Flushing Meadows sees volleyers and Americans rise to the top

WHAT makes the culmination of this US Open extraordinary is that of the semi-finals in both singles draws, neither defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff were in the mix.

And, with the exception of the two highest seeds, world men’s No.1 Jannik Sinner and women’s No.2 Aryna Sabalenka, both entrenched baseliners, the remainder – Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Karolina Muchova, Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula – are all comfortable at the net and look to move forward on court.

They don’t subscribe to the “windscreen wiper drill” – hitting incessantly from side to side, as a commentator so accurately put it – which makes them more entertaining to watch and confirms this new era of volleyers.

Furthermore, it’s hard to ignore the number of Americans weighing in: Fritz and Tiafoe faced off in the first all-American men’s Grand Slam semi-final since the 2005 US Open, guaranteeing a home star in a maiden Slam final.

But it is British No.1 Draper, the lowest ranked of the semi-finalists, who has taken the Big Apple by storm, in exceeding all expectations at Flushing Meadows.

He and his opponent Sinner played doubles together in Montreal, and Draper beat the Italian in straight sets at Queens Club in 2021, as he did Alcaraz this year at the same venue.

“He’s a lefty so he’s tough to see, but it was nice to share the court with him and to know each other even more; we text each other when we have good or bad times,” Sinner said.

It’s unlikely they texted commiserations after it.

Certainly, Draper has caught the attention of Vogue editor Anna Wintour, once upon a time so enamoured by Roger Federer’s style of play, but now she’s apparently swapped allegiance and player’s boxes to Draper’s.

Whether Draper can match Federer’s on-court achievements, never mind his fashion forte, remains to be seen, but the Brit is certainly off to a flying start.

In the countdown to the women’s semis there were some unusual comparisons between the two American contenders, Pegula and 12th seed Navarro, who caused a stir when sending American No.1 Gauff packing in the quarters.

Pegula, reputed to be the richest woman on tour, her father being an oil baron, was for the first time defensive in the build-up to her match against Czech world No.53 Muchova, about her supposedly privileged lifestyle.

“I don’t have a butler and I don’t fly around from tournament to tournament in a Lear jet...”

It is doubtful whether either so-called asset increases her chances of winning her first Grand Slam, because the world No.6 fully deserves to be in the final, based entirely on her tennis ability.

Navarro, who also happens to be a billionaire’s daughter, also deserves to have reached her first major semi-final, where she lost 6-3, 7-6 to Sabalenka.

Only in America would one’s financial standing attract more attention than one’s ranking.

These Americans punch above their weight and credit cards on court and Pegula in particular is raising the bar for American women’s tennis, as did Gauff before her.

But it is Muchova whom Wintour should be pinning her colours to, because it is the underrated Czech who has played the most stylish brand of tennis in this US Open.

Absent for a huge chunk of the season through injury and with only six tournaments under her belt, she has quietly gone about her business, elegantly slicing and dicing, hitting a jumping behind-the-back lob ‘shot of the tournament’ against Pegula, and demonstrating the most complete game on the women’s tour.

Muchova remains a threat, regardless of her 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 loss on this occasion.