Ninth seed Dominic Thiem reached the US Open fourth round – but not without a spectacular bit of racquet-smashing and an unfortunately timed rain delay.

The Austrian was about to serve for the match when play was suspended, although he returned to court 20 minutes later to complete a 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over American Taylor Fritz.

Before that Thiem had taken out his frustration on his racquet – destroying it – while trailing 2-0 in the third.

“I’m very sorry for that,” he said.

“A lot of bad things were going through my mind as everyone could see.”

Thiem will face South African Kevin Anderson in the last 16 after the Wimbledon finalist was taken to five sets by Canadian 28th seed Denis Shapovalov, eventually winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-4.

The 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro came through his third-round match against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who knocked out Britain’s Andy Murray, in straight sets.

The Argentine won 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 in two hours and 59 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and has yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament.

Del Potro sent down 12 aces, hit 41 winners and won 80% of his first serves to set up a fourth-round match against Croatia’s Borna Coric.

Canadian 25th seed Milos Raonic knocked out 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-3 victory. He will face 11th seed John Isner next after the American beat Serb Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (10-8) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 7-5.