World number one Jannik Sinner entered his maiden US Open final on Saturday (September 7, 2024), dashing Jack Draper's hopes of a fairytale title with a straight-sets win in the first men's singles semi-final at Flushing Meadows. The Italian dug deep in an intense battle to earn a 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
In a gruelling encounter, Sinner ground down Draper, who was struggling physically from the ending stages of the second set. The top seed struck 42 winners and withstood a scare of his own in the second set when he tweaked his left wrist after using it to cushion his fall when he stumbled behind the baseline.
But the 23-year-old did not show much signs of discomfort after the scare and marched to victory to become the first Italian man to advance to the final in New York. Sinner will seek to improve his perfect 5-0 record in tour-level title matches in 2024 when he meets the winner of the second semi-final between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.
"Me and Jack know each other very well. We are friends off the court. It was a very physical match as we see and I just tried to stay there mentally," Sinner said. "He is so tough to beat and it is a very special occasion. I am happy to be in the final here."
The numero uno player has an outstanding record at Majors this year, reaching at least the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams. The 23-year-old claimed his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January and is just the fifth man in this century to record 22 or more Major wins in a season. Novak Djokovic (8), Roger Federer (6), Rafael Nadal (6) and Andy Murray (2) had earlier achieved the feat.
"I am just happy to be in the final. Whoever it is, it is going to be a very tough challenge for me," Sinner said. "I am looking forward to it. Finals are very special days. Every Sunday you play shows you are doing an amazing job, so I will try to keep pushing and I will see what I can do."
With his three-hour, four-minute triumph over Draper, Sinner notched up his 10th straight win, having claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 crown of the season in Cincinnati. The Italian, who has also won titles in Rotterdam, Miami and Halle, became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin last month.
On the other side of the net, little went right for the 22-year-old Draper, who vomited thrice in the second set as he struggled with the heat and humidity that also left his shirt soaked in sweat.
"Obviously it was extremely humid today. Hasn't been pretty much the whole week as of yet," the Brit told reporters after the match. "I think it was obviously a very physical match. Obviously, that's why Jannik is No. 1 player in the world, because when you play the top players, the intensity is different. You know, it's a step up.
"I think obviously it's a big occasion for me. I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I'm definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being.
"When you add all that together sometimes, I do feel a bit nausea on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough. Yeah, I didn't have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up," he added.
