NEW YORK _ Tennis observers have come to the conclusion that there is Russian meddling in the U.S. Open. Young Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev of Moscow on Friday completed an unlikely run to his first major tournament final with a convincing 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over unseeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Medvedev, 23, entered the semifinal _ his first push past the fourth round in a Grand Slam event in only his 12th Slam appearance _ as the hottest player on the men's tour: 49 match victories in 2019, the most by anyone, and seeded an impressive No. 5.
But logic dictated that his advance to a fourth consecutive tournament final was not to be expected. Not in a field that included the incumbent champion, Novak Djokovic, and the other two most prolific major-tournament titlists, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
