Jannik Sinner

It was "only" a quarterfinal, no trophy at stake, yet was as taut a thriller as this tournament has produced or, likely, will, a tour de force of big cuts on ...

[Coco Gauff](http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=3626), the 18-year-old American who was the runner-up at the French Open and bowed out in the US Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, spoke for anyone paying attention to Alcaraz vs. Just one: Alcaraz won one point after extending a rally by wrapping his racket behind his back to make contact with the ball. One more: Alcaraz fell onto his backside, then sprung up to race to smack a backhand that won that point. "I always say you have to believe in yourself all the time," Alcaraz said. I leave at 6am for the airport but I refuse to sleep and miss this. "But tomorrow, I will wake up -- or today, I will wake up -- trying to somehow [take away] only the positives." Tuesday, reached his first Grand Slam semifinal and is the youngest man to get that far at the US Open since Pete Sampras won the title at 19 in 1990. Could have finished in four sets. "Could have finished in three sets. Wednesday, Tiafoe was rather prescient when asked about Alcaraz and Sinner. Alcaraz, who has a chance to move up to No. Thursday, the latest finish in US Open history.

Carlos Alcaraz won a spellbinding battle of the young guns against Jannik Sinner to reach his first grand slam semi-final in the US Open's latest ever ...

But this time it was Alcaraz pinching a set, saving a match point at 5-4 and winning the final four games to force a decider. After breaking his opponent when he served for it at 6-5, Sinner won seven straight points to take the tie-break. This time it was Sinner who moved into an early lead, his flat hitting giving him the initiative, and he maintained his advantage until he came to serve for it at 5-4, when Alcaraz broke back. The Spaniard looked poised to take the set when he moved to 0-40 in Sinner’s next service game only for the Italian to produce some clutch serving when he needed it most. Sinner made a nervous start, double-faulting three times in his opening service game, and, although he quickly broke back, Alcaraz was hitting his shots with the greater conviction and deservedly took the first set. He could yet leave New York as the world No 1 but, in a tournament that appears to have finally signalled a real changing of the guard, this match was more than anything a demonstration that men’s tennis need not be scared of a future without its ageing superstars.