The US Open 2022 men’s and singles semifinals promise to showcase some too-notch tennis with the final Grand Slam of the year heading towards its final weekend.
In the women’s section, world No 1 Iga Swiatek reached her third Grand Slam semifinal of 2022 and first at the US Open with an error-strewn triumph over Jessica Pegula, the last remaining American woman in the tournament. The 21-year-old claimed a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) win, her third against Pegula this year.
Swiatek will face Aryna Sabalenka who she has also got the better of on three occasions this season. World No 6 Sabalenka made the last-four for a second successive year with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) victory over former finalist Karolina Pliskova.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur became the first African woman in history to reach the semifinals of the US Open as France’s Caroline Garcia ended the hopes of American teenager Coco Gauff to advance to the last four.
Jabeur, who also claimed a notable first in July as the first woman from Africa to reach the final at Wimbledon, scored a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. The 28-year-old will now face Garcia in the semi-finals after the in-form 17th seed dispatched the 18-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
US Open 2022: Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz or Rafael Nadal? Scenarios for next World No 1
In the men’s section, Carlos Alcaraz battled past Jannik Sinner in five sets to reach the semifinals in the latest ever finish in the tournament’s 141-year history. A thrilling 5hr 15min duel that finished at 2:50am local time ended with the 19-year-old Alcaraz claiming a 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-7 (0/7), 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Frances Tiafoe reached his first Grand Slam semifinal by seeing off Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0), 6-4 to move within two wins of becoming the first African-American man in 54 years to win the US Open.
Karen Khachanov set-up a semifinal duel with Casper Ruud when he battled past Nick Kyrgios in a big-hitting five-setter. Russian 27th seed Khachanov triumphed 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 over the Wimbledon runner-up to make the last-four at a major for the first time.
Norwegian fifth seed Ruud defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to make his second Slam semi-final of 2022 having finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
Here’s a look at the paths to the US Open 2022 women’s and men’s singles semifinals (x denotes seeded player; players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries):
Iga Swiatek (POL x1) v Aryna Sabalenka (x6)
Swiatek:
1st rd: bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-3, 6-0
2nd rd: bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-2
3rd rd: bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-3, 6-4
4th rd: bt Jule Niemeier (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
QF: bt Jessica Pegula (USA x8) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Sabalenka:
1st rd: bt Catherine Harrison (USA) 6-1, 6-3
2rd rd: bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4
3rd rd: bt Clara Burel (FRA) 6-0, 6-2
4th rd: bt Danielle Collins (USA x19) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
QF: bt Karolína Pliskova (CZE x22) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x17) v Ons Jabeur (TUN x5)
Garcia:
1st rd: bt Kamila Rakhimova 6-2, 6-4
2nd rd: bt Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-1
3rd rd: bt Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 6-3, 6-2
4th rd: bt Alison Riske-Amritraj (USA x29) 6-4, 6-1
QF: bt Coco Gauff (USA x12) 6-3, 6-4
Jabeur:
1st rd: bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-2
2nd rd: bt Elizabeth Mandlik (USA) 7-5, 6-2
3rd rd: bt Shelby Rogers (USA x31) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4th rd: bt Veronika Kudermetova (x18) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
QF: bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Karen Khachanov (x27) v Casper Ruud (NOR x5)
Khachanov:
1st rd: bt Denis Kudla (USA) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
2nd rd: bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
3rd rd: bt Jack Draper (GBR) 6-3, 4-6, 6-5 - retired
4th rd: bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x12) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
QF: bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x23) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4
Ruud:
1st rd: bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
2nd rd: bt Tim van Rijthoven (NED) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
3rd rd: bt Tommy Paul (USA x29) 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-0
4th rd: bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2
QF: bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA x13) 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x3) v Frances Tiafoe (USA x22)
Alcaraz:
1st rd: bt Sebastian Baez (ARG) 7-5, 7-5, 2-0 - retired
2nd rd: bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-2, 6-1, 7-5
3rd rd: bt Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
4th rd: bt Marin Cilic (CRO x15) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
QF: bt Jannik Sinner (ITA x11) 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-7 (0/7), 7-5, 6-3
Tiafoe:
1st rd: bt Marcos Giron (USA) 7-6 (7/0), 6-4, 6-3
2nd rd: bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 (7/2)
3rd rd: bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x14) 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-4
4th rd: bt Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
QF: bt Andrey Rublev (x9) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0), 6-4
Inputs from AFP