Defending champion beats compatriot Musetti to reach semi-finals

NEW YORK: Jannik Sinner returned to the US Open semifinals by beating No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday night in the first all-Italian match-up in a men’s major quarterfinal.

The No. 1 seed continued what’s been an easy title defense and on Friday will face No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat No. 8 Alex de Minaur 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4).

Sinner is into his fifth straight Grand Slam semifinal and with a win Friday would reach the finals of all four majors this year. He has won 26 consecutive matches in majors on hard courts. That includes the past two Australian Open titles along with his triumph in New York a year ago.

“It was a great performance. Very solid, especially starting very, very well,” Sinner said.

He needed just 2 hours Wednesday — the first set took only 27 minutes — fighting off all seven break points he faced. He has dropped just 38 games in his five matches, the second-fewest by a man to reach the US Open semifinals since 2020.

Sinner, who has won 31 consecutive service games, won 42 of 46 first-serve points (91%).

Musetti was trying to reach his first US Open semifinal after getting that far at the French Open this year and Wimbledon in 2024. But he got off to a horrible start against his Davis Cup teammate, falling behind 5-0 and winning just nine total points to Sinner’s 25 in the first set.

He started to get more chances against Sinner’s serve as the match went on but could never get a break that maybe could have swung things.

Anisimova upsets Swiatek

Amanda Anisimova upset Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score.

The No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.

“To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me,” said Anisimova, a 24-year-old who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. “I feel like I worked so hard to try and turn around from that. ... Today is really special.”

The powerful strokes and poise she displayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 2 Swiatek — the 2022 US Open champion — were such a striking contrast to what happened at the All England Club’s Centre Court on July 12.

That title match lasted just 57 minutes, and Anisimova only managed to win 24 points that day, a total she eclipsed about midway through the first set this time.

Anisimova cried during her runner-up speech during the trophy ceremony at Wimbledon; on Wednesday, she was all smiles while addressing thousands of supportive spectators who kept interrupting her on-court interview with cheers.

On Thursday, Anisimova will try to reach a second consecutive major final. She’ll face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka — who eliminated Coco Gauff on Monday — after the No. 23 seed beat No. 11 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (3).