Reigning champion Jannik Sinner on Wednesday marched into the US Open quarter-finals as Amanda Anisimova avenged her Wimbledon thrashing by Iga Swiatek to set up a last-four clash with Naomi Osaka.
World No. 1 Sinner swept aside 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the first all-Italian men’s quarter-final in Grand Slam history.
“It was a great performance, very solid. I started the match very well,” said Sinner, who faces Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals today.
Photo: Mike Frey-Imagn Images / USA Today
Auger-Aliassime has won two of three previous meetings, but Sinner thrashed him for the loss of just two games in Cincinnati last month.
“Every player who is in the semis of a Grand Slam can say they’re playing their best tennis,” Sinner said.
The 24-year-old Sinner also tied Nicola Pietrangeli for the most Grand Slams win by an Italian man with his 86th victory.
Photo: Mike Frey-Imagn Images / USA Today
Auger-Aliassime overcame Alex de Minaur in a four-set battle lasting more than four hours to reach his second US Open semi-final.
The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime is back in the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2021 US Open after beating eighth seed De Minaur 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).
“It feels amazing. Four years ago, it feels like more. It was a tough couple of years, but it feels even better now to be in the semi-finals,” Auger-Aliassime said.
Photo: EPA
Anisimova rebounded from her disastrous double-bagel defeat at the hands of Swiatek at Wimbledon two months ago, beating the second-ranked Pole 6-4, 6-3 in New York.
“I’ve been having the run of my life here,” said Anisimova, the American eighth seed. “The first day I got here I was like: ‘OK, let’s try and get through one round...’ This has been such a dream. To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me.”
Osaka beat Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to extend her deepest run at a Grand Slam since returning to tennis after the birth of her daughter in 2023.
The Japanese star hit 30 winners in a smooth performance reminiscent of the player who lifted the trophy here in 2018 and 2020.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position,” said Osaka, who has gone on to win the tournament every time she has reached the last four of a major.
“You play the best players in the world towards the end of a Slam. We’re all hoping to achieve the same thing. It’s kind of like boxing, but with a tennis ball,” the 23rd seed said.
However, she has lost both previous matches with Anisimova — at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2022.
In women’s doubles, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe defeated Italian second seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 to set up a final showdown against top seeds Katerina Sinikova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the US.
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Hungary’s Fanny Stollar on Monday crashed out of the third round, losing 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to Errani and Paolini.
Tenth seeds Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan and China’s Jiang Xinyu crashed out in the opening round, along with Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Ashlyn Krueger of the US.
Additional reporting by staff writer
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the