JACK DRAPER WAS sick on court four times as his US Open dream ended in semi-final heartbreak following a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner.
The British number one was enjoying an incredible run in New York and had big hopes of emulating Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu by winning the title.
He had reached the last four without dropping a set but ran into the best player in the world on Friday night and, although he went toe-to-toe for the majority of the contest, he came up short in a 7-5 7-6 (3) 6-2 loss.
He left everything out on court, literally, as the physical exertion took its toll and he vomited several times.
He might have just missed out on becoming the first British male since Murray to make it into a grand slam final in the first one since the Scot’s retirement, but this is not going to be his only foray into the big time.
The 22-year-old has proved he has the all-round game to challenge at the top of the sport and, providing he can keep injury problems behind him, he will surely contend for major titles in the future.
Sinner came into the tournament under a cloud following his anti-doping scandal, where he avoided a ban despite two positive tests earlier in the year, but has proved his tough mentality to power through to a first final at Flushing Meadows.
He faced his biggest test yet against Draper, but won all the big moments and outlasted an opponent who he describes as a “good friend”.
Draper had never been past the fourth round before at this tournament but did not show nerves. After an exchange of breaks he was two points away from winning the first set when he took Sinner’s serve to deuce at 5-4, but it went wrong from there.
Sinner broke to 5-5 and then served it out to take the opening set and end Draper’s 15-set winning streak.
It felt important for Draper to have won that first set and he came under pressure early in the second, with Sinner’s almost impenetrable defence forcing four break points, all of which were saved.
The brutal physical nature of the match took its toll and Draper was sick on court.
There was also a fitness concern for Sinner, who needed a medical timeout for treatment after falling on his left wrist during a thrilling point.
The injury did not seem to affect him, though, and he raised his game brilliantly in a second-set tiebreak to take full control.
Draper bizarrely asked for a can of coke during the third set, but it was just a taste of defeat for him as Sinner ran away with it.
- American dream -Taylor Fritz is one win away from his American dream after reaching the US Open final.
Fritz beat compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-1 to become the first home man to reach the final in New York since Andy Roddick in 2006.
And if he beats Sinner in Sunday’s final – one of the biggest events in US sports – he will emulate Roddick’s 2003 success, the last time an American man won at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz has led the way for American men in recent years and he now has eyes on a maiden grand slam title.
“It’s the reason why I do what I do, it’s he reason I work so hard,” he said fighting tears.
“I’m in the final of the US Open.”While victory will be sweet, he will have taken little pleasure in beating his good friend Tiafoe.
For a long time it seemed like it was going to be Tiafoe’s night as he led two sets to one.
He told the fans to “bring the popcorn” before the match and he delivered the entertainment in a thrilling near three-hour battle, but eventually ran out of steam.
Tiafoe said nerves got the better of him: “Oh, man. It’s tough. It’s really, really tough. Really, really tough to swallow. This one’s going to hurt really, really bad.
“I thought I was the better player for sure tonight. In the fourth, I don’t know, just had some in-and-out cramps. I just felt like my body just kind of shut down on me.
“Probably had a lot to do with nerves. I wasn’t tired at all.”
