That’s all for this blog – we’ll have a new one along, for the evening session, coming up shortly. Bye for now.
Gauff has a chat on court: “It feels insane. Ashe Stadium chanting my name … I was trying to stay in the moment … I can’t believe you guys were chanting like that, it was crazy!”
On the conditions: “I’m from Florida, so the hotter the better.”
What will she do on her day off tomorrow, before a quarter-final against Caroline Garcia? “Honestly I just practice and then I just scroll on TikTok all day, to be honest.”
Gauff belts a few tennis balls into the cheering crowd, and gets another massive ovation. She is a special player.
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Gauff beats Zhang! 7-5, 7-5
Gauff gets it done. That was phenomenal.
Zhang 5-7, 5-6 *Gauff (*denotes next server)
Steely, steely determination and no little skill from the superb Gauff. She breaks – and she can serve for the match.
*Zhang 5-7, 5-5 Gauff (*denotes next server)
All square again. If this goes to three sets, the evening session will be delayed.
Zhang 5-7, 5-4 *Gauff (*denotes next server)
But hang on a second! Gauff hits straight back with her own break of serve, playing some stunning stuff along the way. Martina Navratilova, on commentary, says that Gauff “is out-physical-ing” Zhang. “Is that a word,” she wonders?
“It is now,” replies Mark Petchey.
*Zhang 5-7, 5-3 Gauff (*denotes next server)
Zhang breaks, and will serve for the second set! This is going the distance, it would appear.
Zhang 5-7, 4-3 *Gauff (*denotes next server)
Zhang holds to love, confidently and impressively.
*Zhang 5-7, 3-3 Gauff (*denotes next server)
All square again. Can Zhang force this to a decider?
Zhang 5-7, 3-2 *Gauff (*denotes next server)
A remarkable game in which Zhang collapses from 40-0 up all the way to a couple of break points for Gauff. The American continues to run down balls that other players would simply not get near. Anyway, Zhang clings on to hold serve and lead again.
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*Zhang 5-7, 2-2 Gauff (*denotes next server)
All square in the second set – but Gauff is now pushing to break her opponent in the fifth game …
*Zhang 5-7, 1-1 Gauff (*denotes next server)
Showing some astonishing speed around the court, along with a healthy does of aggressive shot-making, the home favourite saves a couple of break points and holds.
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Thanks Daniel. Hello all. We’ll keep this blog going until the end of Zhang v Gauff, before the new blog comes along for Nick Kyrgios v Daniil Medvedev. On which note, Zhang leads 1-0 in the second set having held to begin, and she now has a break point …
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Oh, I tell a lie – Luke McLaughlin is going to bestow more lovely tennis upon you. Enjoy!
The second set of that should be a goodun and Carreno Busta v Khachanov is just getting going too. But my watch is over, so it’s goodnight from me … but not from us. We’ll be back very soon for Medvedev [1] v Kyrgios [23] – that match starts in just two hours. Peace out.
Updated
Gauff is bang at it now, bouncing through her hold to 15, and she takes the first set off Zhang 7-5! That was a decent match, but like Davidovich Fokina v Berrettini, class told when it really needed to.
Gauff holds for 5-5, but when she makes 0-15 she spanks a forehand long. No matter; she patiently climbs to 30-40, opens shoulders on a backhand, and Zhang goes long! 6-5 Gauff, and after change of ends she’ll serve for the first srt.
Zhang is playing with great tenacity and no little skill, breaking Gauff back then holding for 5-4. This set has been really interesting and we’ve not yet reached its best bit.
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Garcia says she was trying to play her game and be aggressive, but the first set she struggled to control her emotions; she was much better in the second, and has now won 12 matches straight. She wants to go for her shots even when she’s tight and really enjoying playing that way; she’s also looking forward to the doubles tomorrow.
Caroline Garcia [17] beats Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-4 6-1!
She needs a succession of deuces to do it but is playing beautifully at the moment. She meets Gauff or Zhang in her first US Open quarter, and leaps about the court in traditional fashion. She’s looking great.
A belter of a point from Gauff secures her a break, a brilliant get – Zhang should’ve done more with her next shot but still – facilitating a punishing forehand followed by a backhand winner. Gauff leads 4-3.
Since nailing that winner on set point, Garcia has been irresistible, and she secures the double break for 5-1; she’ll now serve for the match…
I’m enjoying Gauff’s rig and she plays an inside-out backhand to match, clouting from centre to forehand corner and the clean winner saving another break point. she secures the hold for 2-2 while Garcia leads 6-4 4-1 and is totally dominating.
Wow! A glooorious forehand from Gauff, chasing down a drop and sending the ball hurtling cross-court an inch over the tape, raises two break-back points … and she takes the second, punishing an inside-out forehand into the corner! we’re back on serve, Zhang 2-1 in front.
Gauff comes in but gets too low and nets a backhand, giving Zhang break point; Gauff saves it, but can’t save the next, so Zhang leads 2-0! Elsewhere, Garcia consolidates for 6-4 3-0, and Riske-Amritraj is in big trouble.
On Armstrong, we’re ten to done. Garcia didn’t play great in the first set, but such is her confidence currently, she took it anyway, and has broken to love for 2-0 in the second. it’s a long way back from here for Riske-Amritraj.
We’re away on Ashe and Gauff takes Zhang to deuce. And though, after winning a 21-shot rally for advantage – that augurs well for a buzz of a match – Zhang can’t convert, she soon secures her hold via backhand winner cross-court.
Updated
Riske-Amritraj goes long on the forehand to give Garcia 15-all, then a double fault puts her within two points of the set. And, well, oh dear – a backhand shanked long means two set points. And Garcia doesn’t wait to be asked, clattering a forehand onto the line to give her a 6-4 set, her seventh out of seven in this competition. She is steaming hot at the moment!
It’s mad to think that Gauff is still only 18, while Zhang, 33, has found her best form in her dotage. She won’t make this easy. Meantime, Garcia now leads Riske-Amritraj 5-4, on serve, but now has scoreboard pressure on her side.
Before Gauff arrives on court, Mark Petchey and Martina discuss that her forehand might not be strong enough to win here – though it’s improved. Thing is, though, this is women’s tennis, the least predictable sport in the word, and no one’s got a clue what’s going to be. But here come the players!
Leading 3-2 but trailing 40-0, Garcia plays a gorgeous little drop. I doubt it’ll help her much in this game, but it suggests she’s finding her rhythm – though Riske-Amritraj quickly closes out for 3-3.
Updated
On Armstrong, Garcia had to save a variety of break points but she and Riske-Amritraj are now at 2-2 in set one.
Next on Ashe: Shuai Zhang v Coco Gauff [12]
Ruud says Moutet is a tricky player with a variety of shots in his arsenal, but is pretty happy with his performance. Moutet played in the third, but he served well and enjoyed his Ashe debut – he looks forward to telling his kids and grandkids about it. He thinks the speed of the courts is slower than when his dad played – they’ve done the clay-court specialists a favour, he reckons – and is, he tells us, a huge golf fan. He also looks like the fourth McGann brother and is the first Norwegian into a US Open quarter.
Casper Ruud [5] beats Corentin Moutet 6t-1 6-2 (4)6-7 6-2!
He’ll be annoyed that he got careless so had to play an extra set, but he meets Berrettini next – that should be a decent little go-around.
Not for the first time, Moutet has lost the heid, but from 15-40 he makes deuce, saving two match points in the process. No matter, Ruud forces another and this time a Moutet forehand clips the net and sails wide!
Ruud holds for 5-2, then Moutet sounds off at the umpire for a time violation he must’ve got while I was either having tea or focused on the other match. This is nearly over.
Garcia has to come back from 0-30 down to hold serve for 1-0 but she does so really well, a forehand larruped from centre to corner the highlight. And, on Ashe, Ruud is serving at 4-2 in the fourth, just two games away from Berrettini and the last eight.
Garcia and Riske-Amritraj are knocking up; Garcia has been excellent recently, winning Cincinnati last month, but Riske-Amritraj is a live dog. Meantime, Ruud consolidates to lead 4-1 in the fourth, and he’s nearly home.
A brilliant backhand, hooked cross-court to break the sideline, gives Ruud 0-30. Then, at 15-30, a lovely disguised drop facilitates the putaway, and though Moutet saves one break point, he goes long on the forehand playing the next. Moutet 1-6 2-6 7-6(4) 1-3 Ruud
Next on Armstrong: Caroline Garcia [17] v Alison Riske-Amritraj [29].
Berrettini says he didn’t start well but looking at his box cheered him up. He acknowledges that Davidovich Fokina played well and though he didn’t want to finish the match with his opponent injured, he’s happy. He also notes how humid it is today, thanks his parents, and wishes well his brother who’s been having a tough time.
Berrettini can play a lot better than that – he’ll have to to do anything here – but he’s in the last eight, looks fit again, and with his serve ad forehand is a danger against anyone. He also competes like a madman, starting poorly but finding something every time he needed to.
Matteo Berrettini [13] beats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 3-6 7-6(2) 6-3 4-6 2-6!
That’s a great win for Berrettini, and he meets Ruud or Moutet next, Ruud currently leads by two sets to one and by one game to love.
Updated
Yeah, Davidovich Fokina is hurting both physically and mentally, unable to push off and feeling the emotion at the end of a really fun match. He finds himself at 0-40, and Berrettini will, presumably, finish this here and nar.
We get away again and Berrettini holds to love – Davidovich Fokina looks done. He gets another 90 seconds of treatment at change of ends, but at 2-5 in the fifth will shortly serve to stay in the match, struggling to move.
Eeesh. In the process of making it 40-0, Davidovich Fokina slides, his knee takes a load of pressure, and gives way; I hope he’ll be fine but he looks in pain, and though he struggles through his hold for 2-4, when the trainer comes out at change of ends, he yelps in pain as it’s manipulated. Meanwhile, Moutet has somehow rebounded from two sets and a break down to win the breaker to four! Do we got ourselves a ball-game?
Before the last game, a stat flashed up on Louis Armstrong Stadium that said Matteo Berrettini had hit six (6!) backhand winners in the entire tournament, vs 82 on forehand.
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 4, 2022
Two minutes later, he drills a backhand cross court passing shot winner to break for 3-1 in the fifth.
This time, Berrettini consolidates, murdering an ace to hold to 15 for 4-1. It’s hard to see Davidovich Fokina coming back from here; ultimately, every time it’s really needed to in this match, class has told.
Berrettini gets to 0-30, but then nets a backhand. “Foki, Foki, Foki” chant some lads in the crowd. But their man then goes long on the forehand, Berrettini flings a backhand pass cross-court when Davidovich Fokina plays a poor approach, and that’s his break back! Berrettini leads 3-1 in the fifth.
Thanks Tom – this is Daniel back, and we’re at that point on Armstrong. Berrettini leads 2-1 in the fifth but we’re back on third, while Ruud, two sets to the good, is serving for a third-set breaker.
Look at that, Foki just broke back to make it 2-1. That’ll teach me to doubt him.
More Alejandro Davidovich Fokina facts: his dad was a boxer and his nickname is Foki (the second fact is, admittedly, not great). And he’s just been broken in the fifth set, which is definitely not great for Foki either. Berrettini leads 2-0.
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Casper Ruud is cantering – maybe even trotting – towards victory over Corentin Moutet. He’s two sets up but Moutet has just broken back to make it 4-4 in the third. It’s been a nice tournament for the 23-year-old Frenchman, even if he loses today. This is the furthest he’s even reached in a grand slam (and he’ll pocket $278,000 too) and he’ll climb back into the Top 100.
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, surely in the top 5 Spanish tennis players with Russian, Swedish and Jewish heritage, had set point at 5-3 on Matteo Berrettini’s serve. But the Italian battled back and Davidovich Fokina now needs to hold serve to take it to a fifth, and deciding, set. Which … he does as the match ticks past the three-hour mark.
Victoria Azarenka has said tennis must do more to stop the exploitation of female players, something that seems to be particularly problematic when older coaches work with younger women.
“In the women’s game, particularly, I see so many coaches that make their players dependent on them, and I think that’s very dangerous. It’s very manipulative too. I wish that kind of subject was talked about a little bit more,” said Azarenka.
Azarenka says she would have concerns about her own daughter playing on tour.
“It’s really sad and really makes me emotional, because I have a son, that I don’t see that happens so much on the men’s tour. And if I had a daughter, I would have a question would she want to play tennis, that would be a very big concern in that way for me,” she said.
You can read the full story here:
Anyone interested in some men’s doubles news? No? You’re getting it anyway. USA’s Rajeev Ram and Britain’s Joe Salisbury, who are the reigning champions and No 1 seeds, are a break and a set up against the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.
Righto, I’m off for some scran; here’s Tom Lutz to navigate you through the next little bit.
Davidovich Fokina looks a different player now, and though Berrettini gets to 30-all, he runs around his backhand to punish the shot which earns him game point; a service winner follows, and that’s the consolidation. Davidovich Fokina 6-3 (2)6-7 6-3 3-1 Berrettini
An unbelievable get from Davidovich Fokina, sprinting to the forehand corner to whip a glorious winner down the line, on the stretch, is as good a shot as we’ll see today, and when he makes it 0-30 he gets busy noising up the crowd. Then, at 15-30, he opens shoulders to nail a brilliant forehand winner and raise two break points; Berrettini saves the first with a superb backhand cross-court, followed up with a putaway at the net, then Davidovich Fokina goes long off the return, bringing us to deuce. Berrrettini, though, then overhits a backhand … only for Davidovich Fokina to do the same on advantage. He can barely believe what he’s done, but it doesn’t matter because he takes the next opportunity and hollers to the heavens when Berrettini nets and he secures the break! He trails 2-1 in sets but leads 2-1 in games while, on Ashe, both players took a long break between sets and are just back playing now.
Berrettini holds to love at the start of set four and has now won 18 consecutive points on serve, while Ruud serves out to lead 6-1 6-2. Neither match is close now.
Moutet has lost the head a little here, slamming a ball into the crowd both while and after conceding the double break. Truth us, it’s odd we don’t see more of that – tennis is a frustrating endeavour – and when he’s penalised a point, Ruud grasses to the umpire that given he’d already been warned, the first should’ve meant a point and the second a game. But we stay with the latter so Ruud leads 6-1 5-2 15-0.
Oh dear. Berrettini breaks to love, has now won six points in a row, and from a set and break down now leads by two sets to one! Davidovich Fokina 6-3 (2)6-7 3-6 Berrettini
Berrettini’s serving is just remorselessly, relentlessly violent and he quickly makes 5-3; Davidovich Fokina will now have to hold to stay in set two while, on Armstrong, Ruud now leads 6-1 4-2.
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A much-needed hold to 15 for Davidovich Fokina while, serving at 6-1 2-1 and 30-all, Ruud picks a terrific time to serve his first ace of the match. He still has to plough through deuce for his consolidation, but he gets there and leads 6-1 3-1, while Berrettini is sailing through his service games now and leads 4-2 in the third.
It kind of felt that way when Berrettini broke back immediately in set two and it really feels that that way now, that way meaning the match had tipped in favour of the Italian. He breaks for 2-1 and that’s the thing, really: he’s got two gargantuan weapons, the serve and the forehand, and now both are firing, Davidovich Fokina doesn’t really have the game to rival him. And, as I type that, Berrettini consolidates to love, while Ruud breaks Moutet for 6-1 2-1.
Berrettini consolidates for 2-0 in the third, while Moutet and Ruud are 1-1 in the second, Ruud having taken the first 6-1.
Berrettini is the better player now, and he makes a mess of a decent forehand opportunity at 0-15. But he winds up at 30-40 anyway, punishes one for the break, and the tide seems to have turned. Davidovich Fokina 6-3 (2)6-7 0-1 Berrettini
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Yup, Ruud serves out for 6-1 and he’s too good for Moutet at the moment. Moutet, though, has had a few chances on the Ruud serve – he’s just been unable to take them – and with a better consistency on the big points, he can make the match closer than this set was.
Berrrettini found his forehand in the nick of time there, and it’s not hard to see him stomping on the gas from here. Meantime, Ruud breaks Moutet a second time to lead 5-1 in set one.
Five points in a row for Berrettini give him 6-2 and four set points; Davidovich Fokina then goes wide, and after leading by a set and a break, he now finds the match level! Davidovich Fokina 6-3 (2)6-7 Berrettni.
Berrettini’s forehand isn’t really firing here – he missed one he should’ve despatched on break point, and now he misses another for the mini-break at 2-1. No matter, he hits a beauty following his own serve for 2-2 and increasingly it looks like its accuracy will decide this breaker and quite possibly this match; as I type that, it earns the Italian 4-2 while, in the other match, Ruud has consolidated and leads 4-1 in the first.
Excellent from Ruud, who gets to 15-40 on the Moutet serve then, playing break point, he sprints out wide to chase down a very decent drop and spirits a winer low around the net! That’s very, very good and Ruud now leads 3-1 while, on Armstrong, Davidovich Fokina holds so we’ll have tiebreak to settle set two. I fancy Berrettini because I almost always fancy the huge server, but he’s not playing that well so we shall see.
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Meantime, at Old Trafford the second half has just got going.
Berrettini is about due a haircut – I’m surprised he’s not sorted one because a load of it under that hat and in this head sounds miserable. Maybe he’s growing it out, but anyhow, from 0-30 he holds for 3-6 6-5, so Davidovich Fokina will now serve for a second-set breaker.
Serving to stay in the set, a loose forehand down the line from Davidovich Fokina gives Berrettini 0-15 and a netted one makes it 30-all; the Spaniard has dominated this match, but he’s two points away from going into set three level. Then another error gives Berrettini set point … but he misses an inside-out forehand with plenty of time in which to play it and space at which to aim it! From there, Davidovich Fokina closes out, and might that be a crucial game in the context of the match? He leads 6-3 5-5, while Moutet and Ruud are 1-1 in the third.
It’s a long first game on Ashe, but eventually Ruud holds for 1-0 after a succession of deuces while, on Armstrong, we’re at 4-4 in set two. Berrettini is playing as little better now, and Davidovich Fokina might just’ve cooled slightly, which was to be expected – were he good enough to maintain that level, he’d be ranked higher than 39.
Berrettini gets to 0-30, but Davidovich Fokina is playing what might be the match of his life, and at 15-30, his speed gets him to a drop with time to stead and lift a soft-handed riposte for a winner. We wind up at deuce … and two errors from Davidovich Fokina hand back the break! Berrettini shrieks in delight, and can he build on that? We’re back on serve in set two at 3-3 while, on Armstrong, Ruud is serving in the first game.
Moutet and Ruud are knocking up on Ashe; they’ll be away presently.
Updated
Davidovich Fokina holds, then gets himself to 15-30 on the Berrettini serve, but then swipes long. Still, two booming forehands from the Spaniard earn him break point – he’s by far the better player at the moment and Berrettini hasn’t got a single first serve in in this game. But he finds one when he needs one, then another … except from out wide on the forehand, Davidovich Fokina, who leaned the wrong way, chases it and absolutely creams a winner into the near corner! His advantage, then another fine return presses it home, and that’s the break! Davidovich Fokina leads 6-3 3-2!
Superb from Davidovich Fokina, marching in to put away a volley for 15-30 on the Berrettini serve. But a big delivery followed by an ace raise game point for the Italian, then another forces a long return, and Davidovich Fokina now leads 6-3 1-2.
Berrettini finishes the first game of set two with a brutal ace, as we learn that his legs are thin, putting a lot of pressure on his hip when he torques it to generate power. I didn’t know that, and actually think we need more of that kind of thing – tennis lags way behind the other sports that I watch in terms of its expert co-commentators imparting technical detail that morons like me can’t detect.
We’re 12 minutes away from Moutet v Ruud [5]. Of course I’ll be watching that one too.
Lovely from Davidovich Fokina at 15-30, serving dead slow because he’s desperate to make it, but charging in and leaping into a backhand volley put-away at the net. Then, at 40-30, another slowish first serve, at the body, Berrettini, deceived, nets, and that’s the first set in the books. Davidovich Fokina 6-3 Berrettni
Berrettini holds, so Davidovich Fokina must now serve for it at 5-3.
Davidovich Fokina is playing really nicely here. At some point, we’ll wonder whether he can maintain his level, but for now, he leads 5-2 and Berrettini will serve to stay in the first set.
A terrific combo of backhand slice cross-court/forehand bang down the line gets Berrettini 15-all, then from 30-all he closes out for 2-4. He’s having to fight hard for his holds here.
Davidovich Fokina’s barnet has come bang out of 1994.
Learn more about this fascinating topic in Joy of Six; ponytails.
Meantime, another simple hold and he leads 4-1.
Berrettini is on the board with a comfy hold – one he secures with a drive backhand down the line. That’ll give him some confidence, but Davidovich Fokina still leads 3-1.
Davidovich Fokina is playing nicely here, but when Berrettini reads an overhead putaway – it goes to the backhand corner, which makes sense – Davidovich Fokina strays wide so has to go through deuce for his consolidation. And he does, very quickly, so now leads 3-0!
As for Berrettini, Calv notes that “He is so odd. Has balls of steel but chokes terribly.” And as I type that, with Davidovich Fokina 1-0 up, Berrettini hammers a forehand long and will now face three break points. Berrettini saved them all, though – he’s in the game now – but a terrific point from the Spaniard, who moves beautifully into a step-in forehand earns him another go. And this time, a decent backhand slice incites Berretini to net, and Davidovich Fokina leads 2-0!
Away we go, Davidovich Fokina to serve!
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“Relatively uninteresting, just a solid player,” says Calvin Betton, our resident coach, on Davidovich Fokina. “Other than, randomly, this: he doesn’t have a particularly big serve at all. But he does have (dubiously) the fourth fastest serve ever recorded. And one of only two in the top 10 from the last 10 years. It’s a weird anomaly and I’m sure it was recorded wrong, but it’s there.”
On Eurosport, Martina says Davidovich Fokina has got his head right – and she knows as well as anyone the difference that can make. Tim Henman, meanwhile, says he looks at this match and thinks “opportunity” – for both players.
Berrettini [13] and Davidovich Fokina take to the court.
Preamble
Greetings all, and welcome to another majestic day of US Open tennis. The highlight, of course, comes in the evening sesh – how about a bit of Daniil Medevev v Nick Kyrgios to allay the Sunday night blues – but there’s plenty to keep us buzzing before that.
On Armstrong, we get under way with the latest installment of Matteo Berrettini’s latest attempt to win a major without a major winner’s drive backhand – he meets the improving Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – and an hours later comes Corentin Moutet v Casper Ruud, world number five but still to show himself as a serious threat on any surface bar clay.
Then, after that, we’ve the surging Shuai Zhang playing the surging Coco Gauff and the surging Caroline Garica against Alison Riske-Amritraj; a potential belter featuring pablo Carreño Busta v Karen Khachanov; and the GOAT slayer, Ajla Tomljanovic, taking on Liudmila Samsonova. And it’s live!
Play: 11am local, 4pm BST
