Draper, Muchova overcome injury, illness to reach US Open semi-finals

NEW YORK : Britain's Jack Draper powered into the U.S. Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a straight-sets drubbing of a hobbled Alex de Minaur, while Czech Karolina Muchova battled a "bug" but still took down Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The brutal toll of five rounds of tennis on New York's hard courts was apparent as all four players struggled through injury or illness that delayed both matches at times.

Draper, the 25th seed who has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows this year, topped the Australian 10th seed 6-3 7-5 6-2 and became the first British man to reach the U.S. Open's final four since 2012 when Andy Murray claimed the year's final major.

"I think I played a solid match. I feel the best fitness-wise I've been in a long, long time and I think that's where Alex has sort of got me in the past," Draper said in his on-court interview.

"I also think he was struggling a little bit today with something, which may have helped me," he said.

De Minaur battled to find his range from the start and was broken early, setting the tone for the match as he racked up the unforced errors while Draper served well.

The second set was briefly interrupted when both players had injury concerns as De Minaur, who withdrew from Wimbledon with a hip injury, moved gingerly and Draper took a timeout to have his right thigh strapped.

When play resumed, De Minaur broke to level the set at 4-4 only to see Draper break in the 11th game before consolidating to seize a 2-0 lead in the match.

Draper's power and precision in the third set wore down De Minaur, dealing him defeat in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the fourth time in his career.

"The way he can spread the court, being a lefty and really move you around the