US Open: Sinner Advances as Gauff and Swiatek Struggle
Reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner surged into the third round of the US Open on Thursday, while both Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek faced challenges in their respective matches, showcasing the emotional highs and lows of the tournament.
Sinner wasted no time asserting his dominance, dispatching Australia’s Alexei Popyrin with a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory. This triumph extends his Grand Slam winning streak on hard courts to an impressive 23 matches. The Italian top seed expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I’m very happy that I managed these matches as good as I could,” while noting areas for improvement in his serve. Sinner will face Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the next round.
Third seed Alexander Zverev also advanced smoothly, defeating Britain’s Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, while Lorenzo Musetti continued his strong form by overcoming Belgium’s David Goffin. Russian 15th seed Andrey Rublev triumphed over American wild card Tristan Boyer in four sets, moving on to face Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong, who continued his remarkable run with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Australian Adam Walton. Wong, ranked 173rd, made history earlier in the week as the first man from Hong Kong to win a Grand Slam singles match.
In a surprising turn, ninth seed Karen Khachanov became the biggest casualty of the men’s draw, surrendering a two-set lead to Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.
Gauff’s Emotional Battle
Coco Gauff fought through tears and tension to secure her spot in the third round, overcoming Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/5), 6-2. Despite being broken four times in the opening set, Gauff displayed remarkable resilience, stating, “Honestly, today was a tough match for me, but I’m just happy with how I was able to manage it.” Drawing inspiration from gymnastics icon Simone Biles, she focused on staying composed during the match. Gauff will face Poland’s Magdalena French next, with the possibility of a blockbuster clash against Naomi Osaka in the following round. Osaka advanced with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Hailey Baptiste.
Swiatek Faces Tough Challenge
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek opened the day’s action on Arthur Ashe, battling through a tough encounter against the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens, ultimately winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Swiatek, who initially seemed in control, acknowledged the match’s complications but was pleased with her ability to reset and perform better in the third set. The 2022 US Open champion has been in stellar form, having won 16 of her last 17 matches, and will face Russian 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the last 16.
Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova, a semifinalist in the past two years, also advanced, edging past Sorana Cirstea in three competitive sets
