Sep 6, 2019; Flushing, NY, USA; Daniil Medvedev of Russia salutes the crowd after his match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria (not pictured) in a semifinal match on day twelve of the 2019 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
September 6, 2019
By Steve Keating
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Daniil Medvedev will play for a first Grand Slam title after grinding out a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-3 win over Grigor Dimitrov in their U.S. Open semi-final on Friday.
Medvedev has had a complicated relationship with the Flushing Meadows crowds, who cast him as a U.S. Open bad boy following some on-court antics, but the fifth seeded Russian has been as good as gold where it matters — on the scoreboard.
The win sends Medvedev through to his fourth straight final and stretches his win streak to 12 matches.
The first Russian man to reach a Grand Slam final since Marat Safin at the 2005 Australian Open, Medvedev now awaits the winner of the other semi-final between three-time champion Rafa Nadal and surprise package Matteo Berrettini of Italy.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
