British number one Jack Draper fell agonisingly short of reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open as he lost a semi-final epic to world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
The reigning Australian Open champion overcame a second-set injury scare to prevail 7-5 7-6[3] 6-2 against a valiant Draper, who was sick several times throughout their debilitating battle as the New York heat took its toll on him.
Sinner did not suffer as much with the humid conditions, but the world number one caused alarm when he hurt his wrist midway through the match, albeit on his left hand rather than his dominant right side.
The Italian managed to soldier on through the pain and reeled off some eye-catching winners to advance to his second major final of the year, where either Frances Tiafoe or Taylor Fritz will stand in his way of Flushing Meadows glory.
""First of all, me and Jack are good friends off the court, it was a very physical match. I just tried to stay there mentally. I'm just happy to be in the final here," Sinner said on his on-court interview.
Asked about the prospect of facing an American in the final, Sinner replied: "Whoever it is t's gonna be a very tough challenge for me but I'm just looking forward to it. Finals are very special days, every Sunday you get to play means you are doing an amazing job."
Sick Draper and injured Sinner serve up semi-final classic
Jack Draper not feeling his greatest out on court right now 😳 pic.twitter.com/MczakTVpZc
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) September 6, 2024
As well as the unforgiving American climate, Draper was evidently also fighting Grand Slam semi-final nerves as he emerged onto the court, losing the first two points of the match with an unforced error and double fault.
The Briton soon began to settle into his rhythm and responded to Sinner's first break of the match in the seventh game with an instant break back, only for the Italian to win three games on the trot to take a closely-contested opener.
The semi-final drama was only just beginning, as a captivating second set saw Draper throw up on the court on multiple occasions - using his own towel to mop up his stomach contents - but the British number one dismissed calls for the doctor and vowed to carry on.
While Draper battled nausea, Sinner sparked serious concern after winning an incredible point in the ninth game of the second set, where he took a tumble after a heroic defensive lob and hurt his wrist as he put his left hand down to slow his fall.
Sinner wins a staggering point - but is he hurt? 👀 pic.twitter.com/HiuaTZjl5R
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) September 6, 2024
The world number one still won the point with a vicious forehand winner, but as Arthur Ashe rose to their feet, he immediately grabbed his wrist and gave a worried look to his team before receiving treatment.
Thankfully for Sinner, his dominant right hand was still working perfectly, as he continued to capitalise on Draper's waning physical condition and put away his first match point with a terrific cross-court backhand winner.
The best stats from Draper and Sinner's US Open semi-final
While Sinner only just edged out Draper on the aces count with 11 compared to the Briton's eight, the 25th seed double-faulted 10 times over the course of the contest; Sinner only made two such mistakes.
Sinner also registered more winners (43) and fewer unforced errors (34) than Draper, who registered 29 and 43 respectively, and the top seed is now the first Italian man in the Open Era to reach multiple Grand Slam finals.
