Jannik Sinner maintained his perfect record against his fellow Italians with victory over Lorenzo Musetti to reach the US Open semi-finals.
The world number one has faced his countrymen 16 times at tour level and won each time, including three times against Musetti.
That never looked like changing here, with Sinner easing to a 6-1 6-4 6-2 win in exactly two hours to set up a semi-final clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
Jannik put on another clinic tonight in Arthur Ashe Stadium. pic.twitter.com/jwVawdDNQB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2025
Musetti is yet to win a set against Sinner but so dominant is the defending champion against almost everyone on the men’s tour, that is fast becoming the norm.
With victory here, Sinner became the youngest man ever to win 25 grand slam matches in a season, while he has already equalled Nicola Pietrangeli’s 86 major wins, making him the joint most successful Italian on the big stage less than a month after his 24th birthday.
It took Musetti six games just to get on the board but the second set was much tighter and the match might have headed in a different direction had the 23-year-old taken his chances.
However, Sinner saved all seven break points he faced while converting five of the six he created, and he is now just one victory away from making a fifth-straight slam final.
Standing in his way is Auger-Aliassime, who staged a New York fightback to beat Alex De Minaur and reach his second US Open semi-final.
De Minaur was bidding to make the last four at a grand slam for the first time at the sixth attempt and he led by a set and a break at Flushing Meadows.
But Auger-Aliassime, who knocked out third seed Alexander Zverev in the third round, responded impressively, battling to a 4-6 7-6 (7) 7-5 7-6 (4) victory in four hours and 10 minutes.
“It was just a lot of nerves today during the whole match,” said Auger-Aliassime, who hit 22 aces and 51 winners overall.
Soaring FAA 🚀
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2025
Auger-Aliassime survives De Minaur in four sets to reach the final four! pic.twitter.com/5B7iy3eDBX
“It wasn’t pretty at all times. I was willing to dig really deep and do everything I can to stand here right now. It feels amazing.
“Four years ago – it feels like more. It was a tough couple of years but it feels even better now to be back in the semi-finals. The biggest challenges are yet to come but that’s what I live for, that’s what I train for.”
When the Canadian reached the last four in 2021 as a 21-year-old, it appeared he was ready to build on his great promise as a teenager, but injuries and indifferent form have stalled his progress since.
Since his last slam quarter-final at the Australian Open three years ago, Auger-Aliassime had gone out in the opening round seven times, winning just a single match in New York.
But the 25-year-old’s talent remained, with a powerful serve and forehand backed up by great athleticism, and here he has once again put himself among the sport’s elite.
This was a contest of twists and turns, with De Minaur settling the better but unable to stamp his authority on proceedings by taking the second set.
He briefly led by a break and had a set point in the tie-break but Auger-Aliassime saved it with an ace before levelling the match.
Auger-Aliassime then needed two chances to serve out the third set, and De Minaur could not take his chance to force a decider, sending the match to another tie-break.
Just putting the ball in the court was a challenge, with both men serving two double faults – they finished the match with 11 each – but Auger-Aliassime’s extra power gave him the vital edge.
De Minaur was left frustrated by poor serving, saying: “Right now I’m looking at this like a wasted opportunity. It’s tough.
“I was nowhere near the level I needed to be at. That’s frustrating, because you don’t get these chances often. I don’t know how I’ll handle it. I’m definitely, as of right now, seeing red, but I’ll get over it. It’s just tennis.”
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