The defending champion Jannik Sinner sailed through to the semi-final of the US Open after beating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a fierce semi-final encounter.
The Italian world No.1 is set to face Carlos Alcaraz in their eagerly awaited meeting, thus continuing one of the most captivating rivalries in tennis.
Sinner went on a rampage in the first set but had to come back on track after Auger-Aliassime took the second with his brave serving and heavy hitting. The Canadian, contesting his second semi-final in New York, was about to take the reins when Sinner found his range again and after calm and controlled serving, he was able to wrap up the third and fourth sets.
Though he briefly needed a medical timeout due to stomach pain, the 23-year-old was later sure about it. “After the treatment, I felt much better. Nothing to worry about,” was his later comment.
By winning, Sinner joins an elite group as he is only the fourth man in the Open Era – after Novak Djokovic, Rod Laver, and Roger Federer – to achieve the feat of reaching all four Grand Slam finals in a single season.
He says that this rivalry will continue in New York on Sunday when he encounters Alcaraz for the third consecutive major final and it was here three years ago that it all began. “It’s always special against him”, Sinner stated.
