Posted in: 07/09/2022 – 07:58Last updated: 07/09/2022 – 07:56
New York (AFP) – Tunisian Anas Jabeur became the first African and Arab player to reach the semi-finals of the US Open, the last of the four grand slams in football, while Norway’s Kasper Ruud set up a fourth-round meeting with Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who overthrew Australian Nick Kyrgios.
Jaber, ranked fifth in the world, beat Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the quarter-finals, while the seventh Rode beat Italian Matteo Berrettini, the 14th, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). .
As for Kyrgios, Wimbledon runner-up, he fell to Khachanov in an exciting five-set match 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4.
The 28-year-old Jaber will meet in the next round with French Caroline Garcia (17), who beat American Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-4 in a tumultuous atmosphere, in her quest to reach her second Grand Slam final after she lost the Wimbledon final, the third tournament. The Big Four, in front of the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, in early July.
After the match, Jaber said, “This win means a lot to me. I believe in myself more. After Wimbledon, things were positive. Even though I lost the final, I knew inside that I could win a major tournament and here I am in the semi-finals.”
Jaber was nicknamed “Minister of Happiness” out of sympathy for the joy she brings to her countrymen. However, she admitted that her nervousness got over her at times on Tuesday, when she hit her racket several times.
“I think I’m going to be fired from my job as the Minister of Happiness,” she joked. “It’s hard to control anger. I apologize for my behaviour. I really wanted to stay calm but the bat kept slipping out of my hand.”
It is noteworthy that Jaber has never crossed the third round in Flushing Meadows before this year.
Jaber’s “unique” Garcia complex
Jaber settled the first set in her favour, 6-4, but the Australian, who ousted Serena Williams from the third round in the last game for the American before her initial retirement, turned the table in the second and advanced 5-3 and was one game away to settle it in her favour, but the Tunisian succeeded in breaking her serve. The difference to 4-5 and then imposed a tie 5-5 and 6-6 and thus a tie-breaker in which the last word was 7-4.
As for Garcia, who reached the first major semi-final in her career, she had previously met with Jaber six times, four of them in the women’s category and two in the WTA competitions, and the Tunisian woman won in all of them.
“It was a big challenge for me when I was facing her in the women’s tournaments,” said Garcia. “She had a very unique style. She stood in my way several times during the women’s Grand Slam tournaments. It’s fun that we are now facing the US Open semi-finals.”
“At the youngsters, it was very rare to have someone hit that many tumbles or slices on the backhand. It changed the type of hits so much. It was very difficult to counter them…and now more.”
Kyrgios loses his chance
After defending champion Daniil Medvedev and Spain’s Rafael Nadal, many expected Kyrgios to be one of the favorites to win the title, but Khachanov had another opinion to reach the first Grand Slam final in his career.
The Russian, ranked 31 in the world, produced 30 aces and 63 knockouts to drop the Wimbledon runner-up and set up a date with Rudd.
“You guys did it! Finally, you’re showing me some love,” he said after the win in front of an audience that mostly supported the 25th seed Australian.
“It was a crazy match as I expected. I am ready to run, to fight and to play five sets. We played for nearly four hours and this is the only way to beat Kyrgios.”
The Russian confirmed that he had nothing to lose when he faced Roland Garros, runner-up, “of course I want to win, but the more you advance in the roles, the higher the expectations. I took a step forward, reached the first Grand Slam semi-final and I think I have nothing to lose.”
Rod continues his amazing career
The 23-year-old has reached the last four for the first time at Flushing Meadows and a second time at a Grand Slam after losing the French Open final to Nadal earlier in the year.
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Rood aspires not only to the first major title, but also to snatch the top spot in the world rankings from Medvedev, if he reaches the final and is not his Spanish rival, Carlos Alcaras, or wins the title if they meet in the top match.
The Norwegian specialist on clay courts, where he won eight titles out of the nine he won so far in his professional career, including three this year in Buenos Aires, Geneva and Gstaad, continued his wonderful performances on hard courts after reaching the final of the Miami Masters Tournament of 1,000 points last April and the semi-finals of the tournament Montreal Masters in early August.
It is Ruud’s fourth victory over Berrettini in six meetings between them so far, knowing that he broke the Italian’s serve five times in the match and saved seven out of nine balls to avoid losing his serve.
“It was my best start ever in a match, everything was going my way plus Mathieu didn’t serve as well as he usually does,” he said after winning three sets knowing that he was 2-5 down in the third.
© 2022 AFP