Top seed Jannik Sinner progressed to his first US Open final, but not without being entangled in a bizarre second set against Brit Jack Draper.
After an extremely tight opening two sets, Sinner managed to pull away and escape unscathed in a 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2 triumph on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first semi-final.
Unexpected carnage unfolded during the early stages of set two as the New York weather, which reached a top of 25 degrees in humid conditions, was too much for Draper to handle.
The 25th seed was seen struggling behind the baseline under the shade, throwing up multiple times to illustrate the brutal physicality of the contest.
At 4-4 and 40-15 on Draper's serve in the following game, one of the points of the tournament forced the electric crowd up on its feet when Sinner executed a cross-court shot from the tightest of angles to then hit a belting winner from his opponent's overhead smash.
However, the reigning Australian Open champion fell awkwardly in front of the advertising board and hurt his left wrist as a result, despite winning the extraordinary point.
At the next change of ends, Sinner called for a medical timeout to cause concern for his coaching team, while Draper took the opportunity to take tablets for his uneasy stomach.
Tennis journalist José Morgado tweeted on X: "What the hell is happening?"
Journalist Gaspar Ribeiro added: “Crazy last five minutes at the US Open. Perhaps the weirdest sequence of events we’ve witnessed inside a tennis court in a long time.”
Thankfully, Sinner did not require his wrist to be heavily bandaged as he raced away with two breaks in the third set to exploit a physically depleted Draper.
After the match, Draper was asked about the difficult conditions and if it played a factor in vomiting on multiple occasions.
"It was extremely humid today. Hasn't been pretty much the whole week as of yet," Draper said. "I think it was obviously a very physical match.
"That's why Jannik is the No.1 player in the world, because when you play the top players, the intensity is different. It's a step up.
"It's a big occasion for me. Even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I'm definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. When you add all that together, sometimes I do feel a bit [nauseous] on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough.
"I didn't have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up.”
Sinner awaits the winner of an all-American affair between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
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