By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka kept up her resurgent run at the U.S. Open, eliminating 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova, 6-4, 7-6 (3), on Wednesday night to return to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the first time since winning the title five years ago.
The 23rd-seeded Osaka improved to 5-0 in major quarterfinals – all on hard court – keeping alive a trend that has seen her win the title every time she has reached the last eight at a Slam.
“It means so much. I’m actually surprised I’m not crying,” Osaka said during her on-court interview. “It’s been so much hard work that you guys haven’t seen, I’m just grateful to my team and happy to be healthy.”
Those titles came at the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020, and at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. That most recent trophy at Melbourne Park was the last time Osaka had even made it as far as the fourth round at any Slam event – before this tournament.
Osaka, seeded at a major for the first time since giving birth to daughter Shai in July 2023, has been playing her best tennis since she rejoined the tour following a 17-month maternity leave. She cruised past No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2, in the Round of 16 and has dropped just one set for the tournament.
Osaka, 27, next faces eighth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, who upset No. 2 Iga Swiatek earlier Wednesday.
More to come on this story.
ANISIMOVA UPSETS SWIATEK, AVENGES WIMBLEDON ROUT
Anisimova upset Swiatek, 6-4, 6-3, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score.
The eighth-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.
“To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me,” said Anisimova, a 24-year-old who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. “I feel like I worked so hard to try and turn around from that. … Today is really special.”
The powerful strokes and poise she displayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium against the second-seeded Swiatek – the 2022 U.S. Open champion – were such a striking contrast to what happened at the All England Club’s Centre Court on July 12.
That title match lasted just 57 minutes, and Anisimova only managed to win 24 points that day, a total she eclipsed about midway through the first set this time.
“Everybody knows how Amanda can play. Yeah, she didn’t play well in Wimbledon,” said Swiatek, a 24-year-old from Poland, “but it’s not like she’s always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same.”
Anisimova cried during her runner-up speech during the trophy ceremony at Wimbledon; on Wednesday, she was all smiles while addressing thousands of supportive spectators who kept interrupting her on-court interview with cheers.
“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova told them, “and I’ve been having the run of my life here.”
On Thursday, Anisimova will try to reach a second consecutive major final.
After one game against Swiatek in the quarterfinals Wednesday, Anisimova might have been forgiven for thinking, “Oh, no. Not this again.”
That’s because Anisimova served first and got broken immediately when she lost three points in a row by missing forehands – one into the net, one wide, one long.
But Anisimova broke right back and soon was the one dictating points with her strong, flat groundstrokes that wound up contributing to 23 total winners, 10 more than Swiatek accumulated. Anisimova also played quite cleanly, making just 12 unforced errors.
“She moved better, she played better,” Swiatek said, comparing this match to the one at Wimbledon. “Everything was different.”
Swiatek’s serve was problematic: She only put in 50% of her first serves and was broken four times.
“I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that,” Swiatek said, “and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns.”
In the second set, Anisimova fell behind early again, this time 2-0. But she again regrouped and quickly gained the upper hand. Swiatek was the one looking increasingly frustrated, shaking her head or slumping her shoulders between points, spreading her arms wide and looking to her coach for advice, and leaning back in her changeover chair as if pondering what, exactly, she could do differently.
When Swiatek double-faulted to trail 5-3 in the second set, that allowed Anisimova to serve out the victory.
“From the get-go, I was trying to fire myself up,” Anisimova said. “She is one of the toughest players I’ve ever played. I knew I was going to have to dig deep.”
SINNER CRUISES AGAIN
Jannik Sinner returned to the U.S. Open semifinals by beating No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, on Wednesday night in the first all-Italian matchup in a men’s major quarterfinal.
The No. 1 seed continued what’s been an easy title defense and on Friday will face No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat No. 8 Alex de Minaur, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4).
Sinner is into his fifth straight Grand Slam semifinal and with a win Friday would reach the finals of all four majors this year. He has won 26 consecutive matches in majors on hard courts. That includes the past two Australian Open titles along with his triumph in New York a year ago.
“It was a great performance. Very solid, especially starting very, very well,” Sinner said.
He needed just 2 hours on Wednesday – the first set took only 27 minutes – fighting off all seven break points he faced. He has dropped just 38 games in his five matches, the second-fewest by a man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2020.
Sinner, who has won 31 consecutive service games, won 42 of 46 first-serve points (91%).
Musetti was trying to reach his first U.S. Open semifinal after getting that far at the French Open this year and Wimbledon in 2024. But he got off to a horrible start against his Davis Cup teammate, falling behind 5-0 and winning just nine total points to Sinner’s 25 in the first set.
He started to get more chances against Sinner’s serve as the match went on but could never get a break that maybe could have swung things.
“We have to take the friendship away for the match and obviously when we shake hands, everything’s fine,” Sinner said.
AUGER-ALIASSIME OUTLASTS DE MINAUR
Felix Auger-Aliassime got past Alex de Minaur, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4), across 4 hours, 10 minutes to reach his second Grand Slam semifinal – and second at Flushing Meadows.
The 25th-seeded Auger-Aliassime’s only other trip to the final four at a major came in New York in 2021 at age 21.
“Four years ago. It feels like more,” said Auger-Aliassime, who advanced back then when Carlos Alcaraz stopped playing in the quarterfinals with an injured leg muscle. “It was a tough couple of years.”
Now, he gets top-seeded Sinner in a semifinal. No. 2 Alcaraz faces No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal.
“It’s not over. There’s still some tennis to play and the biggest challenges are yet to come,” Auger-Aliassime said. “That’s what I live for. That’s what I train for.”
He hit 22 aces and finished with a total of 51 winners to the 29 for de Minaur, who dropped to 0-6 for his career in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Auger-Aliassime was one point from trailing two sets to none when de Minaur led 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker. But Auger-Aliassime erased that set point with a 120 mph ace. That began a run in which he grabbed four of five points to even the contest at a set apiece.
“Just a lot of nerves today, during the whole match. It wasn’t pretty at all times,” Auger-Aliassime said during his on-court interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I was willing to dig really deep and do everything I can to stand here, right now.”
This is the first time Auger-Aliassime has eliminated three seeded players during a single major, adding this victory over No. 8 de Minaur to wins against No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the third round and No. 15 Andrey Rublev in the fourth.
WHO PLAYS THURSDAY?
The women’s semifinals are scheduled at night, including defending champion Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula. That’s a repeat from the final at Flushing Meadows last year, when Sabalenka was a 7-5, 7-5 winner.
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