ATP
Sinner sinks Musetti, Osaka wins
Jannik Sinner mowed down Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 as the defending chanmpion put his lethal game on display to return to the semi-finals of the US Open.
The world No. 1 was joined on the women’s side by two-time New York winner Naomi Osaka, who dispatched Czech Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Sinner’s two-hour sweep denied Musetti a place in a third Grand Slam semi-final, with the top seeded winner pleased with his efficient, crushing result.
“It was a great performance, very solid, especially starting very, very well in the match,’’ Sinner said after losing just one set over the fortnight so far.
“These are very special occasions. Finding myself again in the semis of a Grand Slam, it’s a great, great achievement.
“I’m very, very happy about that. We try to prepare ourself always in the best possible way to be in this position.
“I love to go deep in a tournament and try to raise my level. I really like playing
best-of-five. I know my body a little bit better, so I’m very happy and pleased to be again in the semis.”
Sinner saved all seven break points he faced while never allowing his friend and compatriot room to breathe.“Obviously we know each other very well,’’ Sinner said. “We come from the same country.
“There are so many Italian players in the draw, it’s nice to play here. Obviously [we play] Davis Cup together and stuff like this.
“We have to take the friendship away for the match, then obviously when we shake hands, then everything is fine.”
Sinner began by winning the first five games of the opening set in a taste of what was to come on the Ashe showcourt.
The four-time Grand Slam cmapion ended with 28 winners
while Musetti managed only a dozen.
Sinner is into his fourth semi-final this season at a major and now plays for the final against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has won three of their four meetings.
The Italian form the German-speaking northern alpine region aims to become men’s singles champion to defend his title here since Roger Federer (2004-2008).
In the women’s draw. Osaka moved into a semi against seed Amanda Anisimova, who stunned Iga Swiatek to win a Wimbledon finals rematch from July.
“Definitely it was a really tough match I think for me. Honestly, I was just trying to hang in there and see if I got an opportunity.”
Osaka produced 30 winners and 19 unforced errors as she overcame Muchova in 93 minutes.
“Honestly, I was the most nervous for my first-round match and my (third-round) match against (Daria) Kasatkina. I don’t know why. I just was,” the Japanese player said.
“But the deeper I go in a tournament, the less nervous I become, unless it’s a final, potentially.
“I haven’t been there in a while. I know I have to give it my best shot.”
Osaka called Anisimova “one of the most talented players on tour. No one wants to see her name next to theirs.”
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a reprieve due to fading light with his second round match at the Swiss Open Gstaad stopped with the Greek deadlocked with local Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7 (2), 5-5.
The math had to be halted as night fell and electronic linecalling computers could not read the path of the ball on the clay in contrast to humans who could have carried on for a few additional minutes..
The 27-year-old Tsitsipas was taking the worst of it in the concluding stage after a promising start.against a journeyman opponent ranked 186.
Tsitsipas, his ranking down to 85th after once standing third in the world, lashed out verbally in the last few games, apparently frustrated with his racquet reactions.
The Greek was quick to make his point of an overnight stoppage to the chair umpire while Kym – who reached 5-all with a love service hold – left the court with a defiant fist pump for his public in this alpine resort village.
The cutoff came after just over two hours of play, with the contest to be concluded on Thursday. The winner reaches the Friday quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas produced his last notable result in April with a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Masters,
He is aiming for his second quarter-final of the season after Doha in February and his 2025 Barcelona 15 months ago.
Tsitsipas stands 10-1 vs. players ranked outside the top 100 this season with a sole loss to No. 104 Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Roland Garros second round.
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
-
Berlin4 weeks agoSabalenka finds her “little tiger” to fend off Czech challenge
-
Top Story3 weeks agoRaducanu takes a kicking as injury-boot drama flares
-
Adelaide International4 weeks agoEx-Wimbledon champion slammed with anti-doping ban
-
ATP4 weeks agoDe Minaur ambushed by Queen’s outsider Nakashima
-
Berlin4 weeks agoEala stuns Rybakina in Berlin blitz
-
ATP4 weeks agoBadosa unloads on ex-tennis boyfriend Tsitsipas
-
ATP4 weeks agoFritz squeezes Sascha to book first-time Halle final
-
ATP4 weeks agoZverev to face his Fritz nightmare in Halle semis