Twelve years after Andy Murray, Jack Draper will represent Great Britain in the semi-finals of the US Open, a first for him. Czech Karolina Muchova will return to the semi-finals of the major American tournament a year after her first semi-final in Flushing Meadows, having missed ten of them due to injury.
They will know their opponents in a few hours. For the Czech, it will be the world number one, the Polish Iga Swiatek, who beat her in the final of Roland-Garros last year, or the American Jessica Pegula (6th). For the Briton, it will be the world number one, the Italian Jannik Sinner, or the Russian Daniil Medvedev (5th), winner of the tournament in 2021.
World No. 25 Jack Draper continued his momentum, winning his first Grand Slam quarter-final against Australian Alex De Minaur (10th) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 and will contest his first major semi-final. At 22, he is only the fourth Briton to reach the semi-finals of the men’s draw in New York in the Open era (which began in 1968), after Greg Rusedski (1997), Tim Henman (2004) and Andy Murray (2008, 2011, 2012).
“It’s the first time I’ve played on the biggest court in the world. [le stade Arthur-Ashe] and it is a dream come true”“He didn’t seem to have his head in the clouds as he imposed his game on De Minaur. Last year in Flushing Meadows he reached the round of 16, which was his best result in a Grand Slam to date. Before this quarter-final he had not lost a single set and had only conceded one goal in New York. De Minaur served him out twice, but without managing to take a set. “I was strong and physically strong, it had been a long time since I felt this strong”Draper emphasized.
The highly anticipated clash between Sinner and Medvedev is scheduled for the end of the programme on Arthur-Ashe Court. The Italian and the Russian have already met twice this year at Grand Slams: the Italian won the final of the Australian Open and the Russian won the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. In this half of the table, which is very early on for Carlos Alcaraz, the winner in 2022, the winner of this quarter-final will be the favourite to reach the final.
“Physical problems” for Karolina Muchova
Among the women, to return to the semi-finals, Karolina Muchova (52nd) eliminated the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad (21st) by 6-1, 6-4. “I am very happy to be back in the semi-finals”“I’m not going to play for the first time,” said the 28-year-old, who had to end her season after losing in the semi-finals of last year’s US Open to eventual champion Coco Gauff, with a big smile. Suffering from a wrist injury, she underwent surgery in February and did not compete again until June. Haddad, completely non-existent at the start of the match, almost gave her the first round.
The Brazilian held her own a little better in the second set, but the Czech, despite stomach pains, managed to win. Haddad also experienced physical problems, being examined on court at the end of the match. “It was a strange game. I had physical problems that I prefer not to discuss. I managed to get out of there by going back and forth to the bathroom. I’m sorry if it was disturbing, but I had no other choice.”The 28-year-old Czech said he hopes that these ailments do not last too long because he will continue his semi-final on Thursday, without a day of rest.
