Italian top seed Jannik Sinner defeated Briton Jack Draper 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 to progress to the US Open men’s singles final in the early hours of Saturday, overcoming rough weather in New York.
World No.1 Sinner will be joined in the final by Taylor Fritz, who defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach a first Grand Slam final.
Sinner appeared to have suffered a wrist injury when he fell over in the second set but recovered to reach his second major final after winning the Australian Open earlier this year.
Draper dealt with health issues, vomitting three times in the second set as he struggled with the heat and humidity that also left his shirt soaked in sweat.
Ten double faults also failed to help the 22-year-old’s bid to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time.
On his part, Fritz has become the first American man to reach the US Open final since Roddick in 2006 and the first to reach a Slam final since Roddick at Wimbledon 2009.
Meanwhile, in women’s doubles newly-crowned champion Lyudmyla Kichenok was planning to get married this week but revealed on Friday that her unexpected appearance in the latter stages of the tournament forced a postponement.
Kichenok is engaged to fellow Ukrainian Stas Khmarsky, the coach of her doubles partner Jelena Ostapenko, and she made sure to include him in her speech during the on-court trophy presentation at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Also my boyfriend, could be husband actually because we were supposed to get married this Wednesday but it didn’t happen,” said Kichenok.
“We had actually an appointment to get married this Wednesday but (had to postpone) just because I was playing in the semi-finals.”
Former French Open singles champion Ostapenko, who along with Kichenok did not drop a set en route to winning their first Grand Slam doubles title as a team, felt a chance at a major title merited a change of wedding plans.
