The excitement was palpable from the start of the first set. The “USA” chants. There were also a few “Let’s go Tommy” sayings. This was Tommy Paul’s match – even with No. 1 Jannik Sinner on the other side of the net – on Tommy Paul’s night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

All he had to do was create a surprise.

For two sets that remained a possibility, even though Paul lost two tiebreaks and got as close to Sinner as he could without reversing the result.

And then Paul collapsed. Sinner found his rhythm. The third movement began to falter.

Paul’s evening, in which he attempted to send the United States three players into the quarterfinals of the US Open, ended in a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 defeat.

Paul built a 4-1 lead in the opening set by winning eleven points in a row, with the final point breaking Sinner and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

But Sinner won the next four games and took the lead. The two games alternated until the tiebreak.

With the chance to take a 2-1 lead, Paul hammered the ball into the net with a final spike.

Although he was still able to get to 3:3, he lost the last four games and thus also the set.

A similar pattern was observed in the second set.

Sinner held serve and won all four points to force another tiebreak. When Paul had a chance to take a two-point lead, Sinner denied him with a series of volleys.

But when the third set arrived, everything changed.

Paul couldn’t hold his serve like he did in the first two sets.

He couldn’t finish the rallies with the same finishing shots. When a final shot from Paul missed, Sinner escaped.

And so Paul’s evening ended without a closing ceremony.

This left only two Americans – Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz – in the quarterfinals, ending the country’s 21-year Grand Slam drought.