This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
On a day when the last remnants of the Big Three still standing, Rafael Nadal, booked his place in a fifth U.S. Open final, the 33-year-old Spaniard will face off against Russian sensation Daniil Medvedev on Sunday.
Nadal's 7-6(6) 6-4 6-1 victory over Matteo Berrettini on Saturday set up an intriguing showdown against Medvedev, who has been making headlines with his on-court antics.
Medvedev, who has picked up $19,000 in fines for his behavior, has been known to smash racquets and give the crowd the middle finger, but on Saturday, he turned into a soft-spoken apologist.
"I will not say that I’m a kind person or a good person, I can only say I’m a really calm person in life," Medvedev said.
Meanwhile, Nadal is a man of routine, with a pre-serve ritual that has become as familiar as his relentless effort and refusal to surrender.
"I just focus on trying to be 100% ready for it," Nadal said. "When I arrived here, my goal was to produce a chance to compete for the big thing again. Here I am."
On the women's side, Serena Williams will face off against 19-year-old sensation Bianca Andreescu in a bid to snatch a record-equaling 24th career Grand Slam singles title.
