NEW YORK: Top-seeded Jannik Sinner reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals by shaking off a slow start and coming through in the clutch during two crucial tiebreakers, ultimately defeating No. 14 seed Tommy Paul 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-1.
Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, had to rally after falling behind by a double-break at 4-1 just 20 minutes into the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Despite the early setback, he managed to recover, winning the first two sets in tightly contested tiebreakers before dominating the third set.
Against Paul, the American crowd was predictably loud, with chants of "U-S-A!" and "Let's go, Tommy! Let's go!" echoing throughout the stadium. However, some spectators clapped after faults by Sinner, a breach of tennis etiquette that led to repeated admonishments from the chair umpire, who pleaded for silence between first and second serves.
Sinner initially struggled, committing 15 unforced errors on the forehand side in the first set alone. However, he quickly adjusted, reducing his errors to just six for the remainder of the match. Reflecting on the ups and downs of the match, Sinner said, "There are some ups and downs, obviously, in best-of-five. That's normal to have. But finding my rhythm in the end of the match hopefully helps in the next match."
The match turned on the tiebreakers. The first tiebreaker was tied at 3-all before Sinner won the final four points. In the second tiebreaker, Paul held a 5-4 lead, but Sinner captured the last three points to secure the set. This victory extended Sinner's remarkable run in tiebreakers, having won 14 of his last 15, a streak dating back to a tournament in Halle, Germany, in June. The lone exception was a tiebreaker loss to Medvedev at Wimbledon.
Sinner, who has now won 12 consecutive sets after dropping the first set he played at the US Open, improved to 32-2 on hard courts in 2024 with four titles. He has reached at least the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slams this year.
Paul, who was seeking his third career Grand Slam quarterfinal and his first at Flushing Meadows, fell short of becoming the first American to defeat a World No. 1 at the US Open since Andre Agassi eliminated Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. He also remains winless in six attempts against top 10 players at majors.
Looking ahead, Sinner will face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Two weeks after being cleared in a doping case stemming from two positive tests in March, Sinner is preparing for a tough match against Medvedev. "It's going to be a lot of running," Sinner said, "so hopefully (I'll) be ready physically."
Earlier on Monday, No. 5 seed Medvedev secured his spot in the quarterfinals with a dominant 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Nuno Borges, a match briefly interrupted in the third set by a fire alarm that caused the electronic line-calling system to shut down.
In the other quarterfinal on the top half of the men's bracket, No. 10 seed Alex de Minaur will face No. 25 seed Jack Draper. De Minaur defeated fellow Australian Jordan Thompson 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, while Draper became the first British man to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Andy Murray in 2016 by dispatching Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
The men's quarterfinals on Tuesday will feature No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev against No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz, and No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov facing No. 20 seed Frances Tiafoe.