Top-ranked Jannik Sinner showcased his finest tennis at the US Open thus far, besting Tommy Paul to secure a thrilling quarter-final clash with Daniil Medvedev.
Italy’s Sinner triumphed over home favourite Paul 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 amidst a lively New York crowd during the evening session on Arthur Ashe.
Earlier on Monday, Russia’s Medvedev, the 2021 US Open victor, made a bold statement with a commanding 6-0 6-1 6-3 win against Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
The duo are the sole Grand Slam champions left in an unpredictable men’s singles draw.
Sinner staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down against Medvedev to claim the Australian Open title in January.
He has emerged victorious in five of their last six encounters, following a streak of six consecutive losses, though Medvedev prevailed in their five-set Wimbledon quarter-final in July.
Sinner’s performance improved as the match against Paul progressed, with his forehand initially prone to errors before the 23-year-old began to overpower his opponent from the baseline.
He trailed 14th seed Paul by two breaks in the opening set before rallying to win three games in succession and dominating the ensuing tie-break.
The second set remained tight, but an early break in the third set paved the way for Sinner to seal victory in two hours and 42 minutes.
The only minor worry for Sinner arose when he stumbled during a rally and clutched his hip – an issue he’s grappled with throughout the year.
“There will be plenty of rallies, so I hope I’m physically prepared,” Sinner said of his upcoming match against Medvedev.
“We’ll strive to give our best on court and hopefully you’ll enjoy watching.”
Sinner has suffered just five defeats this season, with only two of those losses occurring on hard courts.
His most recent triumph came at Cincinnati in August, clinching the title just a day before news broke that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year.
