HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE: Medvedev, Sinner book quarterfinal duel

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and former champion Daniil Medvedev set up a US Open quarterfinal showdown on Monday as both of them look to exploit the hole left by the shock exits of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

Australian Open champion Sinner made the Last Eight for the second time by seeing off US 14th seed Tommy Paul 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.

Medvedev, the 2021 champion and runner-up to Djokovic last year, outclassed Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years.

Women’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, stayed on course for a sixth Grand Slam title with a straight-sets win over Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova.

The Italian Sinner recovered from 4-1 down in the first set to see off Paul, who had been hoping to join compatriots Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals in New York.

“It will be another tough match with Daniil. There will be a lot of rallies so I have to be ready physically,” Sinner said.

Medvedev is the only former champion left after the first week defeats of four-time winner Djokovic and 2022 champion Alcaraz.

The world No. 5 easily downed 34th-ranked Borges, whose challenge fizzled out under the weight of 51 unforced errors while Medvedev broke serve eight times.

Sinner and Medvedev will be meeting for the fourth time this year.

Sinner came back from two sets to love down to defeat the mercurial Russian in the Australian Open final and came out on top in the Miami semifinals.

Medvedev then triumphed at Wimbledon in a five-set quarterfinal.

“I will try to think more about Wimbledon than the Australian Open,” Medvedev said.

“With Jannik, I feel like we know our games, what we will try to bring to the table, and then it comes to always this moment’s deuce, breakpoint, maybe try to surprise him or not, what he will do, what I will do.”

Jack Draper became the first British man since Andy Murray in 2016 to reach the quarter-finals by seeing off Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

The 22-year-old left-hander has only dropped serve once over four matches on his way to a maiden Slam quarter-final, winning 47 of 48 service games and saving 20 of 21 break points.

Draper hailed the influence of Murray, the former world number one and 2012 US Open champion who retired from tennis following the Paris Olympics.