The Italian will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals, while Novak Djokovic aims to spoil the anticipated final

Italian star Jannik Sinner defeated his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, moving one step closer to a highly anticipated US Open final against world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner, the defending champion in New York, needed just two hours to dispatch Musetti in the quarter-finals.

On Friday, he will compete in his fifth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. In the previous four, Sinner advanced to the final each time.

“It was a great, very solid performance, especially with how I started the match,” Sinner said.

The Italian is set to face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, the world number 27, in the semifinals.

The other semifinal will feature a blockbuster clash between Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Musetti, Sinner’s Davis Cup teammate, had stated before the match that he wanted to “surprise everyone.” He was unable to do so.

Djokovic: “I’m going to try to ruin the Sinner-Alcaraz final everyone is hoping for”

After his victory over Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic, who will face Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, made it clear he will do everything possible to prevent a US Open final between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“Everyone is waiting for a final between Sinner and Carlos. I’m going to try to ruin most people’s plans,” the Serbian stated. “Both Alcaraz and Sinner are playing the best tennis here and have been the dominant forces since the start of the tournament. But I’m not going to walk onto the court with a white flag.”

Sinner’s Unbreakable Serve Seals Quarter-Final Victory

Sinner stormed through the first set like a hurricane, racing to a 5-0 lead with two breaks before closing it out 6-1 on his serve. Musetti struggled, landing only 44% of his first serves and winning just five points on his first serve and two on his second—numbers that made it impossible to challenge Sinner.

With the initial nerves settled, Musetti stepped up in the second set, playing with more confidence. However, Sinner countered with an impenetrable serve, winning 95% of his first-serve points.

At 4-4 and 15-15, Sinner hit a cross-court backhand as he approached the net, signaling his intent to take the set. Two points later, Musetti conceded the game with a double fault. Sinner then served out the set to win it 6-4.

After breaking Musetti to open the third set, Sinner faced his toughest game of the match, fending off four break points to hold serve. The stadium seemed to empty out after that crucial hold.

Musetti managed to hold two of his service games, but Sinner secured another break to seal the set 6-2 and the match.

Sinner impressively saved all seven break points he faced throughout the contest while converting five of the six he earned. He finished with a remarkable 91% win rate on his first-serve points.

Sinner on the Semifinal Lineup

The Italian commented on the semifinal draw, which includes Alcaraz, Djokovic, and Auger-Aliassime: “Any player who reaches a Grand Slam semifinal is there because they are playing incredible tennis.”

Wednesday’s victory marked Sinner’s 26th consecutive win on hard courts at Grand Slams, following his titles at the last two Australian Opens and the previous US Open.

In addition to the title, Sinner is also defending his ATP No. 1 ranking, which is under threat from Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian must achieve a better result than the Spaniard, who is also in the semifinals, to maintain his top spot.