<p>New York: Britain's Jack Draper powered into the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a straight-sets drubbing of a hobbled Alex de Minaur, while Czech Karolina Muchova battled a "bug" but still took down Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.</p><p>The brutal toll of five rounds of tennis on New York's hard courts was apparent as all four players struggled through injury or illness that delayed both matches at times.</p><p>Draper, the 25th seed who has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows this year, topped the Australian 10th seed 6-3 7-5 6-2 and became the first British man to reach the US Open's final four since 2012 when Andy Murray claimed the year's final major.</p>.Tennis: At the US Open, player-commentators become part of the story. <p>"I think I played a solid match. I feel the best fitness-wise I've been in a long, long time and I think that's where Alex has sort of got me in the past," Draper said in his on-court interview.</p><p>"I also think he was struggling a little bit today with something, which may have helped me," he said.</p><p>De Minaur battled to find his range from the start and was broken early, setting the tone for the match as he racked up the unforced errors while Draper served well.</p><p>The second set was briefly interrupted when both players had injury concerns as De Minaur, who withdrew from Wimbledon with a hip injury, moved gingerly and Draper took a timeout to have his right thigh strapped.</p><p>When play resumed, De Minaur broke to level the set at 4-4 only to see Draper break in the 11th game before consolidating to seize a 2-0 lead in the match.</p><p>Draper's power and precision in the third set wore down De Minaur, dealing him defeat in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the fourth time in his career.</p><p>"The way he can spread the court, being a lefty and really move you around the court, it takes a toll on the body. Accumulation of matches takes a toll, as well," De Minaur said.</p><p>In the day's early match, Muchova, in only her sixth tournament back after suffering a wrist injury at the 2023 US Open, beat Haddad Maia 6-1 6-4 to reach the tournament's last four for a second consecutive year.</p><p>Muchova was sharp in the first set as she grabbed a 4-0 double break lead, held to love and, after Haddad Maia finally got on the board, closed out the opening set on serve.</p><p>Haddad Maia improved in the second set and the players exchanged breaks before Muchova, after having the physio and doctor at her chair, held to reach 5-3 before taking advantage of new balls and sealing victory on serve with an ace.</p><p>"I think I played good in the key points, meaning when I had a breakpoint or I was serving for a game, I always pulled out a good shot, I think," Muchova said. "I'm happy that I managed it in two sets again."</p><p>"I'm fighting (a) bug a little bit. I'm a little sick. I hope it didn't disturb anyone," she said.</p><p>Haddad Maia, the first Brazilian woman to make the US Open quarter-finals since Maria Bueno in 1968, also required medical attention late in the match when she appeared to be having difficulty breathing.</p><p>In the night session, top seeded Iga Swiatek will look to reach her seventh Grand Slam semi-final as she takes on sixth seeded American Jessica Pegula, who has not advanced beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final in six tries.</p><p>Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2021, and top seeded Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, will battle it out in a Grand Slam for the third time this year.</p>
<p>New York: Britain's Jack Draper powered into the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a straight-sets drubbing of a hobbled Alex de Minaur, while Czech Karolina Muchova battled a "bug" but still took down Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.</p><p>The brutal toll of five rounds of tennis on New York's hard courts was apparent as all four players struggled through injury or illness that delayed both matches at times.</p><p>Draper, the 25th seed who has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows this year, topped the Australian 10th seed 6-3 7-5 6-2 and became the first British man to reach the US Open's final four since 2012 when Andy Murray claimed the year's final major.</p>.Tennis: At the US Open, player-commentators become part of the story. <p>"I think I played a solid match. I feel the best fitness-wise I've been in a long, long time and I think that's where Alex has sort of got me in the past," Draper said in his on-court interview.</p><p>"I also think he was struggling a little bit today with something, which may have helped me," he said.</p><p>De Minaur battled to find his range from the start and was broken early, setting the tone for the match as he racked up the unforced errors while Draper served well.</p><p>The second set was briefly interrupted when both players had injury concerns as De Minaur, who withdrew from Wimbledon with a hip injury, moved gingerly and Draper took a timeout to have his right thigh strapped.</p><p>When play resumed, De Minaur broke to level the set at 4-4 only to see Draper break in the 11th game before consolidating to seize a 2-0 lead in the match.</p><p>Draper's power and precision in the third set wore down De Minaur, dealing him defeat in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the fourth time in his career.</p><p>"The way he can spread the court, being a lefty and really move you around the court, it takes a toll on the body. Accumulation of matches takes a toll, as well," De Minaur said.</p><p>In the day's early match, Muchova, in only her sixth tournament back after suffering a wrist injury at the 2023 US Open, beat Haddad Maia 6-1 6-4 to reach the tournament's last four for a second consecutive year.</p><p>Muchova was sharp in the first set as she grabbed a 4-0 double break lead, held to love and, after Haddad Maia finally got on the board, closed out the opening set on serve.</p><p>Haddad Maia improved in the second set and the players exchanged breaks before Muchova, after having the physio and doctor at her chair, held to reach 5-3 before taking advantage of new balls and sealing victory on serve with an ace.</p><p>"I think I played good in the key points, meaning when I had a breakpoint or I was serving for a game, I always pulled out a good shot, I think," Muchova said. "I'm happy that I managed it in two sets again."</p><p>"I'm fighting (a) bug a little bit. I'm a little sick. I hope it didn't disturb anyone," she said.</p><p>Haddad Maia, the first Brazilian woman to make the US Open quarter-finals since Maria Bueno in 1968, also required medical attention late in the match when she appeared to be having difficulty breathing.</p><p>In the night session, top seeded Iga Swiatek will look to reach her seventh Grand Slam semi-final as she takes on sixth seeded American Jessica Pegula, who has not advanced beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final in six tries.</p><p>Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2021, and top seeded Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, will battle it out in a Grand Slam for the third time this year.</p>