And with that, I’ll sign off.
Thanks for sticking with me. Hope the rest of your Friday treats you well and you enjoy the rest of the tennis.
Here’s the man of the moment, Tiafoe:
I love this court. It was all perspective. I played a loose game early in the first. But I found my rhythm and I used that as I found confidence. I got it done and it feels good to be in the fourth round.
[Mannarino] is so annoying to play. You look at him and you think, ‘What is he doing’. He defends really well and is super tough. He has a great lefty serve. He’s so annoying to play.
It’s all about this tournament. I’ve always watched this tournament and wanted to play it. [The crowd] is crazy, they make it a lot of fun to play.
Frances Tiafoe beats Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6)
Finally, after almost three hours, Tiafoe reaches the fourth round for the fourth year in a row in New York. It was an absorbing match that had plenty of thrilling rallies. Most went the way of the home town favourite but he had to work for it. Mannarino refused to lie down. Brilliant tennis. Loved that match.
7-6. Tiafoe gets lucky in that Minnarino’s lob wasn’t well directed so the American’s erratic charge to the net isn’t punished. He is able to volley a winner. Second match point.
6-6. Oh, Tiafoe had him. He just couldn’t lift the stooping backhand high enough and over the net. If he had he’d be on to the next round as the whole court was open after Minnarino had chased down a wide ball near the net.
6-5. Tiafoe misses his first serve and Minnarino comes forward to meet his second. But Tiafoe survives the return and Minnarino can’t clear the net on his forehand. Match point for the American.
5-5. Tiafoe is long again. Neither man can grab hold of this tiebreak.
5-4. A huge point for Tiafoe. He waits before charging to the net and delicately volleys down the line.
Updated
4-4. Tiafoe goes long on a backhand. Mannarino to serve and possibly take this to a fifth set.
4-3. Mannarino goes to the net early. He’s been picked off doing so earlier in the set but this time he gets his racket to the ball and puts the volley away.
4-2. Tiafoe delivers his 15th ace of the match. What a time to do it.
3-2 to Tiafoe. Mannarino snatches at his forehand and sends it long; He then bounces – not throws or smashes – his racket on the ground.
2-2. Mannarino leaves a backhand short.
2-1 to Mannarino thanks to a thumping forehand winner. Tiafoe was slow on that second serve which allowed the Frenchman to step into that shot.
We’re heading to a tiebreak. Tiafoe belts a winner on the backhand. 6-6.
Oh, what’s happened there? I’ll try tell you. Tiafoe hit it straight to Mannarino who was on the run but over ran it. So he played around the ball like he was a cricket batter bamboozled by an inswinger.
My goodness. Mannarino has played the shot of the match. He wound up and exploded into a backhand cross-court winner to take a 0-15 lead. Tiafoe wins the next two points though. Are we heading to a tiebreaker? Looks like it.
Mannarino holds again. He’s been really good on his own serve in this fourth set. He’s been broken once, but his stamina is commendable. I thought he was done after that third set loss. He leads this fourth set 6-5. Tiafoe will hope to take it to a tiebreak.
Oh wow, that was close. Tiafoe went down the line and claimed it went it with the forehand winner. And yup, no complaints from anyone so it’s 5-5 in the fourth.
Tiafoe looking to end it as he leads 2-1. Mannarino trying to take it to the fifth set.
Tiafoe goes long and Mannarino holds. 5-4 in the fourth.
With a flourish and a charge, Tiafoe makes it 4-4 in the fourth set. Brilliant from the American. Just when it looked like he was fading he dug deep and unleashed some screaming winners. That last one, a sweetly struck forehand, was the pick of the bunch.
Tiafoe breaks. This is turning into a belter of a match. The American takes his seat between games and has a wry smile on his face. Or is that a grimmace? He’s battled back to make it 3-4.
This ain’t over.
Mannarino just put together the best 4 point stretch of the tournament
— Alex Gruskin (@AlGruskin) September 1, 2023
From 40-15 down to breaking Tiafoe for 4*-2 in the fourth. Laughably excellent#USOpen
Mannarino storms to 4-2 win. What a game from the Frenchman. Two sublime shots saw him takea 30-0 lead and he capped it off with a driving, screaming forehand winner down the line. That was to break Tiafoe for the second service game in a row and that’s four consecutive game wins on the bounce.
Caroline Wozniacki beats Jennifer Brady 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Momentum is a strange thing in elite sport and yet its powers are obvious. Wozniacki looked out of sorts in the opening set but slowly started to turn the tide. By the end, Brady was a spent force and made a slew of unforced errors as the veteran champion turned the screw. I’m not sure many players will fancy facing the great Dane.
Tiafoe is looking to become the first American man since Andre Agassi to reach the fourth round in New York for the fourth consecutive year.
At first glance, that looks like a pretty niche stat but it shows that there’s been a lack of top male US tennis players for more than a generation.
But Tiafoe is not there yet. Mannarino breaking and then holding his serve to take a 3-2 lead means that Tiafoe has lost consecutive games for the first time since the opening set.
Wozniacki holds her serve to move 5-0 up in the third. Brady is spent. She looks dead on her feet. Not long to go now.
Updated
Mannarino breaks. He’s back in the contest as Tiafoe finds the net with a forehand. This fourth set is tied at 2-2.
Mannarino is refusing to go away. He has another break point after a marathon rally goes his way. Tiafoe starting to show frustration at the length of this game.
Wozniacki has broken Bradykinin yet again. The two-time champion has a 4-0 lead in the deciding set. She has found an extra gear and has her foot flat on the gas.
Finally, a long rally goes Mannarino’s way. He now has a break point after Tiafoe’s forehand trickles into the net. We haven’t seen those mistakes since the opening set.
But we’re back to deuce thanks to a smashed winner at the net from Tiafoe.
Tiafoe breaks. Another extended rally goes his way. Both men were trading blows until Mannarino decided to advance and follow a cross-court backhand. But Tiafoe was wise to him and put it away with a backhand winner.
Tiafoe now with a great chance to break. 15-40. He hasn’t been so clinical taking break points. He’s 3/11 in the match so far.
He doesn’t take that on either. But he has another chance.
Tiafoe holds his serve after Mannarino did likewise. The fourth set is locked at 1-1. Tifoe is the more likely of the two to break. The first point on Mannarino’s serve goes the way of the American. Of all the rallies that have gone on longer than nine points, Tiafoe has taken 17 of them compared to Mannarino’s nine.
Wozniacki in the driver’s seat now. She’s taken the first two games in the deciding set and is 30-0 up on her own serve in the third game. Remarkable. Who’d bet against her now?
Tiafoe hammers a winner to take the third set. That was dominant from the America as he closes out a 6-3 win. He’s got that look in his eye. He’s playing with great confidence. He had 15 unforced errors in the first set. The second two have had eight combined.
Stunning net play from Tiafoe. But it’s everything that came before that helped set up that point. A sweeping stroke to the far corner was followed by another one to the opposite edge of the court. That gave him the time to advance to the net and drop a winner right under his nose. Expertly done. One point away from the third set.
Wozniacki storms to a 6-3 win in the second set. Just when you thought she was buried, she turned the tide, broke Brady, broke her again and claimed the second set.
Mannarino closes out that service game. He’s much more comfortable when he doesn’t have to chase the ball around. That was clinical. But he needs to break Tiafoe now. 3-5 in the third set.
Tiafoe 5-2 up. Some lovely serves and efficient stroke play from the base.
Mannarino is holding his groin. He’d also previously pointed to his knee. He’s definitely not moving as freely as he was at the start of the match. He is 35. Those joints and ligaments aren’t what they used to be.
Mannarino holds his serve to make it 2-4 in the third. He got a little lucky, finding the net cord again with a drop shot that went his way. But he’s refusing to lie down in the face of increased tenacity and precision from Tiafoe.
Updated
One American man won’t progress beyond the next round. But one will as big-serving Ben Shelton takes on Tommy Paul in the last 16.
Tiafoe with two break points. Mannarino’s backhand scuttles into the net. Big chance for the American.
Wozniacki breaks again and is now serving for a 5-3 lead. Quite the turnaround from the former champion. She lost the first set 4-6 but is now in the groove.
I’m such a sucker for a double-handed backhand. Maybe because I find it impossible to play (not that I find any other tennis shot easy). Whatever the reason, I find it to be a beautiful stroke and Tiafoe plays it as well as anyone I’ve seen. He climbs into it, unleashing a howitzer with snap of his shoulders and the full extension of his meaty arms.
Another drilled cross-court winner and some neat play from the base sees him take a 4-1 lead in the third.
Mannarino holds an important game to keep the third set alive. He’s got an uphill battle to come, as he trails 1-3, but had he lost that one he’d be in real trouble.
He must break now.
Over on Court 17, Zhang Zhizhen of China is taking on Rinky Hikikata from Australia.
The Aussie claimed the first game on his own service and has now taken the second to deuce.
I said earlier that Ostapenko won’t fancy meeting the top seed Swiatek in the next round. Well, maybe she won’t mind at all.
Swiatek has yet to beat Ostapenko in three meetings and their last match against each other in a major was in Australia earlier this year. The Latvian came out on top so history, if not world rankings, are on her side.
Ben Shelton beats Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
The 20-year-old with the 146 mph serve (yes, really) makes it another good result for America on home territory.
He was more or less in control from start to finish and kept hammering those big services.
He was helped by Karatsev’s 15 double faults but when you win 10 games in a row and outscore your opponent 107-84 in terms of points won, you’re a deserving victor.
Mannarino misses a sitter with an overhead smash. He went for the absolute edge of the line and missed. He’s 15-30 down on his own serve.
Make that 15-40 after finding the net. Tiafoe with all the momentum now. Can he break and take an early advantage in this third set?
Mannarino gets a little help from the net. His drop shot – in response to Tiafoe’s drop shot – was sneaking over until it dipped and clipped the net before bouncing over for a point.
I’m not sure I saw Mannarino apologise and frankly, I hope he didn’t. I’ve always been annoyed by the faux apology from tennis players when they win a point off the net. Do footballers apologise if they score off the post? Do cricketers apologise if they get a wicket off an inside edge? No they don’t. Besides, no tennis player is every really sorry for winning a point.
OK, rant over. Tiafoe has just exploded across the court and climbed into a two-handed backhand winner. Another outstanding and thumping shot.
Have you noticed the dazzling colours and patterns on court?
Hannah Jane Parkinson has and put together this great piece on the subject:
Wozniacki breaks back. The veteran won’t go away so easily and she rouses to take a game off of Brady’s serve. 1-2 down in the second.
Mannarino is losing his cool demeanour. That’s another shot that thwacks into the net and he admonishes himself. A point later he fails to hold his serve and that means Tiafoe takes the second set 6-2. We’ve got a match on here at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Tiafoe a game away from the set. He’s got the crowd behind and momentum as well. 5-2 up thanks to a lovely drop shot from the backhand into the open court. Beautiful. He’s purring now.
Brady breaks Wozniacki. The wheels are coming off for the two-time winner of this tournament.
Tiafoe breaks! And the crowd rises with him. He’s 4-2 up in the second. Big service game coming up.
Jelena Ostapenko beats Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
The Latvian’s reward for coming back from a set down and advance to the next round is a date with the top ranked Swiatek. She’ll need to be a lot better than she was today. Swiatek is beatable if you have a strong first serve and Ostapenko will have to improve on that. She only landed 53% of her first serves and won points on 76% of them.
Tiafoe drops a tasty treat. Mannarino played a drop shot but it wasn’t as good as the one delivered by Tiafoe. A slicing backhand dab that looped and spun backwards. I’ll take two of those please.
Tiafoe then gets hold of a double handed backhand across the court. That one had smoke on it.
He then shows incredible defence to take a third consecutive point and storm to a 30-40 lead with the chance to break.
And just like that, Brady takes the first set 6-4.
Meanwhile, Ostapenko is two points away from winning her match with Pera.
Brady with a set point. Wozniacki makes a mistake on the backhand. In fact, there are three set points here.
Ostapenko to serve for the match. She lost the first set but has rallied to take a commanding lead in this third. 5-2 up. Pera needs a miracle.
Brady holds and is now in search of a break point to take the set. Wozniacki is serving but is behind at 0-30.
Yes please, Tiafoe. What a shot that is. He reaches this forehand with both feet off the ground and whips it from past an advancing Mannarino at the net. Tiafoe’s forehand is so wristy and flicky. It’s almost as if he’s playing it too close to his body so has to bend his elbow. Of course he knows what he’s doing and that end product is proof of that. He’s 2-1 up in the second.
Tiafoe takes the first game before Mannarino holds the second. 1-1 at the refurbished Louis Armstrong Stadium. Mannarino has this wonderful languid, almost lazy style. He doesn’t over hit the ball but caresses it. Tiafoe also has a delicate touch but is more bustling as he gets the ball. I’m enjoying this contest.
Shelton wins third set for a 2-1 lead. That one finishes 6-2 in favour of the American. A proper battle a the Grandstand.
Ostapenko once again breaks Pera and is within touching distance of the fourth round.
She leads the third set 4-1 and is currently serving. Pera must break here to stay in the contest.
Shelton a game away from a 2-1 lead. The American took the first set 6-4 but his sparring partner from Russia, Karatsev, claimed the second set 6-3.
Shelton has a golden opportunity 5-2 up. Karatsev is serving, but will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to save this set.
Caroline Wozniacki – three years after retiring and having given birth to two children since then – is in action at Arthur Ashe.
She’s locked at 3-3 with the American Jennifer Brady. A dilemma for the home crowd. Support one of their own, or cheer on the feel-good story of the tournament?
Updated
Mannarino takes the opening set, 6-4. After a marathon final game, the end came rather swiftly. Mannarino’s serve from the left to Tiafoe’s two-handed backhand is venomous. It was a pretty even set, with Mannarino winning 33 points to Tiafoe’s 31. But it’s the ones that count that matter.
Fourth deuce. My goodness, this game may never end. Tiafoe had the break point again but a perfectly drilled serve from Mannarino took us back level.
Tiafoe back at break point thanks to a whipping, dipping forehand. What a delicious shot that was.
Mannarino won’t be beaten so easily and volleys to the corner to take this game past the eight minute mark. Deuce again.
Advantage Tiafoe. Again Mannarino doesn’t clear the net and from a set point not long ago, we’re at break point.
Scratch that, an error and a groan means we’re back at deuce.
Updated
Tiafoe takes it to deuce. Mannarino had a set point but his languid forehand doesn’t clear the net. A chance now for the American.
The crowd are on their feet and they’re cheering for Tiafo. He got a bit lucky there as he hit it straight at Mannarino at the net but the Frenchman overcommitted. He couldn’t manoeuvre his body and skewed the volley wide.
But again – aaaargh – Tiafoe makes an error and its 30-30.
A massive roar as Tiafoe takes the first point of the game. That’s on the back of a 26 shot rally. But then he leaves one short and all that good work is undone. 15-15. Mannarino serving for the set.
Ostapenko breaks Pera immediately. That’s a big moment on Court 17. The Latvian now has control of the decising third set.
Tiafoe holds his serve. But he needs to break now as he trails 4-5. When he gets it right he looks sensational. He is ranked 10th for a reason.
Mannarino is taking control of this first set. Tiafoe looks a little off the boil at times. Another wild hack at a return sees the ball spiral well wide of the tram. The American is 3-5 down.
Ostapenko takes the second set 6-3. Her match against Pera will go down to a third set decider. The winner gets the honour of playing Swiatek in the next round. Out of the frying pan etcetera…
Updated
Tiafoe has clicked into gear. He looks far more composed on this service game. He also sorts out his smash game and delivers a crushing winner to take the game.
But, he’s still behind the eight ball and trails 3-4.
Pera breaks Ostapenko. That was crucial for the unseeded American. She has the first set wrapped up at 6-4 but was facing a tricky situation at 2-4 down in the second. Now trailing 3-4, she has the chance to even the score on her serve.
Break point for Mannarino. After saving two break points in the previous game, the Frenchman delivers a devastating forehand winner to break Tiafoe’s serve and take a 3-2 lead in the first set.
Tiafoe misses an overhead smash. That was a real let off for Mannarino. Just too long. The Sky commentators are wondering if modern players are weaker on that shot compared to players of previous generations. It’s an intersting thought. I wonder why that may be.
Anyway, Tiafoe is facing a break point. He’s got to find his groove quick.
Mannarino holds. 2-2 in the first set.
Tiafoe within touching distance of an early break. But Mannarino holds his nerve to resist two break points and takes it to deuce. Tiafoe looked hesitant there while searching for that winner. Three points in a row means Mannarino has a chance to hold serve.
Maybe I’ve jinxed it for the Yanks. Ostapenko now has a 3-1 lead in the second set over Pera and is 40-30 for a 4-1 lead. Perhaps I spoke too soon.
There’s more joy for Americans as Ben Shelton is a set up against Aslan Karatsev [unofficially from Russia].
Shelton took the first 6-4 but is behind 2-4 in the second. Karatsev is serving as well so this one could be a long ol’ slog.
It’s been a good day for the Americans on home turf.
Paul’s win set the tone and Pera is following his lead.
Despite being unseeded, she took the first set against the 20th ranked Ostapenko 6-4.
But the Latvian is 2-1 up in the second.
I’ve just flicked over the match I was most looking forward to and that’s Tiafoe [10] against Mannarino [22].
The American won the first game and leads 1-0. Mannarino is up in the second game 30-15.
This’ll be a goodie.
I’ve been saying that Iga Swiatek and Kaja Juven were mates, but it turns out they’re tighter than that according the the number one player in the world:
“I didn’t like the fact that I was winning with my best friend, but I knew that I have to be really focused and not let myself think about that. It is literally like playing against your sister because we’ve known each other for so long.
“I don’t have many friends but she’s my best friend so that was the toughest part for sure.”
I’m sure another US Open win will ease Swiatek’s concerns after trouncing her bestie.
Tommy Paul beats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
An odd match ends with an ace. The fact that it took this long is a surprise after Paul raced to a two set lead but a comeback from Davidovich Fokina kept the American honest. But that resistance ended in the third set as Paul’s better work from the baseline and the Spaniard’s plethora of unforced errors proved the difference.
Updated
Here’s an interesting stat I’ve just plucked from the BBC.
Only nine women have succesfully defended their US Open title in the Open Era. They are:
Margaret Court
Billie Jean King
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova
Monica Seles
Steffi Graf
Venus Williams
Kim Clijsters
Serena Williams
Swiatek is on a quest to make it 10.
Davidovich Fokina has just slammed a volley at the net that bounced into row X. Paul’s return looped, and looped high, allowing Davidovich Fokina the time to let it bounce before whacking it for a game-winning point.
But Paul will have the serve. And at 5-3 up in the fourth set he’ll be doing so for the match.
Paul holds to move within a game of advancing. Davidovich Fokina has upped his game, but it’s too little too late. Tommy P watched another unforced error from the Spaniard hit the net and he gives a fist shake to the fans.
Swiatek’s next opponent will either be the 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko or the US’s Bernarda Pera. They’ve just started their match. To be honest, it will hardly make a difference who she plays if Swiatek reproduces her form from earlier.
Updated
Davidovich Fokina is clinging on, but unforced errors means he can’t get close enough to mount a serious challenge. As I finished that sentence (which I’ll keep because it’s true) he comes out on top of a quite magnificent rally with some wonderful strokes from the base before a clever drop. That makes it deuce in the fourth set, but he trails that 2-4.
Iga Swiatek beats Kaja Juvan 6-0, 6-1
The defending champion has trounced her best friend on tour with a staggering performance. She was barely tested, but then she hardly gave her chum a sniff. On she goes with tougher assignments over the horizon.
Updated
Swiatek two points away from a seamless win. She’s barely put a foot wrong. Unless I’m mistaken I think the commentator just said she’s made only four unforced errors. We haven’t yet reached 50 minutes.
Boom! Two match points after a thumping serve and finish.
Juvan is finally on the board. She won’t exit the third round without at least taking a game off her good friend. She will exit the third round, but at least she’s landed a blow. She’s 1-4 down in the second after losing the first 0-6.
Paul is on top once again. Maybe he needed a little jolt to get things back on track. A clinical service game starts and ends with an ace and he has a 4-1 lead in the fourth.
Paul with a break point. The crowd rises. They thought this would have been done by now but a comeback from Davidovich Fokina means they need to get behind their man.
It pays off. Paul breaks thanks to the third unforced error of the game from Davidovich Fokina.
Paul leads 3-1 and starts with an ace.
Swiatek is in a hurry. She’s just taken a 3-0 lead in the second. And it’s so simple. A big serve, a step forward, she coils her body as she clims with the bounce and unleashes a blistering forehand winner into the corner. Unstoppable. This match is not long for this world.
Davidovich Fokina is taking the game on now. An intersting graphic has just been shown on Sky’s coverage. In the first two sets the Spaniard was hitting behind the baseline almost 75% of the time. In the third set, which he won, that dropped to 62%.
Paul gets back to winning ways. After a break in play, and a chance for a refresh, the American takes the first game in the fourth set.
Flawless from the number one. 6-0 for Swiatek. 24 points to eight and only one unforced error. As one-sided as it comes.
Updated
He’s back! A back and forth rally ends with Davidovich Fokina playing a lovely drop at the net from his backhand. It balloons slightly but Paul, who has never lost a match after being two sets up, can’t reach it. The American still has a 2-1 lead, but that felt like a momentum shift.
Davidovich Fokina will serve for the third set. A simply remarkable turnaround. That’s a sign of immense character. Something was clearly off earlier in the piece but that’s a distant memory. Momentum is with the Spaniard.
4-0 now for Swiatek. She’s just so clinical. A thumping forehand and another on the back-peddle – a really good stroke, that – has her 15-0 up on her serve.
Swiatek races to 3-0 lead. So much for showing her good pal any mercy. Then again, you don’t climb to the top of your sport by playing nice.
Paul prevents the slide. Well, for now at least. A reminder that he won the first two sets against Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-0 but a fightback from the Spaniard has seen him procure a 4-2 lead in the third. Paul held his serve so could yet win the match in this set.
World number one Iga Swiatek gets underway against her best mate on tour, Kaja Juvan. The Pole has already raced (get it?) to a 2-0 lead in the first set.
Things are getting intersting on the main stage. Davidovich Fokina wins another one game and leads the third set 4-1. Paul looking a little unsure of himself for the first time in the match.
Updated
Davidovich Fokina has broken Paul. Now then. Maybe that comeback isn’t so far fetched. He’s leading the third set 3-1 and will now serve. Maybe, juuuuuust maybe.
Karolina Muchova was ice cool as she overcame Taylor Townsend. Here’s what she had to say:
“First point was to get to the tie-break because it was very tough. Taylor played very well at the net and when someone plays a similar game as I do, it is fun actually.
“I was trying to be focused on every point in the tiebreak and I’m glad it went my way.
“[Making the fourth round] was always a goal. It’s always in your head to be a top 10 player. I just really appreciate it and it’s nice that it happened and I’m trying to enjoy it.”
She closes the interview by saying she might catch a Boradway show or two.
Wang Xinyu beats Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
A comeback from a set down for the 21-year-old, she’s into the second week of a major for the first time. Excellent work that demonstrated her full range of strokes. What’s more, she looked like she enjoyed herself. She started smiling and relaxing and as she did so, she put on a show.
Davidovich Fokina wins the first game in the third. After losing the first set 1-6, and then the second 0-6, this would constitute one of the greatest ever comebacks in tennis history. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
But Wang holds! She’s 5-2 up in the third set. She kept her composure, delivered two inch perfect serves and kept Scmiedlova on the back foot. One game away from a best ever place in a grand slam.
Outstanding from Schmiedlova. That is a sensational rally. Wang was beaten, then Scmiedlova was beaten. Neither gave in. Left, right, deep and shallow, a drop shot from Wang compelled Schmidlova to chase and then nudge it into the corner and beyond reach. Lovely.
Wang breaks Schmiedlova. Brilliant from the 21-year-old. She’s two games away from a trip to the last 16.
It’s a demolition job from Tommy Paul. He’s just won the second set 6-0 after claiming the first 6-1. The American has Davidovich Fokina on the ropes.
Karolina Muchova beats Taylor Townsend 7-6(0), 6-3
That’ll do for the number 10 seed. In the end it felt inevitable but Townsend had a break point with a 3-1 lead in the first set. But 11 consecutive points saw Muchova take that opening set and the second was a formality. Some exciting tennis played by Townsend but too many errors cost her.
Updated
Townsend takes it to deuce. A looping winner to the corner wasn’t struck clean but it lands in and the comeback may yet be on.
Townsend misses with her backhand. When she gets back to training she’ll need to work on that. Far too many unforced errors and that’s shot has been the main culprit.
Muchova with two match points.
The crowd rise to applaud Townsend after she makes it 3-5 in the second. She’ll need all the help she can get as Muchova will now serve for a place in the next round.
It’s one way traffic at Arthur Ashe. After winning the first set 6-1, Paul now leads Davidovich Fokina 3-0 in the second.
Silky from Muchova. A big serve then a cross-court stroke to send Townsend wide before finishing things off with a volley.
She closes out the service game to lead 5-2. One game away from the last eight.
Townsend’s wide serve is returned, but Muchova can’t keep it in. That means Townsend’s fightback is on, though she’s still 2-4 down in the second set. She has to break Muchova now.
Schmiedlova breaks Wang. The Slovak leads 2-0 in the third. A reminder that she took the first set 6-4 but Wang countered and claimed the second 6-3.
Muchova makes Townsend run left, then right, then left, then right again. Eventually she wins the point with a volley at the net.
She wins the next point as well to move to 40-0 before Townsend sends a backhand long and wide.
Muchova now 4-1 up in the second.
Paul has cantered to a 6-1 win in the opening set. Davidovich Fokina was blown away on Arthur Ashes. Paul has also taken the first game in the second.
Finally, Townsend gets through. A sweetly struck serve sees her ace Muchova and she’s still in this match. She’s 1-3 down in the second, but she’s showing some spirit.
And again. A long, probing, searching rally ends with another over-hit backhand from Townsend. It’s deuce again and that’s another game point coughed up.
Ah, but she’s too long on that backhand. That’s summed her match up. One step forward, one step back. Deuce again.
Townsend lets out a roar as she holds off a break point. It’s deuce. She’s down 0-3. She needs to win the next two points.
And again. “Come on!” she bellows. Now she’s serving for the game.
Wang wins second set, 6-3. A sensational turnaround. After losing the first set 4-6, the 21-year-old from China has stormed to a second set victory. We’re going the distance on this one.
That’s how to hold back the tide. Schmiedlova unfurled a wonderful forehand winner across Wang to take this game to deuce. She won the first set 6-4 but is down 3-5 in the second.
I’ve flicked over to Wang vs Scmiedlova because we’ve got a contest on our hands.
Wang has just smashed a winner – her ninth at the net – and is 15-30 up. She quickly makes it 15-40 and has set point.
Updated
Muchova is in complete control now. 3-0 up in the second.
Muchova breaks Townsend. She’s 2-0 up in the second and is cruising now. Townsend looks flustered. She’s missing winners by inches and is clearly annoyed. She needs to gather herself or else this could be over soon.
Paul 3-0 up on Davidovich Fokina. It’s a dream start for the 14th seeded American at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Wang breaks Scmiedlova. After losing the first set on her own serve, Wang returns the favour and now has a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Muchova up and running in the second set. She sees out her service and takes a 1-0 lead.
Muchova with the tweener! That’s a shot through the legs while facing the wrong way. She looked really ropey at the start of this match but she’s grown into it and now has all the momentum. She doesn’t crack a smile even after that sublime stroke. 40-15 in the first game of the second set.
Tommy Paul is 2-0 up in the first set against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He’s also serving for a 3-0 lead and is 15-0 ahead. A strong start for the American.
Muchova wins the first set, of 7-6 thanks to a 7-0 tiebreak. That was almost effortless from the No 10 seed. It was a tight set before then. But 11 consecutive points means she has one foot in the next round.
Updated
Muchova 6-0 up. That’s 10 consecutive points for the 10th seed. Townsend, from such a strong position with a break point at 3-1, is now facing a first set defeat.
A lovely pass sees Muchova race to a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak. That was a shot of real authority. On the forehand, that whistled past an advancing Townsend.
We’re going to a shoot-out in the first set. 65 minutes on the court hasn’t separated Muchova and Townsend. Muchova holds her serve and it’s 6-6. Now for a tiebreak.
Scmiedlova takes the first set 6-4. She’s level with Wang in the second at 1-1 but will be fuelled with confidence after breaking in a match that didn’t look like it’d see a service break.
What a rally! Loved that. It was almost like a padel rally as it was exclusively played around the net. Dink shots and clips and cute drops were returned and returned and returned until Muchova’s lob went long.
Townsend eventually holds her serve to lead 6-5.
Clinical this time from Muchova. 5-5. She’s hitting a bit more confidently and doesn’t seem as rushed by Townsend’s power.
Townsend holds. Never in doubt. Muchova now serves 4-5 down in the first set. Every service game from the 10th seed has included a break point. She’s under a bit of pressure now.
Excellent from Townsend. She’s not all power, but grace as well. A booming backhand has Muchova scrambling and the follow up at the net was pure class. A lovely touch to win the point.
Muchova holds and makes it 4-4. Quality game this. Muchova, the 10th seed, is being made to work for every point.
BANG! Townsend hammers an overhead winner of the highest order. That makes it 30-15 on Muchova’s serve. The American is showing some aggression. She then unfurls a delicious lob that Muchova can only parry wide. 30-30.
Updated
Wang anf Schmiedlova aren’t giving an inch. The Slovakian leads 5-4 but the Chinese player is about to serve. Back and forth that one. Might be tempted to switch over…
Townsend might be battling to break Muchova’s serve, but she’s having no trouble on her own serve. She breezes to a 4-3 lead with some meaty winners. She definitely has the upper hand in this exchange but Muchova is staying in the fight.
Muchova holds. She survives another service game and it’s 3-3 in the first set. Townsend will be kicking herself. She might have had this first set wrapped up if she’d been more ruthless on break point.
Townsend lets another break point go. She’s had six already but has only taken one. Muchova fights back and has the advantage in this game.
Deuce. Muchova’s backhand slice clips the net and sits up for Townsend to unload a back hand across the court. Muchova reaches it but it drops on her and she can’t get it back over the net.
Correction. Townsend’s stance when receiving a serve is not like a batter at a cricket crease. It’s hard to describe, really. It’s as if she’s fencing. Both shoulders are still pointing down the court but one foot is significantly further ahead than the other. Both are knees bent before she takes a spring and s step and almost attacks the base line. She’s down 40-30 as Muchova serves to tie the set.
Now Muchova has three break points. She was given a gimme with that last point. A floater of a return allowed Townsend the chance to charge to the net. But she was caught in three minds. Does she smash, does she drop, does she play to the corner. In the end she fluffed it straight into the net.
Muchova then breaks back. 2-3 in the first set.
Townsend breaks and leads the first set 3-1. She had to work for that. Muchova figured out that serves to the body would combat the American’s unique stance when receiving. It went from 0-40 to 30-40 but Muchova went long on her forehand and so failed to hold her serve.
Townsend brutalises a forehand winner across the court. It’s not just power, that couldn’t have been placed better. She’s got three break points to take control of this first set.
Townsend holds and takes the game. She leads this first set 2-1.
Meanwhile, Wang and Schmiedlova have each held their serves and are squared at 2-2.
There are noisy planes flying overhead in New York. Both players have shown their irritation but can clearly focus on the task at hand. They’ve just exchanged a rally of 19 shots with Townsend hammering home a forehand winner. She is lethal when unloading on that forehand. A smash at the net makes it 40-15.
Updated
Muchova holds. 1-1 in the first set. Entertaining so far.
Townsend takes it to deuce with a wonderful return. She has an interesting approach to returning serves, starting in an almost exaggerated batting stance seen in cricket. One foot in front of the other staring down the line. It’s working, she has a break point.
Townsend aces to take the first game. 1-0 up against Muchova.
Muchova was the runner-up at this year’s French Open.
I’ve jumped ship already. I think Muchova (10) against the America Townsend could be the one to stick with. Townsend had the serve on game-point in the opening exchange but leaves her backhand winner short, clattering the net. This first game has already had multiple deuce exchanges. Like I said, this is the one to watch.
We have our first game of the day. At least the first that I’ve seen. Scmiedlova holds her serve against Wang and is 1-0 up.
In case you missed it, Carlos Alcaraz eased through to the next round.
Bryan Armen Graham was there to see and produced this report:
There are a few games getting underway as we speak:
Women’s singles:
Xang Xinyu vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Karolina Muchova (10) vs Taylor Townsend
Men’s doubles:
Q Halys & G Barreer vs H Patten & J Cash
A Behar & A Pvlasek vs J Withrow & N Lammaons (16)
Women’s doubles”:
Z Yang & L Chan (11) vs D Vekic & K Pliskova
T Maria & A Rus vs N Kichenok & D Collins
Updated
I’ve always wondered what it must be like to play one of your mates in a top level tennis match. Do they carry gripes off the court? Do they exchange personal quips in the heat of battle?
Swiatek and Juvan are (apparently) good chums. We’ll find out later what sort of energy they share in the middle.
Friends facing off for a place in the #USOpen last 16 today 🥹
— wta (@WTA) September 1, 2023
Kaja Juvan 🫂 @iga_swiatekpic.twitter.com/L6DBarGfmm
We said goodbye to a legend yesterday. And, as this piece below begins, “John Isner’s career fittingly ended with a final-set tiebreaker”
The 38-year-old American ended a 17-year career when he lost to his fellow Yank Michael Mmoh 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Isner’s most famous contribution to the game is his involvement in the longest ever match in the sport’s history. Back in the first round of Wimbledon in 2018, he played out a marathon with Nicolas Mahut that lasted 11 hours and five minutes and ended with a 70-86 score in the fifth set. Isner, of course, won that one.
He bows out with a career-high ranking of No 8 but it’s that breathless slog that we’ll remember most.
There are some other tasty matches today
I blanked on the games underway past midnight on my side (I’m in London). Not the greatest start.
Crowd favourite Coco Gauff plays Elise Mertens from Belgium. That should be a belter.
Another American, Taylor Fritz takes on Jakub Mensik. Oh, and a certain Novak Djokovic plays his countryman, Laslo Djere.
All of those games will only start once I’ve packed up but if you’re joining from a far flung time-zone, or are coming back from a night out, these will be worth a go.
Preamble
Hi folks and welcome to the third round of the US Open. There are a few tasty games on this afternoon and evening with my personal favourite being the tie between the American Frances Tiafoe and his French opponent, Adrian Mannarino. That’s the 10th and 22nd seeds locking horns at 18:30 BST/13:30 EST, but there is a bigger name in action.
The defending champion and top ranked player, Iga Swiatek of Poland plays the unseeded Kaja Juvan from Slovenia. That gets going around 17:15 BST/12:15 EST.
There are Brits involved too. Neal Skupski is one half of the top-ranked men’s doubles pair alongside his Dutch mate, Wesley Koolhof. Heather Watson will fly the flag in the women’s doubles as she partners Anna Danilina from Kazakhstan.
There’ll be loads going on and I’ll be keeping an eye and ear on it all. If you fancy dropping me a line I’d love to get your thoughts.
Hope everyone’s had a top Friday. Let’s get cracking…
