One emotional New York night, two brave tennis players, and a chance to rebuild lives

Athletes are architects even as they are labourers. When they meet on a court they are building things – points, careers, comebacks, triumphs. Each match is a unique construction, built at high speed, with a unique design, its foundation skill, its glue sweat, its raw material grit. These emotional edifices are quickly forgotten by viewers, are not necessarily beautiful but for the builder they are always meaningful.  

Over 176 minutes, starting on Sept 4 night and ending the next morning, Amanda Anisimova and Naomi Osaka created a US Open semi-final which was streaky and edgy and on the surface not much to look at. It was splattered with 24 break points and 11 breaks of serve, illuminated by 82 winners, mottled with 72 unforced errors, speckled with clenched fists and riddled with nerves.