Jannik Sinner sweeps aside Musetti to reach US Open Semi-finals

The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion extended his hard-court winning streak to 26 matches, underlining why he remains the man to beat in New York. Next, he will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Alex de Minaur earlier in the day.

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“It was a good performance. I was very solid, I started well,” Sinner said in his on-court interview, thanking fans for staying late inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Sinner wasted no time asserting control. His explosive baseline hitting and aggressive returns saw him race to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, leaving Musetti struggling to keep up. The loudest cheer of the first set came when Musetti finally held serve, but Sinner quickly closed it out 6-1.

Musetti briefly threatened in the second set with a couple of early break chances, but Sinner’s composed serving and relentless depth extinguished any hopes of a comeback. The 23-year-old broke midway through the set and never looked back, taking it 6-4.

By the third set, Sinner was in full flow. He broke twice and sealed the victory with a flawless service game after just under two hours of play.

A battle between friends, but only off court

The quarter-final carried extra significance for Italian tennis. Both players are Davis Cup teammates and part of a golden generation in Italian men’s tennis, with Sinner leading the charge.

“Obviously we know each other well,” Sinner said. “We’re from the same country, we’ve played Davis Cup together… but during the match you have to put the friendship aside. When we shake hands, everything is fine.”

Sinner also praised the Italian fans at Flushing Meadows:
“It’s amazing. I’m sure back home some Italians are not sleeping. It’s a special country and we have amazing support.”

The road ahead

The victory sets up a blockbuster semi-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who upset De Minaur in four sets earlier on Wednesday. The Canadian, a former semi-finalist in New York, will be looking to stop Sinner’s hot streak, but the Italian enters the match as the clear favourite.

“Every player in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam is playing amazing tennis,” Sinner noted. “It’s a very special tournament. There’s no better place to play a night match than here, on the biggest stadium we have, with this amazing crowd. It means a lot to me.”