Sinner battles past Paul to set up US Open showdown with Medvedev
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NEW YORK -- Top-seeded Jannik Sinner advanced to the US Open quarterfinals by overcoming a slow start and clutching victory in two pivotal tiebreakers before pulling away to defeat No. 14 Tommy Paul 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-1 on Monday night.
Just two weeks after being cleared in a doping case related to two positive tests in March, Sinner secured a spot in the quarterfinals, where he will face 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev, who is the only past winner remaining in the men’s draw, will be a formidable opponent. The two players have met in significant matches before, with Sinner claiming his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January by defeating Medvedev in a five-set final. Medvedev, however, won their most recent encounter at Wimbledon in July.
"It's going to be a lot of running," Sinner said, anticipating the physical demands of his upcoming match against Medvedev.
Against Paul, Sinner initially struggled, falling behind 4-1 after just 20 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The American crowd enthusiastically supported Paul, with chants of "U-S-A!" and "Let's go, Tommy! Let's go!" resonating throughout the match. However, Sinner found his rhythm, reducing his unforced errors and dominating the match's later stages.
The match hinged on two tiebreakers. In the first, Sinner won the last four points after a 3-all tie, while in the second, he came back from a 5-4 deficit to take the final three points. This victory continued Sinner’s impressive record, having won 14 of his last 15 tiebreakers since June, with the only loss coming against Medvedev at Wimbledon.
Sinner, who dropped the first set he played at the US Open, has since won 12 consecutive sets. He now boasts a 32-2 record on hard courts in 2024 and has reached at least the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams this year.
Earlier on Monday, No. 5-seeded Medvedev defeated Nuno Borges 6-0, 6-1, 6-3, with the match briefly interrupted in the third set due to a fire alarm that shut down the electronic line-calling system.
In other quarterfinal action, No. 10 Alex de Minaur will face No. 25 Jack Draper, who became the first British man to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Andy Murray in 2016. De Minaur defeated Jordan Thompson 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-Australian matchup, while Draper won over Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Tuesday's men's quarterfinals feature No. 4 Alexander Zverev against No. 12 Taylor Fritz and No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov against No. 20 Frances Tiafoe.
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