Serena Williams, Daniil Medvedev book spots in US Open semi-finals – as it happened

That’s all for today. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out the full match report here.

“It was tough in the end,” says Medvedev, who finished with 51 winners against 37 unforced errors. “That’s why maybe for the first time in almost a year I actually celebrated my win because it was very tough in the end and I felt like I could get in trouble, so I was really happy to get the win. One point decided two sets. Andrey was playing honestly unbelievable.”

Asked about the decisive first-set tiebreaker, Medvedev describes the game within the game against his childhood friend.

“It was 6-3, two of my serves,” he says “I was going for the second one because I knew that if I’m going to push the ball right now, he’s going to go for it and 6-4 is not 6-5. So on 6-5, I decided to not go for it and he went just a little bit out. I think it was a really tactical game today and I’m really happy to go through.”

Third-set tiebreak: Rublev 5-7 Medvedev

Rublev immediately goes down a minibreak as Medvedev cranks a forehand winner early in the rally, but Medvedev gives it right back with a double fault upheld by a challenge. Medvedev then hits a highlight-reel backhand winner down the line from the baseline and we’re on serve. Rublev pounds an ace then wins the next point on a Medvedev unforced error. On serve with Medvedev serving at 2-3 and he strikes a 126mph unreturnable serve out wide for 3-all as the players change ends.

Medvedev holds again as Rublev chips in his 17th unforced error. And then Medvedev comes in for the kill, pouncing ruthlessly on a 74mph second second and ripping a backhand winner up the line. Wow! Medvedev is two points from the finish line with Rublev serving at 3-5. Rublev wins the point, then gets the minibreak back when Medvedev blinks on his serve.

Serving at 5-5, Medvedev cracks a forehand winner for match point … and he converts it after running Rublev ragged then hitting a forehand into the open court! Medvedev is back into the US Open semi-finals after dispensing of Andrey Rublev in two hours and 27 minutes!

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 6-6 Medvedev

Another love hold for Medvedev, who’s won 11 straight points on his serve. We’re heading to a third-set tiebreaker.

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 6-5 Medvedev*

… and Rublev holds at love, capping it with his ninth ace. Medvedev will again serve to stay in the third after the break.

Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 5-5 Medvedev

Medvedev holds at love, capping it with his 15th ace …

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 5-4 Medvedev*

Rublev comes through with another stress-free hold, slotting his eighth ace of the day along the way. Medvedev, who appears to have caught a cramp near the end of the game, will serve to stay in the third set after the change of ends.

Indeed, Medvedev has called the trainer, who is working away on his right shoulder and both quads during a medical timeout.

Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 4-4 Medvedev

Medvedev pounds a forehand winner to open the game, but follows with his second double fault and an unforced error off the backhand to go down 15-30 on his serve for only the second time today. A glimmer of a chance for Rublev here. But Medvedev rattles off three quick points including a pair of unreturnable serves to escape with the hold.

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 4-3 Medvedev*

Rublev holds easily from love-15 down. He’s won 82% of his first-serve points in the third set, up from 67% in the second.

Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 3-3 Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev: four points, four aces. Next?

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 3-2 Medvedev*

Rublev holds easily from 15-all, going forehand passing winner, 119mph ace down the middle, 110mph ace out wide. On we go.

Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 2-2 Medvedev

Rublev pushes Medvedev to love-15, then 15-30 for the first time all day thanks to Medvedev’s first double fault. But Medvedev cruises to the hold from there, closing it with consecutive backhand winners from the baseline.

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 2-1 Medvedev*

Rublev holds comfortably. A bit more positivity on his side after the dismal body language that carried over from the tiebreaker into the second set.

Third set: *Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 1-1 Medvedev

Medvedev responds with a business-like hold at love. The highlight: a superb backhand passing winner for 40-love that paints the sideline.

Third set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6, 1-0 Medvedev*

Rublev holds to open the third. But if we’re being real, this one has felt all but a handshake away since the first-set tiebreaker.

Second set: Rublev 6-7, 3-6 Medvedev

Medvedev opens with a 129mph ace down the middle before misfiring off the backhand side for 15-all. But he follows with back-to-back winners from the baseline for two set points. And he needs only one of them, firing in a 107mph second serve that Rublev can’t return into play. Medvedev takes a commanding two-sets-to-none lead and is one set from the semi-finals.

Second set: Rublev 6-7, 3-5 Medvedev*

Rublev quickly holds at love, putting the pressure on Medvedev to serve out the set.

Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 2-5 Medvedev

Medvedev, working quickly on his serve now, clinically backs up the break, closing out the easy hold with a 130mph ace down the middle. Curiously, Rublev is given a code violation for audible obscenity even though his eruption after going down 40-15 was more of a barbaric yawp than discernible swear word.

Medvedev breaks in sixth game of second set!

Second set: Rublev 6-7, 2-4 Medvedev*

A dangerous moment for Rublev, who very quickly goes down love-15 then 15-40 on his serve. It’s the first break point of the match for either player and Medvedev makes the most of it, crushing an overhand winner at the end of a 12-shot rally to take control of the set.

Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 2-3 Medvedev

Medvedev breezes through a love hold. He’s 12 of 13 points on his racket this set – and 22 of the last 26 on his serve going back to the first.

Second set: Rublev 6-7, 2-2 Medvedev*

Rublev seems to have settled, cracking his third and fourth aces of the afternoon en route to a simple hold of serve. Good sign.

Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 1-2 Medvedev

Medvedev rolls through another service game, capping the love hold with a 123mph ace out wide.

Some changeover reading: Kevin Mitchell’s report off Serena Williams’s quarter-final win earlier today.

Second set: Rublev 6-7, 1-1 Medvedev*

Rublev goes down 15-30 on his serve. Early days, but feels like a critical juncture given the context. He responds with a forehand winner followed by a service winner, but Medvedev pushes it to deuce after winning a baseline rally. From there Rublev escapes with the badly needed hold, putting a bit of distance between him and that catastrophic breaker.

Second set: *Rublev 6-7, 0-1 Medvedev

Medvedev does exactly what’s needed: whizzing through his opening service game in a blur to immediately put the pressure back on Rublev, who is still fuming after letting the opener slip through his fingers.

First-set tiebreak: Rublev 6-7 Medvedev

Rublev wins the first point of the breaker on his serve when Medvedev misfires on a drop shot at the end of an 22-shot baseline rally. Another lengthy rally – what ball-striking! – and Rublev wins the point as Medvedev goes down an early minibreak. Both men hold their serves over the next three points until Rublev paints the line on Medvedev’s serve with an inside-out forehand winner. With Rublev serving at 5-2 and two points from the set, he mixes in his first double fault of the match. But Rublev wins the next point to give him three set points. Medvedev saves the first then the second, both on his serve, giving Rublev a set point on his racket at the match hits the hour mark. And Rublev makes an unforced error on a forehand at the end of a 16-shot rally. We’re at 6-all but the momentum is very much in Medvedev’s favor. Medvedev then wins another point on Rublev’s serve and he will have a set point … and Medvedev closes it out with a 128mph ace down the middle.

Rublev lays waste to his racket after squandering leads of 5-1 and 6-3 in the tiebreaker. A meltdown, no two ways about it.

First set: Rublev 6-6 Medvedev

We’ve got a delay on court as the electronic scoreboards on court have been flickering. The players want to wait until they’re turned off completely. More than four minutes have passed since the last ball hit in anger. The chair umpire says they’ve been shut off, but they begin to flicker once more right as Medvedev hits a first serve out. They’ve stopped again as the tournament referee gets involved and Rublev has darted off the court for a bathroom break after he’s ensured it won’t count against his quota.

We’re finally under way with the scoreboard powered down … and Medvedev holds at love to force a tiebreaker.

First set: Rublev 6-5* Medvedev

Rublev is facing a spot of pressure on serve for the first time today. He’s pushed to deuce from 40-love after misfiring on a backhand at the end of a 22-shot rally, but he rattles off two quick points from theree to escape with the hold. Medvedev will serve to force a first-set tiebreaker after the changeover.

First set: *Rublev 5-5 Medvedev

Medvedev is forced into a backhand error on the opening point to go love-15 down, marking the first time either player has fallen behind on his serve so far. But he responds emphatically on the next three points: forehand baseline winner, 125mph ace down the middle, forehand baseline winner. He then closes out the hold with a 124mph serve out wide that Rublev can’t get back into play.

First set: Rublev 5-4 Medvedev*

Rublev responds with a love hold of his own. He’s only gettiing about a third of his first serves in – nine of 26 so far – but staying afloat with 13-of-17 second-serve points won (76%).

First set: *Rublev 4-4 Medvedev

Medvedev holds at love, crushing a 129mph ace down the middle along the way. His first-serve percentage inches above 50% during his cleanest service game yet. That’s a good sign: He’s won 10 of 11 of his first-serve points, a formidable 91% clip.

First set: Rublev 4-3 Medvedev*

Rublev opens with a 128mph ace down the middle, but Medvedev crushes a forehand winner from the baseline on the next point for 15-all. Rublev rattles three straight points from there, sealing the hold with a forehand winner early in the point. Both guys hitting the cover off the ball early.

First set: *Rublev 3-3 Medvedev

Medvedev breezes through another service game, closing it out with a 121mph ace out wide. On we go.

First set: Rublev 3-2 Medvedev*

After Rublev wins the opening point with a sharp backhand, Medvedev gets the better of a grueling 18-shot exchange with a backhand winner for 15-all. From there, Rublev rattles off three quick points for the hold. Both sides looking comfortable on serve in the early going.

First set: *Rublev 2-2 Medvedev

Medvedev answers with a stress-free hold of his own, capping it with a 127mph ace down the middle. Mostly short points so far but some big hitting and fine shotmaking when they get into the rallies.

First set: Rublev 2-1 Medvedev*

Another uncomplicated hold for Rublev, who cracks a 105mph ace out wide along the way.

First set: *Rublev 1-1 Medvedev

Medvedev opens with a 110mph second-serve service winner to the body and cruises to a straightforward hold in his opening service game.

First set: Rublev 1-0 Medvedev*

The second match of the day is under way on Ashe. And if the 35-stroke rally (!) won by Rublev to hold his opening service game is any indication, this all-Russian matchup between old friends could be a barnburner.