NEW YORK:
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic motored into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Sunday as reigning ladies’s champion Aryna Sabalenka saved her title defence firmly on monitor.
Spanish second seed Alcaraz and tennis icon Djokovic — who’re on track to satisfy within the semi-finals — each recorded straight-sets wins on the Arthur Ashe Stadium most important court docket.
5-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz overpowered France’s Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4 and has not dropped a set so far on the championships.
“I believe my model of tennis fits fairly nicely the power right here in New York,” the 22-year-old mentioned.
“The power is particular enjoying the day session, enjoying the night time session. It would not matter, persons are all the time there. I find it irresistible and I believe that is why I play my finest tennis right here,” he added.
Alcaraz will face Czech twentieth seed Jiri Lehecka within the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Lehecka reached the final eight of a Grand Slam for under the second time after battling previous veteran Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, successful 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Djokovic, 38, continued his newest bid for a document twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title with a brisk 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff.
“It undoubtedly helps if you happen to serve nicely. I believe I had an awesome serving efficiency final spherical and likewise tonight,” mentioned Djokovic. “That helps make it simpler on the court docket.”
Djokovic faces a quarter-final on Tuesday in opposition to fourth seed Taylor Fritz, the lone American man left within the draw.
Fritz sprinted into the final eight with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 defeat of the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in 1hr 38min.
Fritz is carrying hopes of being the primary US males’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick in 2003 following the exits of fellow seeds Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe.
However Fritz will head into his quarter-final in opposition to Djokovic with historical past stacked in opposition to him. Djokovic has received all 10 of their previous conferences, together with a 2023 quarter-final win on the US Open.
“I believe the primary, virtually like seven or eight instances I performed him, I most likely simply wasn’t a adequate participant to actually have that a lot of an opportunity,” mentioned Fritz.
“I believe solely the final couple instances we have performed I believe I have been this simply higher participant that may, you understand, I might say compete and have probabilities.”
Within the ladies’s draw, Sabalenka by no means seemed troubled in a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Moldova-born Spaniard Cristina Bucsa, ranked ninety fifth on this planet.
Sabalenka has now reached the quarter-finals or higher at 12 straight Grand Slam tournaments, a consistency she attributes to hanging a steadiness in her life on and off the court docket.
“I am tremendous proud, I believe that is an unbelievable achievement,” Sabalenka mentioned.
“I believe for me the important thing was balancing on and off-the-court life. I believe I’ve performed an awesome job on balancing actually laborious work and likewise nice restoration and a few enjoyable time outdoors of tennis court docket. I believe that is been the important thing.”
Sabalenka faces a quarter-final in opposition to the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, who upset ninth seed Elena Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 within the late sport on Arthur Ashe.
In different ladies’s draw motion on Sunday, one other Czech, unseeded former French Open and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, conjured a outstanding escape to oust Taylor Townsend, saving an unbelievable eight match factors earlier than digging out a 1-6, 7-6 (15/13), 6-3 victory.
Krejcikova fought off a match level on her personal serve at 5-4 down within the second set, after which by some means survived seven match factors in an enthralling tie-breaker to maneuver on.
“What a match,” mentioned Krejcikova, who revealed she had questioned if she would ever play tennis once more after lacking the opening months of the season with a again harm.
“I used to be sidelined for six months and did not know if I’d ever play once more. I am tremendous pleased I could be right here.”
Krejcikova will face American fourth seed Jessica Pegula within the quarter-finals.
Pegula, overwhelmed within the ultimate final 12 months, superior to the final eight after breezing previous compatriot Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court docket.
