Daniil Medvedev overcomes Andrey Rublev and sweltering heat to reach 2023 US Open semi-finals
Updated 18/09/2023 at 18:53 GMT
Daniil Medvedev continued his quest for a second Grand Slam title with victory against close friend Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals of the US Open. Medvedev, the 2021 champion in New York, rallied from a break down in all three sets as he reached the last four at the tournament. He will next meet either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev.
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Daniil Medvedev beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the US Open for the fourth time.
The 2021 champion trailed by a break in all three sets but fought back each time to win 6-4 6-3 6-4 against Rublev, who is now 0-9 in major quarter-finals.
The match was played in swelteringly hot conditions on Arthur Ashe and Medvedev at one point said to a camera that "one player is gonna die".
Medvedev poured a bottle of water on his head after winning the match and said in his on-court interview that conditions were "brutal".
"The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffer," he added.
"Usually there is not only one that suffers so it’s tough for both of us."
Medvedev plays defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev in the semis.
How Medvedev made final four
Rublev made a perfect start, holding to love before breaking after a Medvedev double fault and a backhand into the tramlines.
At 3-0 up, the underdog looked like taking the first set, but Medvedev raced back into the set with an easy hold, before conjuring up triple break point with a set of stellar returns on Rublev's serve. Medvedev took the second as Rublev struck the net, and held to level the match at 3-3 in no time.
As Rublev steadied the ship with a hold, Medvedev made no mistake on serve with a pair of aces, before some more brilliant defending saw him grab another break of serve as the world No. 8 was forced into a series of unforced errors. Ahead for the first time, Medvedev produced some more hefty serving to cruise through a game to 15 and take the set 6-4.
As Rublev grappled with throwing away his early lead, Medvedev continued in unrelenting fashion, forcing his opponent into lengthy rallies before unloading two explosive forehand winners for an early break. But Rublev finally rediscovered his nerve, and capitalised on Medvedev's fifth and sixth double faults to break straight back.
Rublev then broke again with a vicious forehand to take an early lead in the second set, but just like in the first Medvedev found the extra gear when it mattered.
The third seed turned the screw on the Rublev serve with two stellar returns and a clever drop shot for a break back of his own, before holding serve for 3-3.
Medvedev then broke for a third time in the set as another series of lengthy baseline rallies got the better of his opponent and - after taking a medical timeout - some more strong serving saw Medvedev take a 5-3 lead. Rublev couldn't hold serve to stay in the set as Medvedev won a fifth consecutive game to go two sets ahead.
Once again, Rublev grabbed an early break in the third, this one courtesy of a 12-minute game that came to a close only when Medvedev produced his ninth double fault of the match. As before, Medvedev broke straight back with a sizzling forehand, but Rublev broke a second time to regain the lead thanks to a scorching ace.
Rublev held serve to go 4-2 up in the third set, but once again Medvedev saved his best tennis for the finale and proved too much for his compatriot.
The world No. 3 reeled off yet another break with a cross-court forehand to level the match at 4-4, held serve, and then broke again - courtesy of his fifth match point - to take the third set and a place in the final four.
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