Day 12 of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York featured semifinal action in men's singles and the women's doubles final.
Fritz becomes first American man to reach a major final since 2009
Taylor Fritz has defeated a fading Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an all-American matchup at the U.S. Open to reach his first Grand Slam final. The 12th-seeded Fritz's victory Friday night earned him a showdown against No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the championship on Sunday. Sinner finished off a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Jack Draper earlier Friday to reach the final at Flushing Meadows for the first time. It's his second major title match of the year after taking the trophy at the Australian Open in January. Fritz will be the first U.S. man to appear in a major final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. Roddick's 2003 U.S. Open title was the most recent at a major for an American man.
Sinner advances to his first US Open final
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner has finished off a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Jack Draper to reach his first final at the U.S. Open and second at a Grand Slam tournament his year. They simultaneously got treatment from trainers on a humid afternoon Friday late in the second set. Sinner is a 23-year-old from Italy who was exonerated in a doping case less than a week before the tournament began. He needed his left wrist massaged at a changeover after falling during a point. During the same break in the action, the 25th-seeded Draper got medical attention after vomiting twice on the court between points. Sinner will play No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Frances Tiafoe for the title Sunday.
Women's doubles champion crowned
Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok won the U.S. Open women's doubles championship Friday for their first major title as a team, beating Kristina Mladenovic and Zheng Shuai 6-4, 6-3. The No. 7 seeds began the season with a loss in the Australian Open final but were too good in Flushing Meadows, where they didn't drop a set. It was the fifth title together overall for Ostapenko, a Latvian who won the 2017 French Open in singles, and Kichenok, who dedicated the victory to her home country of Ukraine.
(For Day 11 results click here.)
Day 12 men's singles, semifinal results
Jannik Sinner (1), Italy, def. Jack Draper (25), Britain, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
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Taylor Fritz (12), United States, def. Frances Tiafoe (20), United States, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Day 12 women's doubles championship result
Lyudmyla Kichenok, Ukraine, and Jelena Ostapenko (7), Latvia, def. Zhang Shuai, China, and Kristina Mladenovic, France, 6-4, 6-3.
Who are the betting favorites for the US Open?
Sinner enters the semifinals as the favorite to win his second Grand Slam title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Australian Open champion is listed at -225. The Italian is a -650 money-line favorite for his match against Draper, who is making his first appearance in a major semifinal. The left-hander from Britain is listed at +425. Fritz is a -275 favorite against Tiafoe, listed at +220. Fritz is listed at +350 to win his first major title, followed by Draper at +800 and Tiafoe at +1000.
What happened Thursday at the U.S. Open?
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula won semifinal matches and will meet Saturday for the women's title. Sabalenka reached her second straight final at Flushing Meadows by beating No. 13 Emma Navarro of the U.S. 6-3, 7-6 (2). Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed from Belarus, lost to Coco Gauff in last year's U.S. Open final. She has won the last two Australian Opens. Pegula, the No. 6 seed, rallied after a slow start to beat unseeded Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. She will be playing for her first major title.
What is the US Open schedule for the rest of the tournament?
—Friday, Sept. 6: Men’s Semifinals
—Saturday, Sept. 7: Women’s Final
—Sunday, Sept. 8: Men’s Final
What does the current bracket look like?
For live updates and latest bracket results, visit USOpen.org.
Key stats at the U.S. Open
28 — Consecutive Grand Slam victories for Sabalenka on hard courts against opponents ranked outside the top 10, the longest streak since Victoria Azarenka won 29 in a row from 2012-14.
15-1 — Pegula's record in her last 16 matches; the lone loss was to Sabalenka in the final of the Cincinnati Open.
What was said at the U.S. Open?
“Even if things are not working well for me, I still keep doing the right things and I’m staying in control.” — Sabalenka, on her improved mental strength in matches.
“It’s something that even just a few months ago was not really on my radar. So to now be in a position where I’m thinking about and working toward winning Grand Slams is exciting.” — Navarro, after playing in her first major semifinal.
