Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev advanced to his third straight US Open semi-final yesterday, moving one more victory from a possible championship match against Grand Slam-seeking Novak Djokovic.
Medvedev, chasing his first Grand Slam title, eliminated 117th-ranked Dutch qualifier Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Semis again,” Medvedev said. “I just want to do a little bit better than the last two times and get this extra step, which is the toughest one, actually.”
The 25-year-old from Moscow was a runner-up at the 2019 US Open and at this year’s Australian Open, where he lost to top-ranked Djokovic, who is trying to complete the first men’s singles Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 by winning his fourth US Open.
Medvedev is assured of playing a first-time Slam semi-finalist for a berth in the final, next facing the winner between 55th-ranked Spanish 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 21-year-old Canadian 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
“Playing against Felix or Carlos I think is already great for tennis,” Medvedev said. “It’s amazing.”
Alcaraz, who ousted third-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the third round, could become the youngest US Open men’s semi-finalist since 1960 and the youngest in any Slam since 17-year-old Michael Chang won the 1989 French Open.
He’d also be the first man to reach the US Open semi-finals in his debut since Eric Sturgess in 1948.
Medvedev won his only meeting with Auger-Aliassime in Canada in 2018 and his only match against Alcaraz in the second round this year at Wimbledon.
Van de Zandschulp hoped to become the first qualifier to reach the US Open semi-finals and only the sixth to do so at any Grand Slam event.
But he sent a forehand long to hand Medvedev his third service break and close the first set. Then the Russian blanked the Dutchman in the second set.
Van de Zandschulp broke to 4-2 in the third set on a forehand winner and held twice more to capture the set.
Medvedev took the only break of the final set on match point when the Dutchman netted a forehand drop volley to end matters after two hours and 23 minutes.

Djokovic tested but advances
Late on Monday, Djokovic struggled but advanced within three matches of completing the first men’s singles calendar-year Grand Slam in 52 years by outlasting American Jenson Brooksby at the US Open.
World number one Djokovic rallied past 99th-ranked Brooksby 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to book a quarter-final encounter with Italian sixth seed Matteo Berrettini in a rematch of July’s Wimbledon final.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Djokovic said. “He loves the big stage. Big serve, big game overall. I know what to expect. Going to try to prepare a good game plan and hope for the best.”
Berrettini advanced by defeating 144th-ranked German qualifier Oscar Otte 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
British 18-year-old qualifier Emma Raducanu ripped 43rd-ranked American Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-1 in 66 minutes.
Raducanu is only the third qualifier to reach the US Open women’s quarter-finals after Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in 2017 and American Barbara Gerken in 1981.
Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova, this year’s Wimbledon runner-up, beat Russian 14th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4.
She next faces Greek 17th seed Maria Sakkari, who ousted 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-3
The Canadian sixth seed was limping with a left thigh injury in the final games before suffering her first US Open loss after three hours and 30 minutes.