US Open: Sinner beats Medvedev, Draper eases past De Minaur to reach SFs

NEW YORK – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev to advance to his first US Open semifinal late on Wednesday.

The Italian recorded a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory in two-hour, 39-minute. He become the third Italian man to reach US Open semifinals in Open Era after Corrado Barazzutti (1977) and Matteo Berrettini (2019).

The Italian is now the fourth active player to have reached the semifinals at all four Grand Slams. He joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Marin Cilic on that exclusive list. He is the third Italian man to reach US Open semifinals in Open Era after Corrado Barazzutti (1977) and Matteo Berrettini (2019).

The lone major champion remaining in the draw, Sinner will face 25th seed Brit Jack Draper in the last four. The Italian is on a nine-match winning streak, having arrived at the season’s final major following his triumph in Cincinnati.

The 22-year-old Draper breezed past 10th seed Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday evening to reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal.

Draper, who is the only man to reach the semifinals in New York without dropping a set, converted six of 20 break points he earned against De Minaur in his maiden major quarterfinal.

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), according to ATP stats.

Moreover, he became the first British man to reach a US Open semifinal since Murray won the title in 2012.