Carlos Alcaraz soaked up everything Novak Djokovic could throw at him before marching into his second US Open final and denying the 38-year-old a shot at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic came into the clash hoping to bridge a 16-year age gap in his fourth Grand Slam semi-final of the season but the Spaniard claimed a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 victory.
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Alcaraz finished off a classy rally against Djokovic during their US Open semi-final clash
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Take a look at Djokovic’s thunderous lineball winner against Alcaraz…
Djokovic had two days off to prepare for the contest, while he has recent positive memories against Alcaraz, having also beaten him to the Olympic gold medal last summer.
But Alcaraz has looked in supremely good form in New York, not dropping a set through to the last four, and he produced another brilliant performance to deny the former world No 1 a shot at his fifth US Open crown.
Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows three years ago and he is now looking to add a sixth crown and second of the season.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner is the defending US Open champion
The other semi-final pits defending champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Victory for Sinner would see him progress to his fifth-successive Grand Slam final.
For Auger-Aliassime, this marks his return to a major semi-final four years after he first made the last four in New York.
Disappointment for Brits in New York
Mika Stojsavljevic’s defence of her US Open junior title ended with a semi-final defeat
Mika Stojsavljevic’s defence of her US Open junior title ended with a semi-final defeat at Flushing Meadows.
The 16-year-old was bidding to become the first player to retain the girls’ singles crown in New York, but she was beaten 0-6 6-1 6-1 by Sweden’s Lea Nilsson.
Stojsavljevic became the first British player since Heather Watson to lift the trophy 12 months ago and she started brilliantly, but Nilsson began to get to grips with the young Londoner’s power and turned the contest around.
In the other semi-final, there was also defeat for 16-year-old Hannah Klugman.
Second seed Klugman, who reached the French Open final earlier this season, was beaten 6-3 6-2 by Belgian Jeline Vandromme, ending hopes of another British champion.
There was also disappointment for five-time US Open wheelchair singles champion Alfie Hewett, who also lost his semi-final, going down 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 7-5 to Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez.
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