- Medvedev returns to US Open semis with straight-sets win
- Serena digs deep again to beat unseeded Pironkova
That’s all for today. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check back later for live coverage of the night session.
“It was tough in the end,” says Medvedev, who finished with 51 winners against 37 unforced errors. “That’s why maybe for the first time in almost a year I actually celebrated my win because it was very tough in the end and I felt like I could get in trouble, so I was really happy to get the win. One point decided two sets. Andrey was playing honestly unbelievable.”
Asked about the decisive first-set tiebreaker, Medvedev describes the game within the game against his childhood friend.
Third-set tiebreak: Rublev 5-7 Medvedev
Rublev immediately goes down a minibreak as Medvedev cranks a forehand winner early in the rally, but Medvedev gives it right back with a double fault upheld by a challenge. Medvedev then hits a highlight-reel backhand winner down the line from the baseline and we’re on serve. Rublev pounds an ace then wins the next point on a Medvedev unforced error. On serve with Medvedev serving at 2-3 and he strikes a 126mph unreturnable serve out wide for 3-all as the players change ends.
Game, set, Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev is into his second straight semifinal in Flushing.@DaniilMedwed | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/oxhpb01vT2
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 6-6 Medvedev
Another love hold for Medvedev, who’s won 11 straight points on his serve. We’re heading to a third-set tiebreaker.
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 6-5 Medvedev*
… and Rublev holds at love, capping it with his ninth ace. Medvedev will again serve to stay in the third after the break.
Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 5-5 Medvedev
Medvedev holds at love, capping it with his 15th ace …
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 5-4 Medvedev*
Rublev comes through with another stress-free hold, slotting his eighth ace of the day along the way. Medvedev, who appears to have caught a cramp near the end of the game, will serve to stay in the third set after the change of ends.
Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 4-4 Medvedev
Medvedev pounds a forehand winner to open the game, but follows with his second double fault and an unforced error off the backhand to go down 15-30 on his serve for only the second time today. A glimmer of a chance for Rublev here. But Medvedev rattles off three quick points including a pair of unreturnable serves to escape with the hold.
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 4-3 Medvedev*
Rublev holds easily from love-15 down. He’s won 82% of his first-serve points in the third set, up from 67% in the second.
Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 3-3 Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev: four points, four aces. Next?
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 3-2 Medvedev*
Rublev holds easily from 15-all, going forehand passing winner, 119mph ace down the middle, 110mph ace out wide. On we go.
Hanging in there tough
Can @AndreyRublev97 take this set?#USOpen pic.twitter.com/tQIjQlWg5w
Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 2-2 Medvedev
Rublev pushes Medvedev to love-15, then 15-30 for the first time all day thanks to Medvedev’s first double fault. But Medvedev cruises to the hold from there, closing it with consecutive backhand winners from the baseline.
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 2-1 Medvedev*
Rublev holds comfortably. A bit more positivity on his side after the dismal body language that carried over from the tiebreaker into the second set.
Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 1-1 Medvedev
Medvedev responds with a business-like hold at love. The highlight: a superb backhand passing winner for 40-love that paints the sideline.
Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 1-0 Medvedev*
Rublev holds to open the third. But if we’re being real, this one has felt all but a handshake away since the first-set tiebreaker.
Second set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6 Medvedev
Medvedev opens with a 129mph ace down the middle before misfiring off the backhand side for 15-all. But he follows with back-to-back winners from the baseline for two set points. And he needs only one of them, firing in a 107mph second serve that Rublev can’t return into play. Medvedev takes a commanding two-sets-to-none lead and is one set from the semi-finals.
Just everywhere.
Daniil Medvedev takes the second set 6-3 and he’s one set away from the SFs.@DaniilMedwed I #USOpen pic.twitter.com/XYqInao0mb
Second set: Rublev 6-7, 3-5 Medvedev*
Rublev quickly holds at love, putting the pressure on Medvedev to serve out the set.
Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 2-5 Medvedev
Medvedev, working quickly on his serve now, clinically backs up the break, closing out the easy hold with a 130mph ace down the middle. Curiously, Rublev is given a code violation for audible obscenity even though his eruption after going down 40-15 was more of a barbaric yawp than discernible swear word.
Keothavong – “I understand exactly what you said”
Rublev – “I SCRAMED FULL POWER”
Keothavong – “What did you say?”
Rublev – “AHAHAHHHHHH”
(@primevideosport ) pic.twitter.com/ZnJq3mh4mg
Medvedev breaks in sixth game of second set!
Second set: Rublev 6-7, 2-4 Medvedev*
Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 2-3 Medvedev
Medvedev breezes through a love hold. He’s 12 of 13 points on his racket this set – and 22 of the last 26 on his serve going back to the first.
Second set: Rublev 6-7, 2-2 Medvedev*
Rublev seems to have settled, cracking his third and fourth aces of the afternoon en route to a simple hold of serve. Good sign.
Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 1-2 Medvedev
Medvedev rolls through another service game, capping the love hold with a 123mph ace out wide.
Related: Serena Williams digs deep against Pironkova to reach US Open semi-finals
Second set: Rublev 6-7, 1-1 Medvedev*
Rublev goes down 15-30 on his serve. Early days, but feels like a critical juncture given the context. He responds with a forehand winner followed by a service winner, but Medvedev pushes it to deuce after winning a baseline rally. From there Rublev escapes with the badly needed hold, putting a bit of distance between him and that catastrophic breaker.
Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 0-1 Medvedev
Medvedev does exactly what’s needed: whizzing through his opening service game in a blur to immediately put the pressure back on Rublev, who is still fuming after letting the opener slip through his fingers.
First-set tiebreak: Rublev 6-7 Medvedev
Rublev wins the first point of the breaker on his serve when Medvedev misfires on a drop shot at the end of an 22-shot baseline rally. Another lengthy rally – what ball-striking! – and Rublev wins the point as Medvedev goes down an early minibreak. Both men hold their serves over the next three points until Rublev paints the line on Medvedev’s serve with an inside-out forehand winner. With Rublev serving at 5-2 and two points from the set, he mixes in his first double fault of the match. But Rublev wins the next point to give him three set points. Medvedev saves the first then the second, both on his serve, giving Rublev a set point on his racket at the match hits the hour mark. And Rublev makes an unforced error on a forehand at the end of a 16-shot rally. We’re at 6-all but the momentum is very much in Medvedev’s favor. Medvedev then wins another point on Rublev’s serve and he will have a set point … and Medvedev closes it out with a 128mph ace down the middle.
First set: Rublev 6-6 Medvedev
We’ve got a delay on court as the electronic scoreboards on court have been flickering. The players want to wait until they’re turned off completely. More than four minutes have passed since the last ball hit in anger. The chair umpire says they’ve been shut off, but they begin to flicker once more right as Medvedev hits a first serve out. They’ve stopped again as the tournament referee gets involved and Rublev has darted off the court for a bathroom break after he’s ensured it won’t count against his quota.
First set: Rublev 6-5* Medvedev
Rublev is facing a spot of pressure on serve for the first time today. He’s pushed to deuce from 40-love after misfiring on a backhand at the end of a 22-shot rally, but he rattles off two quick points from theree to escape with the hold. Medvedev will serve to force a first-set tiebreaker after the changeover.
First set: *Rublev 5-5 Medvedev
Medvedev is forced into a backhand error on the opening point to go love-15 down, marking the first time either player has fallen behind on his serve so far. But he responds emphatically on the next three points: forehand baseline winner, 125mph ace down the middle, forehand baseline winner. He then closes out the hold with a 124mph serve out wide that Rublev can’t get back into play.
First set: Rublev 5-4 Medvedev*
Rublev responds with a love hold of his own. He’s only gettiing about a third of his first serves in – nine of 26 so far – but staying afloat with 13-of-17 second-serve points won (76%).
First set: *Rublev 4-4 Medvedev
Medvedev holds at love, crushing a 129mph ace down the middle along the way. His first-serve percentage inches above 50% during his cleanest service game yet. That’s a good sign: He’s won 10 of 11 of his first-serve points, a formidable 91% clip.
First set: Rublev 4-3 Medvedev*
Rublev opens with a 128mph ace down the middle, but Medvedev crushes a forehand winner from the baseline on the next point for 15-all. Rublev rattles three straight points from there, sealing the hold with a forehand winner early in the point. Both guys hitting the cover off the ball early.
First set: *Rublev 3-3 Medvedev
Medvedev breezes through another service game, closing it out with a 121mph ace out wide. On we go.
First set: Rublev 3-2 Medvedev*
After Rublev wins the opening point with a sharp backhand, Medvedev gets the better of a grueling 18-shot exchange with a backhand winner for 15-all. From there, Rublev rattles off three quick points for the hold. Both sides looking comfortable on serve in the early going.
First set: *Rublev 2-2 Medvedev
Medvedev answers with a stress-free hold of his own, capping it with a 127mph ace down the middle. Mostly short points so far but some big hitting and fine shotmaking when they get into the rallies.
First set: Rublev 2-1 Medvedev*
Another uncomplicated hold for Rublev, who cracks a 105mph ace out wide along the way.
First set: *Rublev 1-1 Medvedev
Medvedev opens with a 110mph second-serve service winner to the body and cruises to a straightforward hold in his opening service game.
First set: Rublev 1-0 Medvedev*
The second match of the day is under way on Ashe. And if the 35-stroke rally (!) won by Rublev to hold his opening service game is any indication, this all-Russian matchup between old friends could be a barnburner.
The final for the women’s doubles has been set. The No3 seeds, Nicole Melichar and Xu Yifan, have won their semi-final and will face the team of Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva in the final.
“It just shows me how tough moms are,” Williams says in her on-court interview after winning the first ever major quarter-final staged between two mothers. “Whenever you can birth a baby, then honestly you can do anything. And I think we saw that with Tsvetana today. She played unbelievable.”
She adds: “I could barely win a match when I came back. She’s incredible. That’s why I say I think I’m most influenced by moms. … You play a match and you go home and you’re still changing diapers. It’s like a double life. It’s really surreal.”
Third set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 Williams
Williams closes it out in style: 103mph ace out wide, 107mph service winner down the middle, 124mph unreturnable, backhand winner at the net. The 23-time major champion is through the US Open semi-finals … and two wins away from her record-tying 24th!
Williams breaks in seventh game of third set!
Third set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 2-5 Williams*
Third set: *Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 2-4 Williams
Another easy service game for Williams, who punctuates the hold with a 122mph ace down the middle. Pironkova running out of time to make up the difference.
Third set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 2-3 Williams*
Pironkova comes through with her first drama-free hold since the first set, opening with her fourth ace and going backhand winner, service winner, service winner to close it out.
Third set: *Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 1-3 Williams
A dialed-in Williams breezes to a comfortable hold, capping it with a 120mph ace down the pipe. Another must-hold game coming up for Pironkova, who still trails by a break.
Third set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 1-2 Williams*
After cruising on her serve early, Pironkiva has found herself fighting from behind in her last six service games. She is pushed to deuce from love-15 and 15-30 before escaping with the hold in another drawn-out marathon. She’s hit 21 winners against 22 unforced errors on the day (compared to 34 and 24 for Williams, respectively).
Third set: *Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 0-2 Williams
Williams is pushed to deuce, but follows with a pair of unreturnable serves to close out the hold and back up the break. That’s five games on the trot for the American from 3-all in the second. A must-hold service game forthcoming for Pironkova.
Williams breaks in first game of third set!
Third set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6, 0-1 Williams*
Leaving it all out there
Williams & Pironkova are giving everything they have. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/2I5uXj9oL7
Second set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-6 Williams
Williams goes down love-15, then 15-30. But the American digs in, pounding her 14th, 15th and 16th aces to back up the break and close out the set in style. We’re headed to a decider.
Williams breaks in eighth game of second set!
Second set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-5 Williams*
Serena Williams = LEFTY?!
Unreal reflex return to win the point. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/G44HKUJ0SH
Second set: *Pironkova 6-4, 3-4 Williams
Williams goes down love-15 and 15-30, but serves her way out of trouble once more as Pironkova doesn’t get a ball back in play the rest of the way.
Second set: Pironkova 6-4, 3-3 Williams*
Pironkova badly needed a straightforward service game and that’s what she produced, rattling off four quick points after misfiring a forehand volley for love-15. They’re on serve in the second.
Second set: *Pironkova 6-4, 2-3 Williams
Williams breezes through her third service game of the set, closing out the love hold with a 99mph ace out wide and an 88mph second-serve service winner.
Second set: Pironkova 6-4, 2-2 Williams*
Pironkova feels the pressure on her serve for a second straight service game, getting pushed to deuce and saving a break point before escaping with the hold. Williams is getting neutral in the baseline rallies far more effectively than in the first set, when Pironkova won all five exchanges of nine or more shots.
Second set: *Pironkova 6-4, 1-2 Williams
Williams is forced to deuce and made to work for the hold over a 12-point game, but the American is helped out mightily once again by her serve: she’s just slotted her ninth, 10th and 11th aces of the day. She’s also starting to get the ball deeper into the court in the rallies, denying Pironkova the time and space that she enjoyed in the first set.
Williams breaks in second game of second set!
Second set: Pironkova 6-4, 1-1 Williams*
Pironkova breaks in first game of second set!
Second set: *Pironkova 6-4, 1-0 Williams
First set: Pironkova 6-4 Williams
Serving at 15-love and three points from the set, Pironkova picks a poor time for her first double fault of the day. But she responds nicely, going 110mph ace, service winner and backhand winner to close out the set. Williams will need to go the distance if she hopes to keep her quest for a record-tying 24th major title alive.
First set: *Pironkova 5-4 Williams
Unforced errors are beginning to creep into Williams’ game at an inopportune time. She is pushed to 30-all after making a pair of them off the backhand side. Pironkova wins the next point with a sharp backhand from the baseline for set point, but Williams saves it with a forehand winner into an open court. She follows with a service winner but another unforced error from the baseline on the next point edges it back to deuce. Pironkova then slots a highlight-reel lob winner for a second set point, but wastes it with an overcooked forehand. From there Williams holds, closing it out with a 103mph ace down the middle. Pironkova will serve for the first set after the changeover.
First set: Pironkova 5-3 Williams*
Pironkova falls behind love-15 and is pushed to a second serve at 30-all, but she holds comfortably from there, capping the hold with a 109mph ace out wide. Williams will now serve to stay in the first set.
First set: *Pironkova 4-3 Williams
Williams holds at love, closing out the hold with her eighth winner (against five unforced errors). The American’s serve is keeping her afloat so far with 10 of 13 first-serve points won (77%), but she will need to improve her first-serve percentage (54%), especially if Pironkova manages to sustain this level.
First set: Pironkova 4-2 Williams*
Pironkova races through another service game. She’s lost only two of the 14 points on her serve. Williams is looking to avoid backhand-to-backhand exchanges by playing heavily to her opponent’s forehand, but Pironvoka’s movement and point construction have mostly thwarted the tactic so far.
Pironkova breaks in fifth game of first set!
First set: *Pironkova 3-2 Williams
First break of the match to the
Pironkova leads, 3-2. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/y2hgPjMd2Q
First set: Pironkova 2-2 Williams*
A promising start for Pironkova, who holds at love. Williams, who didn’t get a single ball back into play in the game, is having trouble reading the serve of the Bulgarian, who’s won eight of nine points on her racket.
First set: Pironkova 1-1 Williams*
Pironkova, surprisingly, opens with an ace: 108mph down the center. She follows with a forehand winner from the baseline to settle a 15-shot rally, then a service winner for 40-love. Pironkova gifts Williams one back with a forehand error, but holds on the next point with a forehand passing winner as Williams comes to net.
First set: *Pironkova 0-1 Williams (*denotes next server)
Williams is on serve to start the match and is quick off the mark, following a service winner with back-to-back aces: 108mph out wide and 115mph down the middle. Pironkova finally gets a ball back in play and on the board with a drop shot/lob combo winner, then pushes it to 40-30 when Williams misfires on a forehand. But Williams responds with her third ace to close out the hold in her opening service game.
The players have emerged from the tunnel into Arthur Ashe Stadium for today’s first quarter-final. Williams is unbeaten in four previous meetings with Pironkova including a pair of straight-sets wins in their two hard-court matches. Another straightforward outcome would very much be to the American’s benefit given the quick turnaround before tomorrow’s women’s semi-finals.
Chasing win 101 in Ashe, Serena’s ready #TeamUSATennis | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/sDiMr8ObQZ
Hello and welcome to Arthur Ashe Stadium for Wednesday’s daytime twinbill. A pair of quarter-final matches are on the menu with Serena Williams facing Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova, followed by an all-Russian clash betwen Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev.
Today’s opener is a matchup between two of the nine mothers in this year’s draw. The third-seeded Williams, who missed more than a year after having a daughter in 2017, will continue her quest for a record-tying 24th major title against the unseeded Pironkova, who is playing her first tournament after a three-year hiatus where she gave birth to a son. The winner advances to a semi-final matchup on Thursday against either No 16 Elise Mertens or unseeded Victoria Azarenka, who face off at 7pm local time.
Bryan will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s Kevin Mitchell on Serena Williams’s campaign:
Nobody in tennis suffers for her art like Serena Williams – except maybe her one-time doubles partner, Andy Murray. On the women’s Tour, nobody retreats into her own world so completely under pressure, external and self-induced, to then emerge like a butterfly from a chrysalis and fly free.
Related: Serena Williams uses a butterfly effect to battle old enemy of time | Kevin Mitchell
