NEW YORK >> Jessica Pegula ousted number one seed Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals to continue the Americans’ winning streak at today’s US Open, while world number one in men’s tennis Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev to secure his place in the semifinals.

Pegula took advantage of a flawed performance by Swiatek to secure her first Grand Slam semifinal berth with a 6-2, 6-4 win, while Sinner won 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

The defeats of Swiatek and Medvedev ensured that the US Open will crown two new champions this year.

Sinner will face Jack Draper for a place in his second Grand Slam final after the British surprise package earlier defeated lame Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 to become the first Briton to reach the semi-finals since 2012.

Pegula, who had previously lost six Grand Slam quarterfinals, will face Karolina Muchova after the unseeded Czech defeated Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4 in the day session at Arthur Ashe Stadium despite suffering from a “virus”.

“I’m really happy to have made it to the semifinals,” said Pegula, who joined fellow males Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe at the end of the tournament.

“I thought I played a really clean match. I don’t think I did anything really bad and I was able to catch her off guard pretty early and frustrate her, I think.”

Swiatek, the 2022 champion, could not say the same as she struggled with her serve in the opening set and made 41 unforced errors throughout the match.

The Pole had problems with her serve early on and Pegula took full advantage of this and quickly built up a 4-0 lead in the first set.

Swiatek looked sharper when she broke Pegula early in the second set, but was unable to regain momentum as the sixth-seeded American fought back and eventually took the win.

“I didn’t really understand why my serve wasn’t working,” complained Swiatek.

“It was difficult for me to find a proper solution to this. I simply made too many mistakes today.”

2021 champion Medvedev was also plagued by errors, making 57 unforced errors in a turbulent match against number one seed Sinner.

The Russian failed to capitalise on the momentum he had gained by winning the second set and lost five games in a row in the third before breaking Sinner with an unforced error in the fourth set.

“The first two sets were strange because whoever got the first break got rolling,” said Sinner, who beat Medvedev in the Australian Open final this year before losing to him in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

“It was very tough… we knew it was going to be very physical,” Sinner added.

“Collection of games”

Draper made it to his first Grand Slam semifinal without dropping a single set, earning his first career victory over 10th seed De Minaur.

The Australian struggled to find his range from the start and was broken early, setting the tone for the match by piling up the unforced errors.

The Australian managed to level the second set with a break at 4-4, but Draper then broke in the 11th game before holding on to his serve and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

Draper’s power and precision in the third set wore down De Minaur, who has been struggling with hip problems since Wimbledon.

“The way he can stretch the field as a left-hander and really move you around the field, it takes a toll on his body,” De Minaur said. “The accumulation of games also takes its toll.”

Great Britain has not had a representative in the men’s singles semi-finals of the US Open since Andy Murray won the title in 2012.

“Fitness-wise, I feel better than I have in a long time and I think that’s what Alex has brought me in the past,” Draper said.

In the opening match of the day, Muchova continued her renaissance after a long injury layoff following surgery on a wrist injury she sustained at Flushing Meadows last year.

In only her sixth tournament since returning to the tour, Muchova put in a strong early performance, building a 4-0 lead over Haddad Maia before winning the first set.

The Brazilian improved in the second set and the players traded breaks before Muchova, having the physiotherapist and doctor at her chair, closed to 5-3 before taking advantage of new balls and sealing the win with an ace.

“I think I played well in the crucial points. That is, when I had a break point or served for a game, I always hit a good shot, I think,” Muchova said. “I’m glad I managed to make it in two sets again.”

“I’m battling a virus a bit right now. I’m feeling a bit sick. I hope it didn’t bother anyone.”