US Open: No. 1 Jannik Sinner fends off Tommy Paul and reaches the latest Grand Slam quarterfinal

Although he was able to keep up with him at the beginning, Tommy Paul could not get past the top-ranked tennis player in the world on Monday night.

Jannik Sinner beat Paul at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open on Monday. Sinner won a thrilling match 7:6 (7:3), 7:6 (7:5), 6:1. The loss knocked Paul out of the US Open and ended his second consecutive run to the fourth round of the tournament.

Sinner won the Australian Open earlier this year and reached the semifinals at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He is now the fifth player in the Open era to reach all four major quarterfinals in a single season at 23 or younger. Monday night's victory was his 20th at a Grand Slam in 2024, the most among men and women this season.

Paul jumped up immediately and surprised Sinner from the start. He took a 4-1 lead, scoring 11 points in a row in the first set. Sinner didn't let it bother him for long. He scored 10 of the next 12 points and quickly tied the set at 4-4. He increased the lead to 5-4 and almost ended the set, but Paul saved the set point and finally forced the tiebreak. Sinner narrowly beat him in the end, taking the first set and completing his comeback.

The two remained locked in the second set, which went to a tiebreak after a late surge from Sinner. He then beat Paul again in the tiebreak to take the one-point victory.

After two close sets, Sinner finally got going. The Italian took a 3-0 lead in the third set and then quickly ended the evening with a 6-1 victory in the third set, which secured him the victory in two sets.

Sinner is the favorite to win the US Open after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were eliminated early. He next faces No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, whom he beat in the Australian Open final, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. It will surely be his toughest match of the tournament so far. The two have split their two matches this season, with Medvedev beating Sinner in five sets at Wimbledon. Medvedev reached the quarterfinals after beating Portugal's Nuno Borges in straight sets on Monday.

Jessica Pegula reaches 7th Grand Slam quarterfinal

No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in three years, beating Diana Shnaider in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Shnaider came back in the first set, but Pegula was able to finish her off, amid loud support from the crowd.

Pegula has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament seven times. She joins fellow American Emma Navarro, who defeated Coco Gauff on Sunday. Pegula has never made the semifinals in her previous six attempts, losing to Iga Swiatek at the 2022 US Open, who she will now face again after the No. 1 seed beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 6-1 on Monday night.