DOMINIC THIEM OF Austria defeated Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to reach the final of the US Open on Friday.
The second seed beat the third seed 6-2, 7-6 [9/7], 7-6 [7/5] in 2hr 56min inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Thiem, 27, will play fifth-seeded German Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final when they will both be looking for their first Grand Slam title.
The score was slightly flattering to Thiem following what was a hard-fought close encounter that saw small shifts in momentum in both players’ direction at different stages.
“It was great tennis from both of us,” Thiem said. “Really, really happy to be through and I think it was a great semi-final.”
Thiem and Medvedev, last year’s losing finalist at Flushing Meadows, traded long rallies with booming baseline forehands.
Both also brought their impressive defensive games to court and ultimately the match was decided by Thiem winning points at key moments.
Thiem comfortably took set one, dealing Medvedev his first loss of set during the tournament.
The Russian then squandered a 4-2 lead in the second set to lose it on a tie-break.
In set three Medvedev was on set point while serving at 5-3 but Thiem won a 38-shot rally to take game and bring the set back on serve.
He then raced to a 5-1 lead that was reduced to 5-4 before he held his nerve to enter his fourth Grand Slam final and second in a row after his appearance in the last-two at this year’s Australian Open.
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Bad news as Tipp and Munster fan. Given the amount of coverage this lad has gotten since first joining the Tipp setup, either he is exceptional S&C coach or has a serious PR team behind him.
@Johnny 5: S&C isn’t a games changer. Good S&C coaches are plentiful out there. All teams will be pretty equal on that front. So yes, PR/hype at it’s best here.
He is a serious S&C Coach when you Bye in to his Plan. Had him at club level so seen Up Close & he is serious. Would have being a Huge Addition To Munster!
To be fair, deciding between living/working in Galway or in Limerick is a pretty easy decision to make :D
Fair play – volunteerism is the of the GAA. Loyal to his county despite the loot on offer from a professional outfit.
@Johnny A: He gets paid by Galway
@Johnny A: good one!!
He had Galway in top shape last year and very little injuries. It definitely was a big part of winning the all Ireland in 2017