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Images from the US Open men's singles semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Friday.
Daniil Medvedev shocked defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday to move into the US Open final, denying tennis fans the blockbuster finish to the Grand Slam season they had been hoping to see.
A final involving former-US Open champions Medvedev and three-time winner Novak Djokovic on Sunday is one of obvious high quality, but not the next chapter in tennis's hottest rivalry of Djokovic and Alcaraz that has had the sport buzzing.
Djokovic did his part, breezing past big-hitting American Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4), but Alcaraz could not crack the third-seeded Russian, who would bend but not break.
There will be some juicy subplots to Sunday's final with Djokovic hunting a fourth US Open that would see him equal Margaret Court's record haul of 24 Grand Slams and, along with it, a good measure of revenge on Medvedev.
The last time Djokovic and Medvedev clashed at the US Open was the 2021 final, where the Russian claimed his only major so far and denied the Serb a rare calendar Grand Slam.
A contest featuring the number one and third-ranked players got off to a predictably tight start.
Medvedev could not manufacture a single break opportunity while Alcaraz had just a pair of chances that he could not convert as the set marched to a tie-break that the Russian dominated 7-3.
With Medvedev a perfect 26-0 after taking the first set in matches at Flushing Meadows, it was an ominous start for Alcaraz, as the Spaniard's ever-present smile disappeared.
After holding serve to open the second, Medvedev was presented with his first break chance of the match and would not waste it, taking a 2-0 lead.
Down a set and break, Alcaraz suddenly appeared unsure while the Russian upped the pressure with another break at 5-1, thanks to a sensational backhand down the line that had the capacity crowd gasping.
A routine hold and suddenly a tight contest was looking like a rout, with Alcaraz needing to do something he had never down before.
The 20-year-old Spaniard has done many things on a tennis court in his young career but had never come back from two sets down to win a match.
Backed into a corner, Alcaraz came out for the third with more determination, getting a momentum-building break with a cheeky lob to go up 3-1.
That was all Alcaraz would need, holding on to take the set 6-3 and the first step in his fight back.
The fourth set quickly became a battle of wills, particularly a tense 13-minute sixth game decided when Medvedev secure a hard-won break to get up 4-2.
A quick hold and all the pressure was on Alcaraz, his title defence on life support, needing a break to extend the contest.
Alcaraz would make one final stand in a breathtaking game that seesawed back and fourth, Medvedev needing four match points to close the deal.
Djokovic whips Shelton; stays in hunt for 24th Grand Slam title
Earlier, Djokovic used his experience to overcome Shelton and reach his 10th US Open final.
The 20-year-old Shelton had flummoxed opponents in New York with his big serve, but the 36-year-old second seed Serb harnessed his experience to neutralise a third-set surge from the young Shelton and advance.
Already assured of returning to the top of the world rankings when they are updated after the tournament, Djokovic will continue the hunt for his 24th Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court's all-time singles record on Sunday.
"These are the kind of matches and occasions that I still thrive on, that still get me going," Djokovic said on court. "Trying to work as hard as the young guys."
Shelton handed Djokovic a break in the sixth game of the first set with a series of unforced errors, and the unseeded American was unable to convert his own break point chance in the ninth.
In the second set, Shelton's best weapon failed him as he helped Djokovic secure a break with a double fault in the fifth game and he dropped his racquet in frustration as he sent a forehand out to hand the Serb another break in the seventh.
Djokovic was competing in his 47th major semi-final while Shelton was appearing in his first and the difference in experience was apparent as the second seed broke Shelton with a fine forehand winner in the opening game of the third set.
But the American came to life late as he fended off a break point with a 143mph ace in the fifth game to a chorus of cheers from the home crowd.
Playing in only his seventh US Open singles match, Shelton triumphed in a 30-shot rally before converting a break point in the eighth game, humbling Djokovic, who was appearing in his 100th singles match at the hardcourt major.
Djokovic broke again in the 11th game but could not stop the set from going into a tiebreak as he swatted one into the net to allow Shelton to break back in the 12th game.
The Serb forced Shelton into a forehand error on match point and made a not-so-subtle jab at the American's favoured celebration as he mimed hanging up the telephone while walking to the net.
"Got to hold the nerves and try to be composed in the moment," said Djokovic. "It was really anybody’s game (at the end) of the third set."
