Russian snaps 19-year drought in superb career-first at US Open

Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev advanced to his first Grand Slam final on Friday by defeating Bulgaria's 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-3 at the US Open.

Somewhat of a pantomime villain after an obscene gesture to the crowd earlier in the tournament, Medvedev will play in Sunday's championship match at Arthur Ashe Stadium against the winner of a later semi-final between Italian 24th seed Matteo Berrettini and 18-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

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The 23-year-old snapped a 19-year drought after becoming the first Russian man to qualify for a US Open final since Marat Safin in 2000.

"Finally I'm here after three sets," Medvedev said. "I'm just happy to be in the final."

If second-seeded Nadal can capture his fourth US Open crown on Sunday, he would move one shy of matching Roger Federer's all-time men's record for Grand Slam titles.

The 33-year-old Spaniard would also draw to within one of the Open-era record of five US Open titles shared by Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors.

Nadal beat Medvedev in last month's Montreal final in their only meeting, then skipped Cincinnati, where Medvedev won the title.

Medvedev, now 20-2 in the four North American events, beat Berrettini last year at Indian Wells in their only matchup.

"When I was going to USA, I didn't know it was going to be this good," Medvedev said. "So I have to say I love USA."

Medvedev is the first Russian in a Grand Slam final since Marat Safin won the 2005 Australian Open title and the first Russian to reach the US Open final since Safin won the 2000 crown.

At 23, Medvedev is just the third men's Grand Slam finalist born in the 1990s after Canada's Milos Raonic and Austria's Dominic Thiem. He could become the first '90s-born Slam winner.

Medvedev is only the third Open Era player to reach finals in Washington, Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open in the same year after Ivan Lendl in 1982 and Andre Agassi in 1995.

Dimitrov, who lost seven of his eight matches just prior to arriving at Flushing Meadows, would have been the lowest-ranked US Open men's finalist since the rankings began in 1973.

The Bulgarian was the lowest-ranked Slam semi-finalist in 11 years and the lowest at the US Open since 174th-ranked Jimmy Connors in 1991.

US Open fans gave solid applause to Medvedev. They had booed Medvedev in the third and fourth rounds after he flashed an obscene gesture and later taunted them, saying he thrived on their jeers for the energy to win. He later apologised.

The Russian's latest display extends an unbelievable recent run that only enhances his prospects of winning over his former detractors.

Medvedev broke at love to start the match and saved two break points to hold the second game, but Dimitrov broke back in the fourth game and they held into a tense tie-break that Medvedev won after Dimitrov netted a forehand and sent another long on the last two points of the first set.

Dimitrov broke to open the second set when Medvedev smacked a backhand long but the Russian broke back at love in the second game and broke again for a 3-1 lead on a crisp crosscourt backhand winner.

Dimitrov answered with a forehand winner on his fourth break chance of the fifth game but Medvedev converted on his next break chance in the 10th game and took the set when Dimitrov netted a backhand.

Medvedev broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set and held to the finish, which came on a service winner after two hours and 38 minutes.

With AFP