Kevin Anderson powered into the US Open fourth round on Friday as he defeated Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 at Flushing Meadows.

The South African didn’t always find his best tennis, but urged himself on as he determinedly chipped away at Coric to prevail in one hour and 49 minutes. Coric had been looking to build on the second-round upset win he had recorded over fourth seed Alexander Zverev on Wednesday.  

Anderson will look to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in New York when he faces Paolo Lorenzi on Sunday. The South African made his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Flushing Meadows two years ago with back-to-back wins over Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray (l. to Wawrinka).

Lorenzi came through an all-Italian clash with Thomas Fabbiano 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to reach a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time at the age of 35.

The No. 40-ranked Lorenzi is more at home on a clay court that a hard court, highlighted this year by runs to the finals in Quito (l. to Estrella Burgos) and Umag (l. to Rublev). But the right-hander has seen off Joao Sousa, Gilles Muller and now Fabbiano to make his mark at the US Open.

If Lorenzi is to take his fairytale run further, though, he will need to overcome a 0-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Anderson.

The Cinderella run for #NextGenATP star Denis Shapovalov continues. Competing in just his sixth tour-level main draw, the Canadian teen advanced to the Round of 16 at the US Open on Friday.

Shapovalov is the youngest player to reach the US Open fourth round since Michael Chang in 1989 and youngest in a Grand Slam Round of 16 since Marat Safin at Roland Garros in 1998. He will seek his first major quarter-final when he faces Pablo Carreno Busta next, after advancing when Kyle Edmund retired due to injury at 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0.

Semi-finalist at the Coupe Rogers just three weeks ago, behind victories over Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, the 18 year old is thriving once again against elite competition. Carreno Busta will be Shapovalov’s second Top 20 opponent this week, having secured a straight-sets victory over eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.

“The month of August has been absolutely life-changing for me, and yeah, I’m actually very thankful for my team for helping me stay humble and just prepare for every match, like it’s another match,” Shapovalov said. “But I feel like after the US Open, I’m going to have a little bit of time to take it all in, everything that’s been happening to me. I’m playing great tennis and I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.”

The Canadian’s win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.

“I did have that confidence that I can make it this far, but to be honest, this whole season has been going really quickly for me,” Shapovalov added. “My goal was to be inside the 150 by the end of the year when I had started and now Top 50 seems doable.”

Edmund concludes his US Open following straight-set wins over Robin Haase and Steve Johnson. Last week at the Winston-Salem Open, he won six matches to reach the semi-finals as a qualifier.

“I guess it’s an upper thoracic back problem,” Edmund explained. “It just got very sore and very tight and almost locked up a bit. I didn’t feel like I could rotate properly. It’s just obviously hitting in tennis, you need a good rotation. It just seized up very quickly. It was pretty sore now just coming off the court. Now everything has cooled down so it’s very stiff now.” 

The Canadian’s win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.

Earlier in the day, Carreno Busta rolled into the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Nicolas Mahut. The 12th seed is flying under the radar as he continues to register his best result at the final Grand Slam of the year.

Carreno Busta has not dropped a set thus far, turning in convincing victories over qualifier Evan King, qualifier Cameron Norrie and qualifier Mahut. In a remarkable twist of fate, he will face yet another qualifier in the fourth round: Shapovalov. It marks the first time in the Open Era that a player has squared off against four qualifiers at a Grand Slam.

“I am really happy because I reached the second week here,” said Carreno Busta. “It is always a positive thing and this year it has been one of the objectives that me and my team have looked at. To do big things at important tournaments means that your level is rising. It is the truth that I have faced three qualifiers but it has been very tough. I am just concentrated on my game.”

Carreno Busta fired 32 winners and converted six of 10 break chances to claim victory after one hour and 48 minutes. The Spaniard found great success in coming forward, notching 17 of 21 points when charging the net. After falling behind two-sets-to-love, Mahut seized an initial break to open the third, but Carreno Busta reeled off six of the last seven games to emerge victorious.

Imagine you go for a casual hit with your friends in Central Park on a sunny afternoon in New York, look across to the adjacent court and there is Roger Federer, plain as day, getting in a practice session of his own on a non-match day at the US Open.

That was the unique experience for lucky members of the public on Wednesday in the Big Apple, as Federer decided to spare himself a trip out to Flushing Meadows and take advantage of the US Open court in Central Park, following advice from Eric Butorac.

“I think we were looking for if there was any place at all in the city to play tennis at,” Federer explained to the media on Thursday, following his five-set win over Mikhail Youzhny in the second round. “Then I think we spoke to Eric Butorac of the tournament, spoke to coaches, [they] maybe gave an idea at Central Park, apparently they have a US Open court. I was like, ‘Yeah, anything that doesn’t make me drive very long.’

When in Central Park ??‍♂ pic.twitter.com/JOiFYETPqy

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) August 31, 2017

“I really liked the idea of playing in Central Park for the first time. We tried it out. It was perfect. I was really happy. It was really a totally different experience in the sense that when I finished practice, that was fun. If only all practices were like this. I really enjoyed myself.”

Away from the regimented style of practice sessions onsite, Federer revelled in the relaxed nature of the public courts and took time after practice to mingle with recreational players from other courts, who stopped to watch.

“I don’t do it nearly enough because the problem is we always go out, there’s always something to improve. If you don’t go out and improve something, you feel like it’s a waste.

“Sometimes I think having a fun practice session, being in a totally different surrounding like yesterday, where all 20 courts just stopped playing, came to watch you play. I don’t know. It was kind of really different. People were just happy to see you there, meet you, talk to you, maybe get a photo. They didn’t care about autographs.

“It was a different crowd. I really enjoyed that. Just to be in that environment for a change. I’ve seen the routine of normal practice sessions and matches, press, all the things we do in a row, it’s always the same. I think this was very refreshing. I hope I can do these things a bit more often.”

Federer is set to resume his US Open campaign on Saturday when he faces Feliciano Lopez in the third round. 

DAY FIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• Third round action on Friday is led by No. 5 seed and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, No. 10 seed John Isner, No. 12 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, No. 16 seed Lucas Pouille and No. 17 seed Sam Querrey, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. Of the 16 players remaining in the bottom half of the draw, only Cilic and Querrey have advanced to the semi-finals or better in a Grand Slam tournament. There are also four qualifiers in the third round at the US Open for the first time since 1999. The last qualifier to reach the 4R or better in Flushing Meadows was Gilles Muller, who advanced to the quarter-finals in 2008.

• In the opening match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, #NextGenATP Canadian qualifier Denis Shapovalov takes on Kyle Edmund of Great Britain for the third time this season (tied 1-1). Both players are the No. 2 player from their respective country. Edmund won the first meeting in a 1R Davis Cup tie in Ottawa and Shapovalov prevailed in three sets on June 19 in the 1R at the Queen’s Club in London. The 18-year-old Shapovalov is trying to become the youngest player to reach the 4R at the US Open since Michael Chang (17) in 1989. Edmund is looking to advance to the 4R at the US Open for the second year in a row.

• In the evening match, No. 23 Mischa Zverev and Isner square off for the fifth time (tied 2-2). Isner is 0-4 vs. the Zverev brothers this season, losing twice to Mischa and to Alexander. The 32-year-old Isner is appearing in the third round in Flushing Meadows for the ninth straight year (10th overall) and he is 3-6 in 3R matches. His best Grand Slam result is the QFs here in 2011. Isner is 15-3 this summer, winning titles in Newport and Atlanta. Zverev is attempting to reach his second Grand Slam 4th Round. He was a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in January.

• On Louis Armstrong, qualifier Nicolas Mahut and Carreno Busta meet for the first time. Mahut is looking to advance to the 4th Round at the US Open for the first time in his 12th main draw appearance. Carreno Busta reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in June, his best career Grand Slam result. In the following match, Querrey and Radu Albot of Moldova battle for the first time. Querrey is 14-3 since the beginning of Wimbledon and he’s looking to advance to the 4th Round at the US Open for the first time since 2010.

• On Grandstand, No. 29 seed Diego Schwartzman plays Cilic, who is playing his first tournament since falling in the Wimbledon final on July 16. He was sidelined during the hard court circuit with an adductor injury. Schwartzman is 1-13 lifetime against Top 10 opponents and he’s trying to reach his first 4th Round in a Grand Slam event. In the next match on, No. 28 seed Kevin Anderson brings a 2-0 record against #NextGenATP Croat Borna Coric, who is aiming to reach his first 4th Round in a Grand Slam tournament.

• On Court 17, Italians Thomas Fabbiano and Paolo Lorenzi battle it out with the winner getting to the 4th Round in a Slam for the first time. In the next match on, last year’s US Open quarter-finalist Pouille takes on qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan for the second time. Pouille won here in four sets in the 1R one year ago.

It’s not how you start, but how you finish. Rafael Nadal escaped a stern test from World No. 121 Taro Daniel to reach the third round at the US Open on Thursday.

Nadal rallied from a set and a break down to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 at 12:30am in New York, discovering his top gear at the critical moment under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Spaniard struck 20 winners to 24 unforced errors in the first two sets, but turned the match around in a flash, finishing with 20 winners to just 11 unforced errors in the third and fourth.

Top seed Nadal booked his spot in the third round for a third straight year, claiming a tour-leading 51st match win of the season. The two-time US Open champion (2010 & ’13) will next face lucky loser Leonardo Mayer on Saturday.

Japan’s Daniel was not intimidated by the bright lights and electric atmosphere on Ashe, swinging freely from the back of the court and pressing Nadal into uncomfortable positions. The 24 year old was aggressive in the early stages, stepping into the court and firing his forehand from side to side. Nadal had no answer as he broke for 5-4 in the first set, closed out the opener and surged to an early break lead in the second.

But just as fast as Daniel took control, Nadal fired back. The World No. 1 found his range as the Japanese looked to consolidate the break in the second set, breaking right back and halting Daniel’s momentum. Nadal would sprint to the finish line from there, dropping just five of the next 23 games for the two-hour and 53-minute win.

A spot in the Round of 16 will be on the line when Nadal and Mayer meet for the fourth time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. The Spaniard has won all seven sets played, most recently taking a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 decision at Roland Garros in 2014.

Mayer advanced to the third round on Thursday after defeating Yuichi Sugita 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The Argentine is in the midst of a seven-match win streak as a lucky loser, having lifted the trophy at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Hamburg in July. He lost in the final round of qualifying there, as well as in New York, where he has since rallied from as set down to defeat both Richard Gasquet and Sugita.

Mayer is the first lucky loser to reach the third round at the US Open since Flavio Cipolla in 2008.

Dominic Thiem was one point from being taken the distance on Louis Armstrong Stadium, but the sixth seed dug in his heels for a gritty four-set win over home hope Taylor Fritz.

Thiem needed two hours and 50 minutes to deny the #NextGenATP American 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in their US Open encounter on Thursday. Fritz held three set points to force a decider at 4-5 0/40, but his Austrian opponent blasted his backhand with precision in the critical moment, staving off the trio of chances. He saved 16 of 18 break points in total.

“It was 6-4, 6-4 and it looked pretty easy, but it was not at all,” said Thiem. “He didn’t convert one break point in the first two sets, but I had almost every serve game at 0/30 or break points to defend. In the third set, he converted a lot of these break points. That’s why it got really close. All in all, it’s not easy to play him. It was 4-5 in the fourth. He made 83 points, I made 84. A really tight match. So I’m happy that I didn’t have to go to the fifth.

“I think there are many players out there, like Taylor, who make it really, really tough for players like me because they take away all my time. They play flat. It’s really tough for me to turn the defence into offence. These matches like today, you just have to win. That’s what I did. That’s why I’m pleased.”

Thiem has now reached the third round in all four main draw appearances in New York. He will look to replicate his best result when he faces Adrian Mannarino for a spot in the Round of 16. Thiem leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head 5-0, having claimed seven consecutive sets, including a pair of encounters in 2017 (Acapulco & Cincinnati).

Mannarino capped a strong month of August with a 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2 victory over American wild card Bjorn Fratangelo. The Frenchman, who entered the US Open on the heels of a quarter-final finish at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Montreal and Round of 16 result in Cincinnati, is closing in on his career-high standing of No. 27 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

In other action, John Millman continued his impressive run at the US Open, matching his best Grand Slam result. The Tecnifibre player, who is steadily plotting his return to the Top 100 after undergoing groin surgery in February, defeated Malek Jaziri 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-1. He will next face Philipp Kohlschreiber after the 33rd-seeded German advanced when Santiago Giraldo retired at 6-2, 6-1, 3-0. Kohlschreiber is into the US Open third round for the fifth time in six years.