New York (AFP)

World No.2 Daniil Medvedev, rival of Novak Djokovic, in search of a historic calendar Grand Slam, continued his health walk at the US Open, even though he lost a set against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp , Tuesday to reach the semi-finals.

This is the third year in a row that the Russian has reached the last four at Flushing Meadows.

In 2019, he was beaten in the final by Rafael Nadal at the end of an epic final, and last year the Austrian Dominic Thiem, absent from this edition like the Spaniard due to an injury, had stopped him. in half, before being sacred.

"I just want to do a little better than the last two times and take the last step, which is the most difficult, actually," he said on court Arthur Ashe.

Medvedev, who had passed each of his previous four laps in less than two hours and three dry sets, this time exceeded this target, as he won in 2:23.

He will not have accumulated until 9.47am on the road to the last square.

Without really drawing on its resources therefore.

By way of comparison, Van de Zandschulp, from qualifying had 19h37 min in the legs before this match and he completed his first US Open in 22 hours of presence on the courts.

It quickly became clear that he had not recovered from the fight in five victorious sets on Sunday night against the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman (8th).

Crushed during the first two rounds by the Russian in steamroller mode, he nevertheless had a last stand in the third, being able to finally rely on a first returned ball.

Van de Zandschulp's last stand

In the fourth set, he continued to hamper Medvedev, yet one of the best returlers on the circuit, until serving at 6-5 to push for the decisive game, after having saved in the process a match point at 5-4.

But a double fault and two forehands into the net later, he admitted defeat.

Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp serving against Daniil Medvedev at the US Open, September 7, 2021 at Flushing Meadows ELSA Getty / AFP

Unknown to the uninitiated before his feat, the 25-year-old Dutchman, for whom it was the first participation in the US Open, thus completed his beautiful course dominated by an opponent well focused on his supreme ambition.

“It's an incredible journey to go from qualifying to quarterfinals,” Medvedev paid tribute to him.

"He has played so many tough matches and still was able to come back and play at his best in the third and fourth sets."

Finalist at the Australian Open, swept by Novak Djokovic, the Russian will try to qualify for his third final of a Major.

But it will first be necessary to rule out the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (15th) or the young Carlos Alcaraz, who caused a sensation in the 3rd round, by eliminating Stefanos Tsitsipas (3rd).

The 18-year-old Spaniard could become the youngest male semi-finalist at the US Open since 1960 and the youngest in a Grand Slam tournament since Michael Chang won Roland Garros at 17 in 1989.

This duel between the representatives of the new "Next Gen", the previous one that Medvedev embodies with Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev still in search of a major title, will take place in a night session.

The Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez opposed to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals of the US Open, September 7, 2021 ELSA Getty / AFP

Previously, two quarters of the women's table must be played.

The 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez (73rd), surprise striker of Naomi Osaka in the third round, faces the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (5th).

The winner will be opposed in the semi-final to the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (2nd) or the Czech Barbora Krejcikova (9th), winner of the last Roland-Garros, opposed in the evening.

© 2021 AFP