Daniil Medvedev admitted he ran completely out of energy after winning a heatwave challenge 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 over good friend Andrey Rublev on Wednesday to reach his second semi-final at the US Open.
The massive test of fitness was staged in the 40 Celsius with humidity well over 50 percent.
Medvedev needed to win a 15-minute final game on his fifth match point to go past the godfather of his infant daughter.
The 2021 titleholder here will aim for his second final at Flushing Meadows in a Friday showdown with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who crushed 2020 finalist Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 with the German taken off-court after the second set to treat an apparent leg problem
The Spanish 20-year-old continued his juggernaut: “I’m feeling really comfortable on this court , I’m showing my best level here.
“I’m feeling good physically and strong mentally.
“I’m ready for a great battle in the semi-finals with Medvedev.”
Alcaraz was untroubled as he fulfilled his seeding with ease to run his record this season to 58-6 match record with six titles with victory in less than two and a half hours.
The fatigued Zverev had competed for four and three-quarter hours in the previous round to put out Yannik Sinner and had little left in the tank against Alcaraz.
He lost on the first of two Alcaraz match points with a return which sailed long.
Medvedev said his win into the final four over Rublev was a huge struggle.
“It was brutal conditions for both of us. we were sweating so much and used a lot of towels.
“I have no skin left on my nose here; it’s red, but it’s not because of the sun…I just saw Andrey in the locker room and his face is very red, and it’s also not because of the sun.
“We left everything out there – and we could have left even more.
“I don’t think I had anything left but if the match would go on I would find something more.
“The question is how far could we go? Maybe over five sets we would struggle a little bit the next day and it would be fine.”
Medvedev said that while he performed to the max against Rublev, facing Alcaraz will require even more.
“I’m someone who fights a lot, so I want to try to be better, and I need to be 11 out of 10 to try to beat him.
“Every time I’m playing him I want to try to win, so I need to serve better than I did the previous matches.
“I need to put my shots on the line and stuff like this. I need to be
there 100 per cent of the time and be better.”
Rublev said his concentration remained totally on the gruelling match while just battling blindly on in the steamy and draining weather conditions.
“I’m not even thinking about my health. I don’t know. In these moments I’m
thinking that I need to fight. It doesn’t matter how tough it is. I mean, the sport is not easy,” the No. 8 said.
“You need to be ready for everything that can happen. In the end, the best players prove they are ready, and that’s why they are the best.”
He added: “The difference today was when he had breakpoints, he almost always (won them).
“Maybe it was only the last game that I was able to save a couple of them. In the rest of the match, he was breaking me.
In the end he was able to save them more than me, and a lot of them with the serve or with the serve and one good shot.
“I was not able to do the same except in the last game.”
Main photo:- US Open New York Day 10 Carlos Alcaraz yells “Vamos” as he wins quarter final match by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
