A match that really should be headlining Saturday night’s Arthur Ashe Stadium card, Juan Martin Del Potro…
Simona Halep will once again play early in New York as her and Timea Babos begin the day session on Arthur Ashe Stadium…
| US Open |
|---|
| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September |
| Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus text coverage on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app |
Britain’s Johanna Konta produced a commanding display to beat Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-1 and secure her place in the US Open fourth round in New York.
Konta, showing no sign of the health issues that affected her during the second round, brushed aside the Swiss 24th seed in 52 minutes.
The 25-year-old, ranked 13, reached the fourth round last year and made the Australian Open semi-finals in January.
Fellow Briton Kyle Edmund also reached the last 16 by beating John Isner.
Edmund, one of three British men in the third round, overcame the big-serving American in four sets and will face Novak Djokovic in the last 16.
Konta served with pace and accuracy from the start to keep 19-year-old Bencic on the back foot and a run of seven unanswered games gave her complete control.
She did not give away a single break point, won 19 out of 20 points on her first serve and hit 29 winners to her opponent’s nine.
“I feel overwhelmingly happy,” said Konta, who faces Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the next round.
“I felt I did a good job playing the match at hand and I focused all my energies into this match. I was happy how I dealt with things.”
Konta had collapsed on court in her previous match and needed almost 15 minutes of treatment before feeling able to continue.
“I’m still recovering in every way,” she added. “I think it was quite a traumatic experience. I’m just still working on getting better.”
Sevastova, ranked 48 in the world, beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in the second round before overcoming Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4 6-1 in the third.
If Konta comes through, she will face either Madison Keys or Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the semi-finals.
GB Davis Cup captain Leon Smith on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
Johanna Konta has every shot needed and can definitely challenge for Grand Slam titles. It’s not just her ranking, it’s who she beats that makes you think that.
She creates good speed on the ball herself but she can cope with power and the ball that comes to her at pace. She has good racquet control, quick feet and good balance, and is keeping the momentum going from last year.
American eighth seed Keys claimed a dramatic 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-3) win over a tearful Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Leading 5-1 in the final set and on the cusp of the biggest victory of her career, 81st-ranked Osaka crumbled as Keys took the next five games en route to a victory that left her 18-year-old opponent fighting back tears.
“This is the greatest comeback of my career, hands down,” said Keys.
Two-time US Open runner-up Wozniacki, now ranked 74, beat Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-1.
It is the first time since January the Dane has won three matches at the same tournament.
Petra Kvitova made the last 16 by beating Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-4 and will face second seed Angelique Kerber, who defeated 17-year-old American qualifier CiCi Bellis 6-1 6-1.
Roberta Vinci, the Italian seventh seed and runner-up to compatriot Flavia Pennetta in 2015, overcame Carina Witthoeft 6-0 5-7 6-3.
The 33-year-old Vinci will meet Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine for a quarter-final place.
Tsurenko, the world 99, made the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time by beating 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Spaniard beats Kuznetsov
Rafael Nadal was made to work by Andrey Kuznetsov at the US Open on Friday night, but finished strongly against the Russian in their third-round match, winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours. Nadal is now into the second week of a Grand Slam event for the first time since his quarter-final finish at Roland Garros last year, where he fell to Novak Djokovic. He lost in the third round of the US Open to Fabio Fognini last year, but had reached the final in his previous three appearances.
“I think I played well tonight,” Nadal said. “Very happy about the way I played. First set, especially, was very high level.”
Nadal was nearly flawless in the opening set, landing 73 per cent of first serves and making only three unforced errors. Realising that consistency was not going to bring him victory, Kuznetsov threw caution to the wind in the second set, attacking Nadal’s second serves with flat forehands. He won 10 of 16 points when the Spaniard failed to land a first serve and broke serve twice. Unfortunately for the Russian, Nadal pursued the same strategy on return games and broke three times to build a commanding lead.
Relieved to emerge with the second set, Nadal rediscovered his rhythm and cruised to the finish line. Kuznetsov, who had reached the second week of a Grand Slam only once in 14 attempts coming into the fortnight, made a last stand with Nadal serving at 5-2, 40/0. The Russian saved three match points to force deuce, but saw the two-time US Open champion pull off a perfect tweener lob, then convert his fourth match point with an unplayable flat serve.
Nadal, who has yet to drop a set in three matches in Flushing Meadows, should have plenty of physical reserves to make a deep run in the US Open draw. His next opponent will be 22-year-old Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who rallied to beat Roberto Bautista Agut in five sets.
“He is a great player. He is young. He has all the shots: good serve, good forehand, good backhand. He’s a tough opponent,” Nadal said. “I practiced with him a couple of times and I played him a long time ago. I know he’s able to play at a very high level. I’ll need to be ready to play my best if I want to keep going.”
Pouille, who reached his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon this year, is playing the best tennis of his life. However, he may also be drained coming into a match against one of the most physically intimidating players in tennis history. Pouille has dropped the first set in every one of his three matches thus far and is coming off consecutive five-set battles.
A fist pump. A leaping punch to the air. A thumbs up. We’ve seen it all in post-match celebrations. Or have we?
American Jack Sock was more like Pirates of the Caribbean’s Captain Jack Sparrow when celebrating his straight-sets win over Marin Cilic on Friday at the US Open to reach the fourth round.
⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔ @JackSock #usopen pic.twitter.com/NnXPx2Z7W4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016
“I was fencing with my racquet,” Sock explained. “I became good buddies in Rio with one of the fencers, Miles Chamley-Watson. He lives here in New York. I have been trying to get him to come out and watch a match. He was able to come out here today. Kind of on the spot I thought of turning the racquet into… I think it’s called a foil… Thought of turning the racquet into one of those and doing something for him for coming out.
“I think people were enjoying it. I have seen the video. It looks pretty funny, actually. So if he’s in the box on the next one and I’m able to win, you might see a cleaned up technique and better version of it.”
Sock’s next opponent, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, also did a unique post-win celebration after beating Kevin Anderson on the Grandstand. The Frenchman, often noted for his likeness to the late Muhammad Ali, shadow boxed to celebrate a straight-sets win as he advanced to the fourth round for the third year in a row.
Fighting his way into the fourth round. @tsonga7 #usopen pic.twitter.com/hpELxetyq4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016
So which celebration will we see after their fourth round clash on Sunday? We’ll have to wait to find out!
Former World No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis is turning back the clock this week in Flushing Meadows. The Cypriot ousted American qualifier Ryan Harrison 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1 on Friday at the US Open, reaching his first Grand Slam Round of 16 since the 2009 Australian Open.
Baghdatis fired 37 winners, including 10 aces, to prevail after two hours and 52 minutes. He was effective on return as well, converting six break chances. It is the 31-year-old’s best result in 11 appearances at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“I’m happy I’m in the second week,” said Baghdatis. “It’s been a long time and I’m happy it came here. I never passed into the second week at the US Open. I don’t miss a lot of balls and give a lot of free points. When I need to attack, I do. I’m very happy with the way I’m moving and returning.
“My goal is to finish my career in the Top 20 (of the Emirates ATP Rankings). It’s a big challenge and I want to achieve that. I’m putting the right people around me to do it.”
Baghdatis will next face 10th seed and two-time US Open quarter-finalist Gael Monfils on Sunday. Monfils, who defeated Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, owns a 2-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head edge over the Cypriot. He most recently earned a straight-set win at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati just last month.
“The good thing is I played him in Cincinnati,” Marcos said about Monfils. “I know what to expect and it’s going to be a tough battle, but I’ll try my best.”
Harrison, meanwhile, capped a strong week at his home Grand Slam, finishing with his best major result. One of four Americans to reach the third round, he notched the biggest win of his career in downing fifth seed Milos Raonic on Thursday.
#NextGen star Kyle Edmund set a high-powered fourth round encounter against top seed Novak Djokovic after stunning No. 1 American John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(5). Edmund, who converted his third match point after two hours and 42 minutes, withstood a serving barrage from Isner that included 27 aces.
The 21-year-old Brit saved six of seven break points for his second upset of a seeded opponent this week. He opened the tournament with a straight-sets victory over 13th-seed Richard Gasquet on Monday.
Making his US Open main draw debut, Edmund has dropped just one set en route to his first major Round of 16. He will face off against Djokovic for the second time this year, having lost in the first round at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami, in March.
After reaching the quarter-finals in 2011, Isner has fallen in the third round in New York in four of five years since. It marked just the American’s second defeat to an unseeded player at his home Grand Slam and first since 2008.
| US Open |
|---|
| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September |
| Coverage: Live commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Britain’s Dan Evans and Andy Murray will seek to make it four Britons in the last 16 of the US Open when they compete in the third round on Saturday.
Evans, 26, takes on third seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland at around 22:00 BST as he bids to make the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Murray, the second seed, is yet to drop a set and faces Italy’s world number 40 Paolo Lorenzi at around 19:00 BST.
Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund reached the last 16 with wins on Friday.
Evans, ranked 333 last year, beat German rising star Alexander Zverev in the second round and is on the verge of breaking into the world’s top 50 players.
For a long time Evans, by his own admission, failed to match his talent with the commitment required, but now his hard work is starting to bring rewards.
He broke into the top 100 for the first time in April and now the world number 64 faces two-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka in the biggest match of his career.
“The number one most important thing is he decided he wanted to play tennis properly,” said Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.
“It doesn’t matter who was in his ear telling him he had ability, telling him he could have a career, that doesn’t matter. It’s got to come from within.
“For Dan it took him until he was 25 years old to say, ‘I want to do this’.”
Murray, 29, has arguably had the best year of his career, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics and reaching three out of three Grand Slam finals.
“I have capitalised on a few opportunities,” he said.
“When some of the other top guys maybe hadn’t played or struggled or lost, it’s important I have taken those chances when they have come.”
Lorenzi, 34, reached the third round with a draining five-set win against Frenchman Gilles Simon on Thursday.
A former medical student with a surgeon brother in London, this will be his first appearance in a Grand Slam third round.
“I’m feeling dead,” Lorenzi said after his win over Simon. “I’m feeling very tired but it is normal because we play almost five hours. I have one day off so I hope that on Saturday I will be full power again.
“I have to be 100% because my only chance is to play my best tennis and even then maybe it’s not enough.”
Serena and Venus Williams, Kei Nishikori and Juan Martin del Potro are among other players in action on day six at Flushing Meadows.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
World No. 1 plays just six games to jump from second round to fourth round
Novak Djokovic has had an easy passage to the US Open fourth round… perhaps a little too easy. The top seed was leading 4-2 in Friday’s third-round meeting with Mikhail Youzhny when the Russian retired with a leg injury.
Having received a walkover from Czech Jiri Vesely in the second round, Djokovic’s biggest concern heading into the second week of the Open will be a lack of match play. Top of mind will be the walkover Djokovic received from Fabio Fognini in the Roland Garros quarter-finals in 2011. At the time Djokovic was on a 43-match winning streak but the disruption to his rhythm caused by the Fognini walkover was attributed in part to his stumble against Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Djokovic will meet the winner of John Isner and Kyle Edmund in the fourth round.
American through to fourth round
Jack Sock has come a long way from finding himself in a five-set battle with Taylor Fritz in the first round on Monday. Four days later and the American is through to the US Open fourth round for the first time after upsetting seventh seed and former champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
The 26th-seeded Sock, who had fallen in the third round twice before, dominated proceedings, winning 28 points more than Cilic and limiting himself to just 15 unforced errors as he prevailed in one hour and 41 minutes.
Sock recorded his first Top 10 win in a major to reach the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the second time, having also done so at Roland Garros last year (l. to Nadal). Looking to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, Sock will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The 23-year-old Sock is coming off a memorable summer, which saw him clinch a mixed doubles gold medal at the Olympics, alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and bronze in the men’s doubles with Steve Johnson. He was also a quarter-finalist at the Citi Open (l. to Karlovic) and reached the third round in Toronto (l. to Wawrinka). Earlier in the year, the Kansas resident was runner-up in Auckland and Houston.
Cilic was looking for a repeat of his 2014 title-winning run at Flushing Meadows. The Croat, who is playing his first tournament with new coach Jonas Bjorkman, came into the US Open in top form, after winning his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, where he defeated Andy Murray in the final.
Frenchman through to fourth round
Ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showcased a new boxing-style celebration as he sealed his place in the fourth round of the US Open on Friday. The Frenchman, oft-likened in appearance to the late Muhammed Ali, defeated Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) before showcasing his shadow boxing moves on Grandstand.
The 31-year-old Tsonga avoided a fourth set as he fended off a set point in a lengthy 10th game of the third set, before edging Anderson in the ensuing tie-break to claim victory in two hours and 50 minutes.
“It’s never easy to play that kind of player,” said Tsonga. “He’s serving well. He’s also moving well from his baseline for his height. Today it was a good challenge for me to beat him. I did it well. It was a good match for me.”
A good run at the US Open could see Tsonga mount a late charge in the Emirates ATP Race To London. He is currently 16th, more than 1000 points behind eighth-placed Gael Monfils. Injuries have blighted parts of his season, but the right-hander came back strongly at Wimbledon, where he reached the quarter-finals (l. to Murray).
As he looks to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the third time, Tsonga will face Jack Sock. The Frenchman reached the last eight in 2011 (l. to Federer) and 2015 (l. to Cilic).
No. 10 seed Monfils surged into the second week with a confident 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Nicolas Almagro in the third round. After cruising to a two-set lead, Monfils emerged the winner by taking an unusual third set which featured five consecutive breaks of serve.
The Frenchman only dropped six first-serve points in the one-hour, 49-minute victory and broke Almagro seven times to even his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry at 3-3. The explosive Monfils stayed within his comfort zone against the hard-hitting Spaniard, firing 31 winners and only 20 unforced errors. Meanwhile, Almagro hit 18 winners and succumbed after making 42 unforced errors.
In the fourth round, the 2010 and 2014 US Open quarter-finalist will take on Marcos Baghdatis. The Cypriot’s lone victory against Monfils came a decade ago at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati.
Rising French star Lucas Pouille is into the second week in New York after outlasting Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. The 22 year old, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon this year, is into the fourth round of a major tournament for the second time. The No. 24 seed broke serve in the final game of a tight fourth set, then raced to a 5-0 lead in the final set against Bautista Agut. He finished with 67 winners, including 14 aces.