Tennis-Sinner beats Medvedev in seesawing US Open quarter-final

By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Top seed Jannik Sinner broke through Daniil Medvedev's defences to win 6-2 1-6 6-1 6-4 in a seesawing U.S. Open quarter-final on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium where pundits and fans were left stunned as momentum whipped back and forth from set to set.

Sinner beat Medvedev in this year's Australian Open final and left the Russian disappointed at a Grand Slam again in New York, closing out the match with a forehand winner.

Medvedev, the 2021 champion, had defeated the Italian in the Wimbledon quarter-finals but could not crack the code this time.

He did not help his own cause with 57 unforced errors.

"It was very tough, we know each other quite well," said Sinner. "We knew it was going to be very physical."

An out-of-sorts Medvedev put up more than double the number of unforced errors his opponent had in the first set, with Sinner dropping only one of his first-serve points and looking ready to cruise to the semis.

The Russian came back hard in the second set, however, going up a break with a backhand winner down the line in the second game and winning a 24-shot rally to convert another chance in the fourth.

The momentum whipped back to Sinner in the next set as the Italian won the first five games straight, leaving TV commentators at a loss for words.

A close fourth set turned in the world number one's favour when Medvedev handed him a break with an unforced forehand error in the seventh game.

The Russian saved one match point to hold serve in the ninth game and exhorted the crowd for support as he walked back to his bench at the changeover.

However, Sinner did not have to wait long for his victory, wrapping up the match in the next game.

"I don't know why exactly, but not the best match from my side," said Medvedev. "I actually think not the best from his also, a little bit missing here and there."

The Italian's win means there will be a new U.S. Open champion on the men's side, as Medvedev was the only former winner to reach the quarter-finals in a tournament full of surprise early exits by top contenders.

Sinner will next play Britain's Jack Draper for a place in the final.

"He makes a lot of serve and volleys. Tries to go to the net. There are many things he's doing great," Sinner said of his upcoming opponent. "It's going to be a tough match for both of us."

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)