Former champion Daniil Medvedev made it through to the US Open semi-finals for the fourth time in five years after overcoming “brutal” conditions and his close friend Andrey Rublev.
Medvedev battled through the heat and humidity to defeat Rublev 6-4 6-3 6-4 to add more quarter-final misery on his opponent.
Luckless Rublev has now made the quarter-final stage in nine Grand Slams, and he has lost all of them.
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Medvedev called the conditions ‘brutal’ as he progressed into the semi-finals
“It was brutal,” said Medvedev. “The only good thing I see in this condition is that both suffered.
“Honestly, at the end of the first set I kind of couldn’t see the ball anymore. I kind of played with sensations.
“Just tried to go for it, tried to run, tried to catch the balls and he did the same.”
How Medvedev made it through to the semi-finals…
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The third seed sent a strong message down the camera about the conditions
Third seed Medvedev, the 2021 champion at Flushing Meadows, lost the opening three games of the match as Rublev flew out of the blocks.
The world No 8, who is godfather to Medvedev’s daughter, won the first eight points and 14 out of the first 15.
But Medvedev quickly grew into the match, sweeping six of the next seven games for the lead. It was an ominous start to the match for Rublev with Medvedev 25-0 at Flushing Meadows after winning the first set.
They then traded breaks in the second before Medvedev again was able to gain the upper hand to move further clear.
Rublev led by a break in the third but was pegged back again, and in a 15-minute final game, Medvedev finally ended the torture by converting match point at the fifth attempt to wrap up victory.
“Sometimes before the points I was like ‘wow it seems like he cannot run anymore’ … but he was there all the time and I was like ‘damn, when is he going to be tired?’,” said Medvedev. “But actually we were tired all the time.
“So yeah, brutal conditions and super tough to win.”
Top 5 points
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Check out the top five points from Medvedev’s win
Henman: Conditions were brutal
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Tim Henman called the conditions on Arthur Ashe as ‘brutal’ after Medvedev beat Rublev
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, former British No 1 Tim Henman said to watch the match was “brutal”.
He said: “You could see they’re fighting so hard but there’s so little energy left in the tank, it’s almost as if they’re playing on instinct, but it’s tough on Rublev to lose another Grand Slam quarter-final.
“Medvedev was trying to cool down his core body temperature down to aid his recovery.”
The US Open on Sky Sports
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Watch the US Open live and exclusive on Sky Sports up until September 10. All courts will be available to watch for the first time
Sky welcomes tennis back to its channels, adding to the existing sports portfolio and reaffirming the broadcaster as the home of live sport in the UK & Ireland.
Sky Sports’ new mixed reality studio features multiple custom-built LED screens, integrated light ‘sabres’, and an open canopy roof, making the space alive with colour and energy to reflect the vibrancy of the last Grand Slam of the year.
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Relive Andy Murray’s rollercoaster career at the US Open, which saw him claim his maiden major title in 2012
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Highlights of matches will be available across Sky Sports TV and our social media platforms.
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