Protesters seal the US Open headlines as the heat keeps rising

By Sports Desk September 08, 2023

Coco Gauff reached her first US Open final but her achievement was overshadowed by environmental protesters who forced her last-four match against Karolina Muchova to be suspended for more than 45 minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka then denied the New York crowd an all-American final by beating Madison Keys in a third-set tie-break.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at day 11 at the US Open.

Pic of the day

Match of the day

Once the protest ended and a tennis match broke out again, Gauff completed a 6-4 7-5 victory. It was not a classic until the last four games of the second set, which were as dramatic as we have seen all fortnight.

Shot of the day

Heatstroke, not groundstroke

Once again the temperature at Flushing Meadows hit 35C, with the humidity making it feel even hotter. French doubles player Nicolas Mahut had to briefly stop playing as he felt dizzy and Rajeev Ram had to snack on some sushi mid-match.

Quote of the day

Brit watch

Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram are back in the final after beating Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in three sets.

Salisbury and Ram are looking for an unprecedented third consecutive men’s doubles crown at Flushing Meadows.

Their 7-5 3-6 6-3 win, in two-and-a-quarter hours, was a 17th successive victory in New York for the pair, who face India’s Rohan Bopanna and Australian Matthew Ebden in Friday’s final.

There was disappointment for rising British star Hannah Klugman in the juniors event.

The 14-year-old needed a medical time-out after the first set in her quarter-final against Laura Samsonova and eventually retired injured at 6-0 3-0 down.

There were wins in the wheelchair singles for Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, but Lucy Shuker won only two games against 11th seed Diede De Groot of the Netherlands.

Fallen seeds

Karolina Muchova (10), Madison Keys (17)

Who’s up next?

The men’s semi-finals begin with Novak Djokovic, chasing a 24th grand slam title, taking on big-serving 20-year-old American Ben Shelton.

Then, in the night session, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, also 20, faces third seed Daniil Medvedev.

Salisbury and Ram’s final kicks off the action at midday (5pm UK time).

Related items

  • Swiatek soars past Keys to seal Italian Open semi-final spot Swiatek soars past Keys to seal Italian Open semi-final spot

    Iga Swiatek soared through to the Italian Open semi-finals following a dominant straight-sets victory over Madison Keys.

    The world number one took just 76 minutes to wrap up a commanding 6-1 6-3 win - matching the scoreline which saw her overcome the American in the Madrid Open last four a fortnight ago.

    Swiatek broke her opponent four times and saved all 10 break points she faced on the way to setting up a semi-final showdown with either Coco Gauff or Qinwen Zheng.

    Yet to drop a set this week, the Pole remains on course to complete a hat-trick of titles in Rome and land her fourth silverware of 2024, in which she now boasts a 36-4 record.

    Data debrief

    Reaching her 16th WTA 1000 semi-final from 30 main draws entered, Swiatek (53.3 per cent) surpasses Serena Williams (53.1 per cent, 26 from 49) for the highest rate of last-four appearances in such tournaments since the format's introduction in 2009.

    The Pole also took her tally of WTA match wins on clay to 75 from 85, with only Monica Seles, Nancy Richey (both 80), Chris Evert (81) and Margaret Court (82) reaching that figure on surface in fewer matches during the Open Era.

  • Medvedev pushed all the way to avoid third-round scare in Italian Open Medvedev pushed all the way to avoid third-round scare in Italian Open

    Daniil Medvedev had to dig deep to overcome Hamad Medjedovic at the Italian Open on Monday and stay in with a chance of retaining his title.

    Medvedev came out on top with a 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 7-5 victory, but was made to work hard to avoid a third-round upset.

    After enduring an up-and-down opening two sets in which he hit 10 double faults, Medvedev rallied into a lead before holding off Medjedovic’s fight-back.

    The second seed remained composed to break in the match’s final game to advance after two hours and 50 minutes.

    Medvedev will now play Tommy Paul in the next round on Tuesday, with the American seeing off Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-3.

    Data Debrief: Reigning champion fights on

    Medvedev has reached the last 16 at all 5 Masters 1000 events this season, with only Alexander Zverev able to match that distinction.

    It was not an easy ride for him though, as Medjedovic wanted to prove a point against his first Top 10 opponent in what was his first Masters 1000 third round.

  • Swiatek passes Kerber test to reach Italian Open quarter-finals Swiatek passes Kerber test to reach Italian Open quarter-finals

    Two-time Italian Open champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals of this year's tournament with an impressive 7-5 6-3 win over Angelique Kerber on Monday.

    Three-time grand slam winner Kerber provided Swiatek with a real step up after routine victories over Bernarda Pera and Yulia Putintseva in the first two rounds on the clay in Rome.

    Kerber responded to Swiatek's first break – which came in the eighth game – with one of her own, but the world number one then recaptured her composure to force a series of break points in Kerber's next two service games, finally converting at the eighth attempt to take the opener. 

    Kerber refused to go away, breaking straight back in the first game of the second set, but Swiatek upped her game to take the contest away from the 36-year-old.

    Swiatek dropped just three further points on her own serve from there, adding three breaks of her own to set up a last-eight meeting with Madison Keys for Tuesday. 

    Data Debrief: Swiatek unmatched on clay

    While Kerber rolled back the years to trouble Swiatek early on, she lacked the staying power to live with the world number one in longer rallies on a surface where she is truly unmatched. 

    Her win ratio at clay-court events at WTA 1000-level now stands at 88.2 per cent (30 wins, four defeats), the best of any player to have played a minimum of five matches since the format's 2009 introduction, ahead of Serena Williams at 88 per cent. 

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