New York (AFP)

They are young, they hit hard and walked on their opponents to reach the last four: in the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the semi-final Friday between Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev is what we hoped for at the bottom of the US Open table.

No one can stop Thiem ... except maybe Medvedev.

This is the impression that emerges after ten days of tournament play in Flushing Meadows.

The 27-year-old Austrian is generationally wedged between the "old men" of Big3 (Federer and his 39 years old, Nadal and his 34 years old, Djokovic and his 33 years old), and the "Next Gen" led by the Zverevs (23 years old) , Tsitsipas (22 years old) ... and Medvedev (24 years old).

But it is he who has been the most pressing for two years, sticking to the basques of his glorious elders.

Easily beaten by Nadal in the Roland-Garros final in 2018, he gave the Spaniard more trouble in the Major final on clay the following year, after dismissing Djokovic in the semi-finals.

And, while his ultra-powerful play with a devilish, shaving spin, forehand and backhand (one-handed) seemed to promise him a first big title on earth, he has now become monstrous on hard.

It was in February at the Australian Open that he almost created a surprise by leading 2 sets to 1 in the final against Djokovic, who is known to be the best hard player.

The Serbian ended up winning, but Thiem made an impression.

- No madness -

And the more the US Open advances, the more the world No. 3 impresses.

Until this lesson given in quarters to Alex De Minaur (28th) swept 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in 2:04.

"The most impressive? It's his attitude, his game: he never tries madness but varies well," said Mats Wilander, winner at Flushing Meadows in 1988, on Eurosport.

"He plays almost like on earth, but advancing a little more and using his slice backhand more," especially in defense, said the Swede.

Defending, it will probably be necessary to do it against Medvedev, whose atypical game, very flat, works wonders on hard.

The Russian, 5th in the world, had a phenomenal summer American tour last year, punctuated by a first Masters 1000 title (Cincinnati) and crowned with an anthology final against Nadal at Flushing Meadows.

It is therefore logical that he was considered one of the favorites of the 2020 edition so special, coronavirus requires.

But his journey to the half was perhaps even stronger than expected.

He is the only player in the last four not to have yet given up a single set, not even in the quarterfinals against the explosive Russian, Andrey Rublev (14th), which was a real test.

- Happy -

Being in the shoes of a favorite, having to defend his status on the Arthur-Ashe court where he wrote one of the most beautiful pages in tennis last year, pushing Nadal to release one of the greatest matches of his career, does not seem to bother him at all.

He even openly displays his joy at being there.

"He's building a reputation as a tough player to play, who doesn't give a point for free. He's very unpredictable. The only things he's predictable about is that he's going to play smart and he's going to fight. ", noted Wilander.

Will the physical alert he had in the quarterfinals against Rublev (he had his shoulder manipulated and then massaged his thighs) will it have consequences?

"I feel good physically. I think I am 100% ready for the future," he said after qualifying.

Thiem or Medvedev, the winner will face Alexander Zverev or Pablo Carreno for the title on Sunday, who, without demerit, were not particularly brilliant to reach the last four, benefiting in particular from the disqualification of Djokovic in the round of 16.

It would seem logical that the new Grand Slam winner, the first since Marin Cilic at the 2014 US Open, and the first Major non-Big3 winner since Stan Wawrinka at Flushing Meadows in 2016, is in the lower part of the table ...

© 2020 AFP