competitive tennis. It was all a little odd. 

The Russian No 5 seed, who won here in 2021, was beaten 6-2 1-6 6-1 6-4 on Arthur Ashe

But all that matters for Sinner? He is into a first US Open semifinal and he has cleared surely his biggest hurdle.

Jack Draper has been imperious this tournament and he now stands between Sinner and a place in the final against either Frances Tiafoe or Taylor Fritz.

Crucially, though, Medvedev was the only remaining US Open winner in the draw. He was the only Grand Slam – other than Sinner – left. And the Russian has history of taking out the world No 1 here, too.

Not this year, though. The 2021 winner was untouchable for one set but beyond that? He was second best.

One of the quirks of Medvedev’s career is that, since 2018, he has won more matches (268) and reached more finals (32) on hard courts than anyone else. All but two of the Russian’s 20 career titles have come on this surface. 

But all 20 have come at different places – he has never won a tournament more than once. And so, just like Sinner, Medvedev was looking to break new ground in New York. Early on here, though, he was battling just to make a serve.

Sinner will now face Britain’s Jack Draper for a place in the final after this four-set victory

Medvedev looked to have turned the tide before Sinner regained control during set three

The Russian gifted Sinner an early sniff after a couple of double faults. He rescued that opening game but was broken next time round after yet another double. Soon, Sinner had caught the bug. 

After the Italian missed a second serve of his own, Medvedev had two opportunities to break back. The Russian failed to take either. And then he was made to pay as Sinner stretched his lead and took the first set 6-2.

The world No 1 reached the last eight with the loss of only one set and he made another ominous start here. But this was always his stiffest test by far. 

Before Wednesday night, Sinner had played 13 Grand Slam matches against players ranked No 5 or higher. He had won only three. And all of those came en route to victory at this year’s Australian Open. Among his victims in Melbourne? Medvedev. That was a titanic tussle and the Russian was never going to roll over here.

The Russian, who was urged on by the crowd in New York, waves to fans following his defeat

Sinner has dropped only two sets en route to the semifinal as he chases a first US Open title

Instead, in set two, it was Sinner who was left to rue missed chances. He had break point opportunities in each of Medvedev’s first three service games. He lost them all and soon he was 5-0 down. Suddenly the momentum and more of the punishing baseline exchanges were tilting the Russian’s way. Suddenly it was a three-set shootout.

Medvedev had moved through the gears to level the match but the pendulum soon swung back away from the No 5 seed. Soon it was his turn to trail 5-0. Soon he was the one asking questions of himself and the umpire. Medvedev’s only saving grace? Sinner squandered three chances to win it 6-0.

It all made for a rather curious atmosphere inside atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe. Two of the best players in the world were heading into a fourth set of a Grand Slam quarterfinal. And yet the fans had been treated to very few spells of drama.

There was still the odd electrifying exchange and both players played some brilliant tennis. Just rarely at the same time.

They were at least locked in an arm wrestle for six games of the fourth set. Sinner saved a couple of break points before setting up three of his own. He needed all three. 

The crowd bayed for more. They urged Medvedev to take them deeper into the night. For once, though, he failed.