Sinner powers through injury and heat to reach in US Open final

Draper battled through illness, changing shoes and vomiting, while Sinner overcame injury to win tiebreak

NEW YORK:

Italian top seed Jannik Sinner defeated an unwell Briton, Jack Draper, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2, to secure a place in the US Open final on Friday, enduring challenging conditions during a tumultuous match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Sinner appeared to have injured his wrist after a fall in the second set, but he managed to push through and advance to his second Grand Slam final, having already claimed victory at the Australian Open earlier this year.

For Draper, little went according to plan. The 22-year-old Briton vomited three times during the second set due to the oppressive heat and humidity, which left him drenched in sweat. He also struggled with his serve, hitting 10 double faults, which hampered his bid to reach his first-ever Grand Slam final.

"It was a very physical match, as we saw. I just tried to stay focused mentally," Sinner said, reflecting on the match. The Italian has been under immense pressure as the overwhelming favourite to win his first U.S. Open title, especially following the early exits of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner will face the winner of the all-American semi-final between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.

The first set saw both players exchange early breaks, but Sinner gained the upper hand when Draper double-faulted in the 11th game, losing his serve.

Draper fought hard to hold his serve in a gruelling, four-deuce opening game of the second set but missed a break point opportunity in the next game. From there, the match took a turn for the worse for Draper, the 25th seed.

After the sixth game, Draper dropped his racket and rushed to his bench to change his sweat-soaked shoes. In the eighth game, he vomited twice but refused to allow the umpire to pause the match for a cleanup crew.

Sinner seemed to be in trouble as well after slipping and falling during the ninth game, grimacing in pain as he used his left hand to brace himself.

During the changeover, a physiotherapist massaged Sinner's wrist, while another attended to Draper. Despite Draper's struggles, he continued to battle, requesting another fresh pair of shoes from his locker and vomiting for a third time in the 12th game. Sinner, however, maintained his composure and won the second-set tiebreak convincingly.

In the final set, Sinner secured a crucial break in the sixth game with a powerful backhand down the line. Draper, clearly in distress, sipped a soda on his bench after the seventh game, looking defeated.

Sinner sealed the match with a backhand winner on match point, before embracing Draper at the net in a show of sportsmanship.