Tennis News

De Minaur headlines Aussie hat-trick as Thompson upsets Hurkacz

After recovering from a mid-year injury blow, Alex de Minaur has not taken long to get back to business at the US Open.

The No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings eased past qualifier Otto Virtanen 7-5, 6-1, 7-6(3) on Thursday afternoon to book his third-round spot at the hard-court major. Renowned as one of the fiercest competitors on the ATP Tour, De Minaur has now dropped just one set across his two matches so far in New York, where he returned to action after missing seven weeks due to a hip injury.

“I’m very happy [about the win], and obviously happy to be back on court playing in front of you guys,” said De Minaur in his on-court interview. “It’s always a great atmosphere in New York. I’m happy to keep going. Every day I’m getting a little bit better and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”

A classic @alexdeminaur point:@usopen | #USOpen
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— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 29, 2024

Despite not having competed since Wimbledon, De Minaur has seamlessly resumed a standout year in New York. The 25-year-old Australian is now 38-12 for the season, and he will hope to continue his impressive comeback in his next match against Mariano Navone or Daniel Evans.

“I’m getting better ever day,” said De Minaur. “I still don’t have a lot of expectations, but I know that every time I step out here I’m going to compete, I’m going to try my hardest and hopefully put on a show. Let’s see if I can keep it going.”

De Minaur was joined in the third round by his countrymen Jordan Thompson and Christopher O’Connell.

Thompson notched his first victory against a Top 10 opponent at a Grand Slam by upsetting seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-5. The World No. 32 enjoyed a standout day on serve, winning 82 per cent (42/51) of points behind his first delivery en route to victory in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Hurkacz. Thompson next takes on 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated Roman Safiullin 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

O’Connell reached the third round of a major for the third time by overcoming Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The 30-year-old will next prepare for a meeting with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Nuno Borges prevented Thanasi Kokkinakis from making it a perfect start to the day for the Australian men in New York, however. The Portuguese downed Kokkinakis 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 to advance to face Jakub Mensik or Tristan Schoolkate.

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Boulter stunned in 'horrendous' second-round defeat

British number one Katie Boulter is knocked out of the US Open second round in a a straight-sets defeat by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

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Sinner earns 50th win of the season, advances at US Open

Jannik Sinner captured his 50th win of the season and a Tour-leading 30th victory on hard courts Thursday at the US Open, where he brushed past #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has enjoyed a standout 2024, winning five titles including his first major at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old Italian hit freely and forced errors off Michelsen with his weight and depth of shot to earn his second victory against the 20-year-old this month.

Sinner, who beat Michelsen in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting en route to the title in Cincinnati, is into the third round at the US Open for the fourth consecutive year and will next meet Mattia Bellucci or Christopher O’Connell.

Sinner started relatively slowly against Michelsen, dropping serve in his first game. However, he hit with more intensity from the baseline in the closing stages of the opener, gaining the decisive break of the first set in the ninth game. From there, the Italian capitalised on Michelsen’s lack of depth and power to overhit the American, who committed 31 unforced errors, to seal victory after one hour and 40 minutes.

Sinner’s best result in New York came in 2022 when he lost in a five-set, five-hour quarter-final epic against eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Earlier this month, Sinner became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. The Italian is now eyeing ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, with Alcaraz his closest challenger. Sinner is currently 1,090 points ahead of the Spaniard in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which is a good measuring stick for the year-end No. 1 battle.

2024 Win Leaders

Michelsen leaves New York at No. 47 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The American, who has reached two tour-level finals in 2024, is aiming to make his second appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Earlier, Czech Tomas Machac upset 16th seed Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the third round at the hard-court major for the first time. Italian Matteo Arnaldi also advanced, dispatching Roman Safiullin 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to continue his impressive year.

World No. 30 Arnaldi next plays Jordan Thompson after the Australian upset seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-5. Machac takes on David Goffin or Adrian Mannarino.

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Djokovic advances after Djere retires at US Open

Serbian Novak Djokovic advanced to the US Open third round Wednesday when his countryman Laslo Djere retired early in the third set. The second seed led 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 before the retirement under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s not what we want. It’s not what the crowd wants, to see a walkover,” Djokovic said. “But he obviously had an injury that took him out of the Tour for some time and he is struggling to come back physically to this level. He’s such a good player, especially in these conditions. It should’ve been his second set, honestly. It was 4-2, 15/40.

“Overall, it was a big fight. Over two hours for two sets. I served awful. So playing without the serve, you have to grind, you have to run. So I guess I had to rely on my baseline game.”

Djere held two break points at 4-2 in the second set that would have allowed him to serve for the set had he converted. The 29-year-old did not win another game. He called a medical timeout before serving at 4-5 and received treatment in the abdominal area.

Djokovic made just 47 per cent of his first serves, the same percentage he recorded in the first round against Radu Albot. After sealing the opening set by breaking Djere to love at 5-4, Djokovic called the physio and took a tablet, though he did not call a medical timeout. Both players were visibly gasping for air at times following lengthy rallies in the humid conditions.

Across two hours and 16 minutes, Djokovic committed 26 unforced errors and converted four of his 10 break chances.

By advancing, Djokovic became the first male player to record 90 wins at all four majors. He is eight victories shy of tying Jimmy Connors for most US Open match wins.

This was Djokovic’s second consecutive year facing Djere at Flushing Meadows. Last year, Djokovic trailed two-sets-to-love before storming back and eventually claiming the trophy. Djere was the only player to win a set against Djokovic at last year’s US Open.

Up next for the defending champion is Alexei Popyrin, who the Belgrade native beat at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon, both in four sets. Djokovic will look for a third victory against Popyrin in as many majors this year and improve upon his 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead. Montreal champion Popyrin defeated Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.

Djokovic, 31-7 on the season, is chasing a 25th major crown and 100th tour-level title. Should he claim his fifth US Open title, Djokovic would break a tie with Australia’s Margaret Court for most Slam singles titles, male or female.

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Fritz flies by Berrettini to reach US Open third round, Ruud beats Monfils

Taylor Fritz produced a dominant performance Wednesday at the US Open, where the 12th seed downed 2019 semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-1 to reach the third round.

The American No. 1 earned an early break against the 6’5” Italian and rarely looked back. Fritz raced through his service games and dropped just four points behind his hefty first delivery — and as many behind his second serve.

Fritz played tight to the baseline on return, countering the usual monstrous serving of Berrettini with early, compact cuts at the ball. Across two hours and nine minutes, Fritz committed 18 unforced errors.

“I came in really focused. I felt like I was just locked in every point, something I was kind of upset with myself about my first-round match,” Fritz said. “I was just ready to go. Matteo is an extremely good player, a super tough second round. So I came in extra locked in.”

Following his second-round victory, Fritz became the fourth man to record 40 match wins this season behind Alexander Zverev (54), Jannik Sinner (49) and Casper Ruud (46). Carlos Alcaraz will join that group with a win Thursday. The California native Fritz remained perfect against Berrettini, improving to 4-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Last year’s quarter-finalist next faces Francisco Comesana. The Argentine, No. 108 in the PIF ATP Rankings, earlier ousted 17th seed Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Casper Ruud survived the evening New York rain and Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3). The match was halted due to rain with Monfils leading 4-3 in the fourth set, but the eighth seed avoided any late-night drama by playing a near-flawless tie-break to advance after two hours, 55 minutes.

The 2022 finalist, who committed 23 unforced errors to Monfils’ 57, next meets #NextGenATP Shang Juncheng.

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Evans hoping to back up epic win with Boulter & Draper in action

Britons Dan Evans, Katie Boulter and Jack Draper are back in action on day four of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

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Botic says this first impression of Alcaraz was 'insane'

Three years ago, Botic van de Zandschulp faced Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in the first round of the Australian Open. Both players were qualifiers, new on the scene, and their clash was on an outer court at Melbourne Park. Van de Zandschulp was No. 151 in the PIF ATP Rankings and Alcaraz, then 17, was not much higher at No. 141.

“What I was most impressed about was how he started. He was fully pumped, aggressive in a good way. That took me a little bit off actually, I had never played him,” van de Zandschulp told ATPTour.com. “Of course I’d seen him play and you hear all the talk about him. But that’s what I was most impressed about: the ferocity he was playing with, how he was hitting, the power he had. That was insane.”

Alcaraz won the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and they will meet again at a major on Thursday in the second round of the US Open. This time, the Spaniard will walk on court a four-time Grand Slam champion.

“It’s always nice to compare yourself to players like Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sinner. I played Sinner for example twice this year. First time, it’s nice. Second time in the first round, you think, ‘Man, maybe a little better later in the tournament?’” van de Zandschulp said. “But it’s always interesting to play these guys because I think after the match, you always know where you have to get better — which kind of situations, what kind of shots. I think you can learn a lot from those matches.”

Watch Alcaraz-van de Zandschulp 2022 Basel Highlights:

It is a big opportunity for a player who has not faced a Top 10 player since April. It has not been an easy year and a half for the Dutchman, who has struggled regaining form and momentum after dealing with feet issues.

“Last year, I had way more serious injuries than this year. In April [of last year], I got a bone bruise on the left foot. Then I twisted my ankle. The bone bruise took a while, [it was] tough to get in my shoe with the bone bruise,” van de Zandschulp said. “Then afterwards, I [had] finally recovered, I twisted my ankle and tore my ligament. Same foot.”

The pain was difficult to deal with. Van de Zandschulp said: “I tried everything, like not tying all the shoelaces, maybe leaving something in between. It’s constant pressure. If you tie the shoe tight, it’s constant pressure on top of the foot. You feel it for a while.

“They probably thought I hit a nerve, like there was a nerve damaged as well, and a nerve takes ages to recover. It’s constant pain, constant something there. Of course some guys are better at playing in these kinds of pains I think. But for me, it was really the first time I really had something, so for me it was pretty difficult.”

The Dutchman explained that he returned “a little too early” because he wanted to play at the US Open. He eventually recovered in October, but it was a series of events that set him back in the longer term.

“I got an infection on the right foot. So yeah, all with the foot last year,” van de Zandschulp said. “I have to say it took a while before you start feeling 100 per cent confident in the foot. That took me a while.”

Van de Zandschulp was healthy by the end of the year, but with the injury came a fall in the PIF ATP Rankings. The former World No. 22 fell as low as No. 115 this April and that led to more difficult early-round matches and a drop in confidence.

“Then you can lose a lot. If you play good guys, I think everybody is playing unbelievably well on the Tour,” van de Zandschulp said. “It’s not that common that you always win matches on the Tour. So then of course I think it’s a little bit tougher, if you week-in, week-out for four or five weeks, you don’t win a lot of matches, you just practise. Then of course it’s tough.”

Van de Zandschulp is back to World No. 74 after a string of success on the ATP Challenger Tour, reaching two finals since the start of July. Now the 28-year-old will face Alcaraz for the third time in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and the first time since 2022 in Basel, where the Spaniard triumphed 6-4, 6-2.

“How he went from Australia to Basel in one and a half, maybe two years, he was such a complete player,” van de Zandschulp said. “In Basel when I played him, you never knew what to expect. He could play serve and volley, he could do everything with the ball. For me, that was a completely different match than in Australia.”

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Patten and Heliovaara battle through at US Open

Wimbledon champions Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara are safely through to the second round of the men’s doubles at the US Open.

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Rublev fights back from two sets down in brutal heat

Andrey Rublev fights back from two sets down in brutally hot conditions to beat Arthur Rinderknech and reach the US Open third round.

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Shelton, Tiafoe set R3 clash at US Open; Musetti saves 2 MPs

Ben Shelton made it six sets played, six sets won at this year’s US Open on Wednesday when he dispatched Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round.

The 21-year-old American earned a breakthrough run in New York last year when he became the youngest American man to reach the semis at the hard-court major since Michael Chang in 1992.

After defeating former champion Dominic Thiem in the first round, Shelton laid down an impressive marker against Bautista Agut to underline his hopes of another deep run on home soil. The No. 13 player in the PIF ATP Rankings struck 59 winners, including 17 aces to triumph after two hours and 10 minutes. He saved both break points he faced and let out a roar after sealing victory in front of a lively crowd on Grandstand.

“I thought I moved extremely well,” Shelton said. “I served well and hit my forehand well and didn’t get broken today and was clutch at the big moments when I needed to be. I am happy with where my game is at.”

Shelton will next play countryman Frances Tiafoe. The 13th seed overcame Tiafoe in the quarter-finals last year to reach his first major semi-final at the US Open.

“I am really looking forward to it,” Shelton said when asked about playing Tiafoe. “We had a great battle in the quarters last year and I am sure it will be another popcorn match.”

Former semi-finalist Tiafoe advanced to the third round after Alexander Shevchenko was forced to retire. American Tiafoe led Shevchenko 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 when play was stopped on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Tiafoe enjoyed a stunning run to the semi-finals at the US Open in 2022 and arrives at the hard-court major off the back of a final showing at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati.

Tiafoe received huge amounts of support inside Ashe and greeted NBA star Mikal Bridges after his win.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/28/19/04/tiafoe-us-open-2024-wednesday.jpg” alt=”Frances Tiafoe” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Photo Credit: Getty Images}}

Lorenzo Musetti saved two match points to overcome Miomir Kecmanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 after three hours, 47 minutes. Musetti, who next faces Brandon Nakashima, committed 43 unforced errors to his opponent’s 62. The 18th-seeded Italian held his nerve in fighting off two match points on serve at 4-5 in the fifth, hitting a volley winner at 30/40 and then hammering an ace when the Serbian led 40/Ad.

#NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng reached the third round at a major for the second time when he overcame Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(2).

The 19-year-old, who beat Alexander Bublik in the first round, is playing at a career-high No. 72 in the PIF ATP Rankings this week, having reached his second tour-level semi-final of the season in Atlanta in July.

Aiming to reach the fourth round at a major for the first time, Shang will next play Casper Ruud or Gael Monfils in New York. Shang has boosted his hopes of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF by advancing at the US Open. The lefty is currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

Nakashima continued his impressive form by dispatching Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion defeated Holger Rune in the first round and also reached the third round in Montreal and Cincinnati earlier this month. 

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