Thiem wins 6-2, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5)!
Third-set tiebreaker: Medvedev 5-7 Thiem
A loose start for Medvedev, who nets a backhand early in his service point to immediately go down a minibreak. Thiem holds both points on his racket for 3-love, then Medvedev mixes in his fourth double fault of the night to go down a second minibreak! Medvedev gets on the board with a big serve, but Thiem holds his next service point for 5-1 as they change ends. Squeaky-bum time for Medvedev, but he gets one of the minibreaks back on the next point and will serve at 2-5. He holds both of his service points and Thiem will serve at 5-4. No pressure. Thiem wins the next point with a weapons-grade backhand at the end of a 17-stroke rally and he now has match point on his racket for a spot in the final at 6-4. He wastes the first of them when he badly overcooks a forehand. But Thiem converts the second match point after Medvedev nets a forehand and he’s into the US Open final for the first time.
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Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 6-6 Thiem
Thiem pounds his third ace of the night for 30-love before cruising to the straightforward hold of serve. We’re headed to another tiebreaker with Medvedev’s tournament hanging in the balance.
Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 6-5 Thiem*
A very quick love hold for Medvedev and Thiem will serve to force a third-set tiebreaker after the change of ends.
Third set: *Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 5-5 Thiem
As we saw in the second set, the rallies are getting a bit more physical toward the end of the third. Medvedev pushes it to 30-all and he’s back within two points of the set, but Thiem is able to hold from there.
Thiem breaks in ninth game of third set!
Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 5-4 Thiem*
Medvedev goes down love-15 and 15-30 on his serve, giving Thiem a glimmer of hope. Medvedev responds with back-to-back forehand winners for 40-30, but follows those with consecutive forehand unforced errors to go break point down. Big point on deck! What follows is a grueling 38-shot baseline exchange that’s finally settled when Medvedev leaves one short under duress and Thiem springs forward to put it away with a forehand winner at the net. Back on serve in the third!
Third set: *Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 5-3 Thiem
An easy hold for Thiem, who closes it out with a 135mph service winner down the middle. His fastest serve of the night. Medvedev to serve for the set.
Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 5-2 Thiem*
Medvedev pounds his 11th ace en route to a quick love hold. Thiem will serve to stay in the third set after the change of ends.
Third set: *Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 4-2 Thiem
The level on both sides has dropped a bit midway through the third as Thiem goes down love-15 and 30-40 on his serve. Thiem saves the break point with a backhand pass Medvedev can’t handle for deuce, then holds from there for 2-4.
Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 4-1 Thiem*
Thiem pushes it to deuce from 40-15 with an assist from Medvedev’s 32nd and 33rd unforced errors. Medvedev then badly overcooks a forehand at the end of a 20-stroke backhand-to-backhand rally to go break point down, but he saves it when Thiem misfires on a volley. Moments later Medvedev escapes with the hold despite making five unforced errors off the forehand side in the game.
Third set: *Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 3-1 Thiem
Thiem is on the board after quickly holding at love, but still trails by a break.
Medvedev breaks in second game of third set!
Third set: *Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 2-0 Thiem
If the comeback is on, it’s started right here. With Thiem serving for the game at 40-30, Medvedev pounds a backhand winner for deuce. He then outlasts Thiem on an 18-shot rally, slotting a forehand passing winner down the line for break point. And he converts it when Medvedev makes an unforced backhand error from the baseline early in the point.
Third set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 1-0 Thiem*
Medvedev goes down love-30 on his serve after losing punishing rallies of 22 and 26 shos, but responds with a backhand winner and his seventh ace for 30-all. Medvedev then muffs a volley for break point, but saves it when Medvedev misses on a backhand from the baseline for deuce. After a couple more deuce points, Medvedev crushes a 124mph ace out wide to hold. Whatever was bothering Thiem before the changeover didn’t seem to be holding him back there.
Thiem has taken a medical timeout ahead of the third set. He said he felt something in his achilles when he took a spill earlier in the second.
Medvedev will need to make a bit of history if he wants to return to final: he’s winless in six career five-set matches and has never won from two sets down.
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Thiem wins second set, 7-6 (7)!
Second-set tiebreak: Medvedev 7-9 Thiem
Thiem wins the opening point on his serve, then Medvedev does the same in outlasting his opponent out a bruising 33-ball rally for 1-all. Medvedev then goes down a minibreak with an unforced error early in an exchange, but Thiem gives the minibreak back with a miscue of his own a few points later for 3-2. Both men hold their next six service points until Thiem faces set point serving at 5-6. He holds it with a 117mph first serve out wide that Medvedev can’t get back in play, then wins the next point on a Medvedev unforced error. Now it’s Medvedev facing a set point serving at 6-7. He saves it with a 123mph unreturnable serve, but Thiem pounces on a very poor drop shot on the next point for the crucial minibreak. Serving at 8-7 for the set, Thiem flummoxes Medvedev with an inside-out forehand/forehand down the line combo to win the point and stake a commanding two-sets-to-none lead!
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Second set: Medvedev 2-6, 6-6 Thiem
A spot of trouble for Medvedev, who goes down love-15 after making an unforced forehand error from the baseline. He rattles off three quick points only for Thiem to push it to a couple of deuce points, but he escapes with the hold and we’re heading to a second-set tiebreak.
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 5-6 Thiem
Thiem double-faults at 30-all for break point, but erases it with a 120mph serve that Medvedev can’t get back into the court. An unforced error off a backhand gives Medvedev a second break chance, but Thiem saves that one, too, with another big serve. He saves a third shortly after when Medvedev floats a backhand into the net, then a fourth and a fifth with massive forehands into the corner that Medvedev can’t return. At last Thiem holds after a dramatic game spanning 10 minutes and 18 points. Medvedev will serve to force a second-set tiebreaker.
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Thiem breaks in 10th game of second set!
Second set: Medvedev 2-6, 5-5 Thiem*
Well, well, well. Medvedev blinks while serving for the set, going down love-30 and 15-40 as Thiem ratchets up the power off the ground. Two break-point chances for Thiem, the first Medvedev has faced since 2-5 in the opener. Medvedev saves the first of them, but makes an unforced error off a forehand early in the rally on the second for the break and we’re back on serve in the second.
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 5-4 Thiem
Thiem holds from love-30 and Medvedev will serve to level the match at one set apiece after the changeover.
Second set: Medvedev 2-6, 5-3 Thiem*
Medvedev holds comfortably, cracking his fifth ace of the night along the way. Thiem will serve to stay in the second set.
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 4-3 Thiem
Another hold at love for Thiem, who’s been cruising through his service games with the one big exception at the start of the second set.
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 3-2 Thiem
Thiem is back on course on his serve with another love hold, but he will need to make headway on Medvedev’s serve after that lull to open the set. Meanwhile, Zverev is kicking back in his suite, getting off these tweets as his sushi delivery arrives.
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Second set: Medvedev 2-6, 3-1 Thiem*
An uneventful hold for Medvedev gets it to 3-1 in the second. He’s made twice as many unforced errors (16) as winners (eight) on the night, but he’s cleaned things up significantly in this set with five winners and six miscues.
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 2-1 Thiem
Thiem rights the ship with a straightforward hold of serve to get on the board in the second set.
Second set: Medvedev 2-6, 2-0 Thiem*
Medvedev opens with a 124mph ace down the middle en route to a love hold. Another very scratchy game for Thiem, who seems to have gone on walkabout since the break. Already as many unforced errors for the Austrian through two games (four) as in the entire first set.
Medvedev breaks in first game of second set!
Second set: *Medvedev 2-6, 1-0 Thiem
A very poor service game for Thiem to opener the second set, practically handing Medvedev the break on a silver platter with three unforced errors including his first double fault.
Thiem wins first set, 6-2!
First set: Medvedev 2-6 Thiem
Medvedev quickly goes down love-40 and triple set point. It’s gotten away from him in a hurry. He pounds a 120mph ace out wide to save the first, but makes his 12th unforced error of the night on the next point (against seven winners) to give Thiem the opener after 35 minutes. It’s the first set that Medvedev has dropped in the tournament so far.
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First set: *Medvedev 2-5 Thiem
Thiem cruises to another easy hold. He’s won 11 of the last 12 points on his racket and is up to 12 of 12 first-serve points won for the match. Medvedev to serve to stay in the opener.
Thiem breaks in sixth game of first set!
First set: Medvedev 2-4 Thiem*
A grueling 30-shot exchange breaks out on the opening point with Thiem cracking a backhand winner. Medvedev hits an unreturnable serve followed by a 125mph service winner down the middle, then double-faults for 30-all. Then Thiem wins the next point for his second look at a break point in as many games, but Medvedev saves it with another booming serve for deuce. At this point Medvedev receives a warning for crossing the net to point at a mark after he wasn’t allowed to challenge late. He drips with sarcasm after his appeals to the chair umpire and supervisor are rebuffed: “My sincere apologies to US Open for crossing the net.” From there Thiem gets the best of a 20-stroke rally and breaks Medvedev when he misses on a volley.
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First set: *Medvedev 2-3 Thiem
Thiem holds at love, hitting an overhand winner at the net on the first point then following with three big serves thagt Medvedev can’t get back into play. He’s won seven straight points on his serve and all nine of his first-serve points won on the night.
First set: Medvedev 2-2 Thiem*
The first pressure points on the match for either playeer as Medvedev goes down love-30 on his serve. He gets it back to 30-all, but Theim then hits a backhand winner at the net early in the point for 30-40 and the first break-point chance of the night. Medvedev responds well, rattling off three quick poins capped by a booming ace down the middle to escape with the hold.
First set: Medvedev 1-1 Thiem*
Medvedev cracks a 120mph ace out wide for 40-15, then follows with his first double fault of the evening and an unforced forehand error from the baseline to push it to deuce. But he holds comfortably from there, closing out the hold in his opening service game with a forehand volley winner at the net.
First set: *Medvedev 0-1 Thiem
Thiem holds in a cagey opening service game that included rallies of 13, 12, 13 and 17 strokes … and an uncharacteristic three unforced errors by Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev can become the first player in the Open era (since 1969) to win the US Open men’s singles title without dropping a set. The 24-year-old Russian, who pushed Rafael Nadal to the limit over five sets in last year’s final, has swept 15 sets at this year’s tournament to reach this point.
Dominic Thiem, 27, has become the first Austrian semi-finalist in US Open history after a near miss in 2018, when he lost a fifth-set tiebreak to Nadal in the quarter-finals. The last player from Austria to knock on the door was the great Thomas Muster, who reached the US Open quarters in 1993, 1994 and 1996.
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Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime, today’s first semi-final between Pablo Carreño Busta and Alexander Zverev is into the fifth set and you can follow Tumaini Carayol’s minute-by-minute report here.
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