By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday September 2, 2024
Jannik Sinner reached his second career US Open quarterfinal with a straight sets win over 14th-seeded Tommy Paul on Monday in New York.
Photo Source: USTA/ US Open
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday September 2, 2024
New York—There are two former Grand Slam champions left on the men’s side in this year’s US Open.
Not for long, however.
Jannik Sinner defeated 14th-seeded Tommy Paul, 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-1 on Monday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, setting up a thirteenth clash between Sinner and 5th-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
The only all-Top-5 clash of the men’s quarterfinals will mark the 13th time that the Italian and the Russian have squared off, and the third time at the Slams in 2024.
Sinner took the title at this year’s Australian Open, rallying from two sets down to defeat Medvedev for his first Slam title. Medvedev returned the favor this year at Wimbledon, handed the World No.1 a five-set quarterfinal defeat.
In the final match of the Monday evening night session, Sinner was pushed in the first two sets, but rallied to take them both in tiebreaks from Paul.
“Started off not so good, but tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner said, “You know, two sets that could have gone in both ways, and happy that it went my way.”
Paul, bidding for his first US Open quarterfinal, jumped out to a 4-1 double-break lead in the opener but let it slip and failed to take his chances in the opening-set breaker. The second set went with serve throughout, and again it was Sinner coming through the tiebreak.
“Today he clutched up on serves on the big points,” Paul said. “He does what all the best players in the world do. You know, he steps up. He's unreal out of the corners. Hits a quality ball every time the ball is on his racquet. I mean, that's kind of what separates him.”
The 0-2 deficit took wind out of Paul’s sails and he offered little in the final set as Sinner waltzed away to victory, clocking his 8th consecutive win, since commencing his title run in Cincinnati three weeks ago, in two hours and 42 minutes.
Sinner finished with 29 winners and 33 unforced errors. He was never broken after he fell behind 4-1 in the opening set. Paul hit 33 winners and 43 unforced errors and was broken four times out of the 14 break points he faced.
Sinner has reached all four major quarterfinals in 2024, and he is just the eighth player to achieve that feat since 2000. The World No.1 improves to 32-2 on hard courts in 2024.
Medvedev owns a 7-5 lifetime record over Sinner but their rivalry has taken a strange path. The Russian won the first six, before Sinner reeled off five straight. Medvedev then took the last meeting at Wimbledon in July.