Nadal fights back to reach US Open fourth round

Top seed Rafael Nadal overcame stubborn resistance from Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer to reach the fourth round at the US Open in New York.

The Spaniard, 31, lost the first set but fought back to win 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-1 6-4 after three hours and 16 minutes.

Nadal saw 13 break points go begging before finally breaking the world number 59 after nearly two hours.

He dropped just five more games on his way to a last-16 meeting with Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov.

• Thiem, Del Potro and Dolgopolov reach fourth round
• World number one Pliskova saves match point to beat Zhang
• Live scores, schedule and results

“All the matches have been very tight – I am very happy,” said Nadal.

“I don’t know how many break points I had before I got the first one. Mentally, I fought a lot until that moment, then I think I played better.”

Swiss third seed Roger Federer takes on Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, the 31st seed, in the night session at Flushing Meadows.

The start of their match on Arthur Ashe Stadium was delayed by over two hours after the day session overran, culminating with Nadal’s hard-fought victory.

Nadal could not land a telling return as the break points came and went against Mayer, and the Argentine took advantage by playing a fine tie-break to take the first set.

I am in the fourth round now. I don’t think much about that.

When Nadal finally made the breakthrough at the 14th attempt, at 3-3 in the second set, he screamed “Vamos!” and his family and team celebrated in the stands.

The Spaniard had won all three previous matches against Mayer and went on to dominate after finally breaking.

There was a late flash of resistance when Mayer broke serve with Nadal trying to close out the match, but two games later the world number one sealed victory at 8.40pm local time.

Asked about a potential first-ever meeting with Federer at the US Open in the semi-finals next week, he said: “I am in the fourth round now. I don’t think much about that.

“It’s a long way away. All the matches have been very tough.

“The only thing I am looking for is the practice tomorrow to keep working hard and focus on the match against Dolgopolov.”

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Muguruza faces Kvitova on day seven at US Open

Garbine Muguruza will take on Petra Kvitova on day seven of the US Open, while Maria Sharapova continues her return to Grand Slam action.

Spanish third seed Muguruza faces two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova in the fourth round at 00:00 BST on Monday.

Sharapova, in her first Slam for 19 months following a ban, faces Anastasia Sevastova at about 19:00 on Sunday.

They follow 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov against Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta at 16:00.

• Order of play, scores and results
• I would play in the parking lot – Sharapova

Venus Williams and Carla Suarez Navarro will conclude the day session at approximately 21:00 on Saturday, and Sam Querrey plays the second night-session match against Mischa Zverev at around 02:00 on Sunday.

Muguruza, who won her second major title at Wimbledon in July, is on course to take the world number one ranking and potentially the third leg of a career Gran Slam in New York.

It’s nice to play someone who won a Grand Slam this year.

The Spaniard, 23, has lost her last two matches against Kvitova but is full of confidence after backing up her Wimbledon win with a best-ever run at Flushing Meadows.

“I’m taking every match as a final here,” said Muguruza. “I think she’s an incredible player. It’s going to be interesting. It’s a good fourth round to play.”

Kvitova has been in sparkling form in New York, her best since returning to action in May following a knife attack at her home last December.

“It’s nice to play someone who won a Grand Slam this year,” said the Czech 13th seed. “I’m really looking forward for the big stage and for that match.”

Wildcard Sharapova returns to the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the fourth time as she takes on Latvia’s Sevastova, the world number 17 and a quarter-finalist 12 months ago.

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Shapovalov has become the star attraction in the bottom half of the men’s draw, which has been decimated in terms of leading names.

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World number one Pliskova saves match point to beat Zhang

World number one Karolina Pliskova played down an arm injury after fighting back to beat China’s Shaui Zhang in the US Open third round.

World number 26 Zhang had match point at 5-4 in the second set, but Pliskova turned it around to win 3-6 7-5 6-4.

The result means she stays in the race with Elina Svitolina and Garbine Muguruza to end the tournament as number one.

“I feel much better,” said the Czech, who had treatment after the second set.

“I did some recovery and just saw the physios and some ice bath and those stuff. Hopefully it will be fine, it just felt a little bit tight during the match.”

• Nadal fights back to beat Mayer
• Thiem & Del Potro reach last 16
• Live scores, schedule and results

Latvia’s French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, seeded 12th, went down 6-3 6-2 to Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, the world number 38.

“Before the tournament I had some problems like with the throat,” said Ostapenko.

“I had to take some antibiotics, but I somehow tried to avoid it and try to get ready for the tournament, but today I felt quite bad. I couldn’t give my 100%.”

I feel pressure. I just want to win. I know all the opponents are behind me, so I should win every match, which is tough

Meanwhile, American Coco Vandeweghe won 7-5 4-6 6-4 against 10th seedAgnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Pliskova, 25, will next face Jennifer Brady in the last 16, after the American beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-3).

She must repeat her run to the final of 12 months ago, at the least, if she is to remain at the top of the rankings.

Ukrainian fourth seed Svitolina beat American Shelby Rogers 6-4 7-5 on Saturday to progress, while Spanish third seed Muguruza plays Petra Kvitova on Sunday.

“I feel pressure,” said Pliskova. “I just want to win. I know all the opponents are behind me, so I should win every match, which is tough.”

The Czech had to call for the trainer before the start of the third set and received lengthy treatment on her right forearm.

She returned to court and was immediately broken by Zhang, but the 28-year-old was unable to get past Pliskova in the decider.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic beat Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-3 6-2.

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US Open: Dominic Thiem and Alexandr Dolgopolov reach fourth round

Sixth seed Dominic Thiem registered a straight-set win over Adrian Mannarino to reach the US Open fourth round.

The Austrian, ranked eighth in the world, beat the French world number 34 7-5 6-3 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Mannarino served for the first set but sent a volley wide, allowing Thiem to break, and then lost seven games in a row as he struggled for rhythm.

Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov also reached the fourth round with a speedy win over Serbia’s Viktor Troicki.

Thiem, who has reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows three times in the past four years, will play Juan Martin del Potro in the next round.

The Argentine beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 6-3 6-4 to set up the meeting with Thiem.

• Fognini thrown out of US Open for outburst
• World number one Pliskova saves match point to beat Zhang
• Live scores and results

Dolgopolov beat Troicki 6-1 6-0 6-4, hitting 24 winners and dominating with his first serve to win in just one hour and 21 minutes.

This is the 28-year-old’s best run at a Grand Slam since he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2011.

He will face either Spanish world number one Rafael Nadal or Argentine Leonardo Mayer in the last 16 on Monday.

Dolgopolov, whose defeat by Thiago Monteiro at the Winston-Salem Open is being investigated by the Tennis Integrity Unit, said the scrutiny was not affecting his performance.

“If people want to write something, they write something. You can’t stop them from doing it. It’s just not under my control,” he said.

“You can see I’m playing. I’m fit. I’m doing well.”

Also in the third round, Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced with a 7-5 6-2 6-4 win over Australian John Millman.

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Del Potro Sets Thiem Showdown

Del Potro Sets Thiem Showdown

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Thiem Marches Past Mannarino

Thiem Marches Past Mannarino

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Serena Williams gives birth to baby girl

The 35-year-old tennis superstar has her first child with partner Alexis Ohanian.

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'I would play in the parking lot' – Sharapova after third-round win

Maria Sharapova said she would “play in the parking lot” if required after winning her third match on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open.

The Russian, 30, beat 18-year-old American Sofia Kenin 7-5 6-2 in the third round in New York.

Fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki had been critical of the decision to put Sharapova on the stadium court as she needed a wildcard after a doping ban.

“I don’t make the schedule,” said Sharapova, the 2006 champion.

“I’m a pretty big competitor. If you put me out in the parking lot of Queens in New York City, I’m happy to play there.

“That’s not what matters to me. All that matters to me is I’m in the fourth round. Yeah, I’m not sure where she is…”

Former world number one Wozniacki was beaten in the second round on Wednesday, having been scheduled on court five and later moved to court 17.

Sharapova has played all three matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium, finding her form in the second set against Kenin to reach the last 16.

She is playing her first Grand Slam event for 19 months after receiving a wildcard into the main draw, having returned from a 15-month doping suspension in April.

Injuries meant she had played just one match since May before Flushing Meadows, but she looks ready to contend for a sixth major title.

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‘The goal is to keep winning matches’

Kenin, like Sharapova, was born in Russia and moved to the United States with her family as a child, and the pair had exchanged words in Russian in the locker room.

It was Kenin who went into the match as the higher ranked player at 139 in the world, with Sharapova seven places lower as she makes her way back up the rankings.

Kenin won the US Open wildcard play-off to earn her spot in the main draw and capitalised with two wins before testing Sharapova.

The five-time Grand Slam champion dictated for the most part but was rarely comfortable as a result of too many errors – 25 in the first set alone – and a dogged opponent.

Kenin fought back from 4-1 down in the first set to level, only for Sharapova to edge the set with a forehand in game 12 and so avoid a tie-break.

Sharapova was pegged back from 3-0 to 3-2 in the second set as well but, more in control of her game now, she made just three errors in seeing out the second set.

The victory means Sharapova should return to the top 100 after the tournament, ending the question around wildcards at the Grand Slams.

“The goal is to keep winning matches, obviously to keep improving,” she said.

“Even when I was young, ranking is just not something that I’ve focused on or paid attention to. Even when I hadn’t been number one in the world, it just wasn’t really that big a goal of mine.

“The more matches you win, the more chances you have of getting a better ranking. That’s my goal.”

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Federer, Nadal, Del Potro Headline Day Six

Federer, Nadal, Del Potro Headline Day Six

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Querrey The Last American Standing

Querrey The Last American Standing

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