American upstart Jennifer Brady continued her surprising surge at the US Open with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva yesterday to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
The 28th-seeded Brady, who has yet to drop a set at this year’s US Open, used her massive forehand and impressive court coverage to deny Putintseva in her bid to become the first Kazakh woman to reach the final four of any major.
“I came out with nerves obviously...so I just tried to treat it like all the other matches and pretend like it was a first-round match,” said Brady.
“I was happy with the way I started and I think I was able to keep the momentum and build off that.”
Brady, whose lead-up to the US Open included a maiden WTA title at Lexington, had all facets of her game clicking early as she broke twice on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to race to a 4-0 lead before wrapping up the first set in 34 minutes.
Putintseva, seeded 23rd, had no answer in the second set as Brady broke three times for a 5-2 lead before securing the win on her first match point when she successfully challenged a service return that sailed long.
“I was waiting for the ‘out’ call,” Brady said of the match point. “I was pretty confident that it was out but I was like I really hope it is out.
I didn’t want to play another point after that to be honest.” Brady, 25, entered her latest match having never won a set off Putintseva in their two previous career meetings, which both came before the American’s breakout season.
“Last couple of times I played her I got caught into playing her game,” said Brady. “I don’t think I’m better than her at just running and making balls so I definitely was a lot more aggressive today.”
Up next for Brady will be the winner of the clash between former champion Naomi Osaka, the fourth seed, and unseeded American Shelby Rogers.
On Monday as top men’s seeds Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev sailed through to the last eight at Flushing Meadows.
Thiem raced into the round of eight with a three-set demolition of Canadian rising star Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Thiem dismantled the 20-year-old 15th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-1 in 2hr 7min.
“I played a great match today, the best one from my whole America trip,” said Thiem. He will play Australia’s 21st seed Alex de Minaur for a spot in the semi-finals after the Australian breezed past unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 17 min.
Third seed Medvedev blew away unseeded American France Tiafoe 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 in only 1hr 38 min.
“I’m pleased with the fact that I’ve won all of these sets and didn’t have to stay long on the court.
That’s always good when you’re playing a Grand Slam,” said the Russian. Medvedev will face compatriot Andrey Rublev for a spot in the last four after the 10th seed ousted Italy’s sixth seed Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. The men’s competition was blown wide open on Sunday after world number one Novak Djokovic was thrown out for accidentally hitting a line judge after smashing a ball in frustration during his last-16 match.
Jennifer Brady of the United States reacts during her quarter-final against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan at the US Open yesterday.
