Sakamoto downs Muller 6-3 6-3 in US Open qualifying semis

Rei Sakamoto produced a clean straight-sets win over Alexandre Muller, 6-3 6-3, in the US Open qualifying semifinals. The Japanese controlled the match from the baseline of his own serve, landing 70.4% of first deliveries and winning 78.9% of those points, with eight aces against a single double fault. Muller never found the same platform: only 56.9% of his first serves found the box, and he won just 60.6% behind them and 48.0% on the second ball. That gap explained the identical scorelines, and it carried Sakamoto to within one win of the main draw.