NEW YORK —
Top seed Jannik Sinner reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals by shaking off a sluggish start and coming through at key moments in the tiebreakers that decided the first two sets and then pulling away to beat Tommy Paul 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-1 on Monday night.
Sinner, who was cleared in a doping case stemming from two positive tests in March, will now face 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, the last previous winner at Flushing Meadows who is still in the men’s draw.
Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January by defeating Medvedev in five sets in the final after losing the first two. They also met in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July, with Medvedev winning that matchup.
Against Paul, Sinner was not at his best early on, falling behind by a double break at 4-1 after 20 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where a raucous crowd was backing the American, to no one’s surprise.
As the match progressed, there were many chants of “USA!” or “Go, Tommy! Go!”. There were also several moments when spectators applauded after Sinner’s fouls, considered bad manners in tennis, prompting repeated warnings from the chair umpire, who asked that no noise be made between the first and second serves.
