US Open: Pegula stuns Swiatek to bolster American semi-final lineup as Sinner advances

Host country now has four players in the semi-finals while men's top seed will face Jack Draper

Jessica Pegula celebrates her victory over Iga Swiatek in the US Open quarter-finals. EPA

Jessica Pegula ensured there will be four American players in the US Open semi-finals after a stunning straight-sets victory over top seed Iga Swiatek before men's title favourite Jannik Sinner advanced with an impressive win over Daniil Medvedev.

Sixth-ranked Pegula booked a place in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time by sweeping past Swiatek 6-2, 6-4. On Thursday, she will tackle Karolina Muchova, who saw off Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-1, 6-4, for a place in the final.

Pegula joined compatriot Emma Navarro in the semi-finals after the 13th seed defeated Paula Badosa on Tuesday. Navarro, who toppled defending champion, and another American, Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, tackles world No 2 and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the other women's semi-final.

While there is a good chance an American woman will contest the final, the host country is guaranteed a finalist in the men's draw, with Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe set to meet in a last-four clash on Friday.

Pegula's march to the semi-finals is reward for her fine form; she has now won 14 times in 15 matches on US hard courts this summer.

"Finally I can say I'm a semi-finalist. I lost so many of these things," said the American, who had lost six times at the quarter-final stage at the majors. "Thanks to the crowd. I sent over a 65mph second serve (on a third match point) because I was so tight."

Swiatek was undone by 41 unforced errors and was left to ponder an uneven season at the Grand Slams. There was the high of a fourth French Open triumph but that was sandwiched by third-round exits at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

At the Paris Olympics, played on her favourite Roland Garros courts, she had to settle for the bronze medal.

"It's hard to have low expectations when everybody is expecting something from you," said Swiatek.

Muchova's win over Haddad Maia came despite having to sprint to the bathroom early in the second set, a dash which caught everyone on the hop.

"I had a problem that I wouldn't like to comment on," said the 28-year-old. "I really didn't have any other choice."

After losing to eventual champion Gauff in the 2023 semi-finals, Muchova suffered a serious wrist injury which sidelined her until June this year.

A former world No 8, now ranked at 52, Muchova has yet to drop a set, knocking out two-time champion Naomi Osaka and this year's French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini.

Sinner to face Draper for place in final

In the last match of the day, top seed Sinner defeated 2021 US Open champion and two-time runner-up Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.

He will take on 25th-ranked Jack Draper for a place in the final after the British player made his first semi-final at the Slams with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win over Australia's Alex de Minaur

Sinner, 23, is the only top-10 man to make the semi-finals with No 12 Fritz due to face Tiafoe, ranked 20, in Friday's other last-four duel.

"It was very tough, I knew it would be very physical," said Sinner, who had also beaten Medvedev to capture the Australian Open. "It was strange in the first two sets, whoever got the break started to roll."

Medvedev had to save 10 of 15 break points while his dream of making a 10th Slam semi-final was undermined by 57 unforced errors.

Draper pulled off the victory over 10th-ranked De Minaur despite taking a medical timeout early in the second set to have his right thigh bandaged.

"It's amazing. My first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium, it means the world to me," said Draper, who had lost three times in three meetings with De Minaur before Wednesday. "I played a solid match and I feel the best, fitness-wise, that I have felt in a long time."

Draper is the first British man to make the last four since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago. He has made the semi-finals without dropping a set as he continued an impressive summer run which saw him capture his first ATP title in Stuttgart and then defeat Carlos Alcaraz at Queen's Club.

Draper sent down 11 aces among his 40 winners while forcing De Minaur to fend off 14 of 20 break points. The British player enjoys a 1-0 lead over Sinner in the pair's head-to-head record although that win at Queen's came three years ago.