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Jannik Sinner overcomes wrist shock, defeats Jack Draper and reaches the final of the US Open | ATP Tour

Match report

Sinner overcomes wrist shock, defeats Draper and reaches US Open final

Italian aims for second major

06 September 2024

Getty Images

Jannik Sinner in action in New York.
By ATP Staff

Jannik Sinner reached the US Open final for the first time on Friday when he ended Jack Draper's run in a hard-fought battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Italian fought a physical battle and went all out to win 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2.

In a grueling duel, Sinner played with relentless intensity to wear down Draper, who struggled physically from the closing stages of the second set. The top seed hit 42 winners and survived a scare himself in the second set when he twisted his left wrist after using it to cushion his fall as he stumbled behind the baseline.

The 23-year-old showed little sign of discomfort after that scare, however, and marched on to victory, becoming the first Italian to reach the final in New York. Sinner will look to improve on his perfect 5-0 record in tour-level title matches in 2024 when he faces Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.

“Jack and I know each other very well. We're friends off the court too. It was a very physical match, as we can see, and I just tried to stay mentally involved,” Sinner said. “He's so hard to beat and it's a very special occasion. I'm happy to be here in the final.”

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP rankings has an outstanding record at the Majors this year, reaching at least the quarterfinals in all four tournaments. The 23-year-old won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and is only the fifth man 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) have achieved this feat.

“I'm just happy to be in the final. Whoever it is, it will be a very tough challenge for me,” said Sinner. “I'm looking forward to it. Finals are very special days. Every Sunday you play shows that you're doing a great job. So I'll try to keep pushing and see what I can achieve.”



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Sinner's three-hour, four-minute triumph over Draper gave him his tenth straight win and secured his second ATP Masters 1000 title 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.

After Sinner won a close first set, the second set was dramatic as both players struggled with physical problems. Briton Draper vomited several times and sat slumped in his chair at 4-5 after a medical timeout during which he took salts and fluids.

Across the net, Sinner injured his left wrist when he fell mid-point at 4-4, 15/30. The Italian stumbled as he returned a forehand from Draper and used his left wrist to break his fall. He then got back to his feet and thundered a forehand winner to win the point, but his left wrist was treated at the change of ends at 4-5. The scare didn't seem to faze Sinner, however, who showed no signs of discomfort in subsequent games and took the tiebreak.

As he has done so often in 2024, Sinner showed his best level when it mattered most, breaking Draper's serve in the 11th game of the first set and then taking control in the second set tiebreak. The Italian, who has won 15 of his last 16 tiebreaks, moved freely from side to side and defended well from the backhand corner to follow up on Draper's heavy left-foot forehand shots. He neutralised the 22-year-old's power and broke Draper's serve again in the third set when he followed up a volley to hit a backhand pass down the line.

Draper was making his first major semi-final and was the first Briton to reach that stage since former world number one Murray lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2012.

The 22-year-old did not drop a set en route to the semifinals and will move into the top 20 of the PIF ATP rankings for the first time on Monday. The 25th seed, who won his first tour title in Stuttgart earlier this year, put on an impressive performance throughout his run in New York and put Sinner under pressure, hitting 29 winners but lacking the physical strength to force the Italian into a fourth set.

Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals and improved his season record to 54-5 after his first Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against long-time friend Draper, who played junior tournaments with the Italian in his youth.

With his run, Sinner has taken the lead in the battle for the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking presented by PIF Honours. The Italian is currently 2,185 points ahead of second-place Alexander Zverev in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking presented by PIF Honours. Sinner will have a lead of 2,885 points if he wins the title.

Did you know?
Sinner is aiming to become the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first and second Grand Slam titles in the same season.

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