Reuters
NOS Sport•today, 00:29•Adjusted today, 08:37
Jannik Sinner has reached the final of the US Open. The Italian number one in the world defeated the Brit Jack Draper (number 25) in New York with 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in a duel in which both players struggled with physical complaints.
Sinner will play the American Taylor Fritz in the final. Fritz won last night in five sets against his compatriot Frances Tiafoe. It is the first time in fifteen years that an American has reached the final of the US Open.
Draper kept the points short against Sinner, often served strongly, but too many double faults cost him the first set. Draper, who played the semi-final of a grand slam tournament for the first time, did not feel well in the warm New York. The first set went to Sinner with 7-5.
Double timeout
The differences remained very small in the second set. Draper had a bit more trouble holding his service games, but he kept working his way out of trouble, even though he was sweating profusely and visibly struggling with the clammy weather.
At the end of the second set, both players had to take a medical timeout. Sinner lost his balance during a long rally and landed on his left hand. The Italian was shocked and grabbed his wrist after he had made the point. At the same time, Draper threw up for the second time on the court.
Sinner won the set via a tiebreak. He was not playing smoothly for a while, but his services remained devastating and later things went back to normal for the Italian. Draper in particular showed his fatigue on his face.
The third set was an easy prey for Sinner.
Fritz trumps fellow countryman
Later in the night, Taylor Fritz defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Fritz and Tiafoe, both 26, have been rivals since their early teens and met for the eighth time on the tour. The latter had won only their first meeting in 2016.
Tiafoe took advantage of his first two chances. Fritz excelled in set two (giving up one point on his own serve and making fifteen winners and three misses), but had to wait a long time for break points.
ANP
Fritz didn’t get any more chances after winning the second set and that frustrated him. Grumbling, he looked for support and his coach snapped at him: “Stay positive, you’re still in the game.”
And so it proved: in the fourth set it became deuce for the first time when Tiafoe hit his second double fault in a row at 4-5. With a miscue and a ball in the net he gave Fritz the fourth set, after which the fifth became a formality.
First since Roddick
Fritz is the first American finalist at the US Open since 2006, when Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer. Roddick was also the last US Grand Slam finalist; in 2009, Federer was too strong at Wimbledon.
