Coco Gauff ensured the watching American public had something to cheer at the US Open as she progressed to the fourth round on a day when Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys suffered shock defeats. Gauff, US Open champion in 2023, was facing world No 40 Cristina Bucsa, and though far from her best, did enough to grind out a 6-3 6-4 success to progress to the last 16. The 22-year-old will next face the winner of compatriot Iva Jovic vs the Philippines's Alexandra Eala for a quarter-final spot.
"I think it was way different playing in the day than at night. Once I was down that break I just told myself I need to accelerate through my shots," Gauff said. "She's a tricky player and sometimes she can pick it up and slow it down, so it was tough for me to get a rhythm but I'm just happy with how I fought through even when I wasn't playing my best." Yet, the American charge faltered badly at Flushing Meadows after stunning defeats for Fritz, Keys and Anisimova.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Fritz, the ninth seed, looked to be cruising into the fourth round when he moved two sets ahead of Argentina's Federico Cerundolo. The 28-year-old, runner-up two years ago, had not dropped a set all week and appeared to be on the verge of joining compatriots Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelson in the last 16. But Cerundolo, the surprise winner at Queen's Club earlier this summer, scrapped his way back into an error-heavy match and won 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4.
The host nation is still looking for its first men's singles title winner since 2003, when Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final. Paul, the 20th seed, takes on Carlos Alcaraz in what should be a first genuine test of the defending champion's title credentials following his return from injury. "I think I played Carlos more than anybody on tour, for me, which is kind of crazy," he said.
"We've had some good matches. "But, I mean, he's the test, him and (Jannik) Sinner. They have been playing great, and I guess Carlos we haven't really seen too much, but he's obviously doing pretty well coming right back to competition." Elsewhere, Belgian 28th seed Alexander Blockx stunned Italian fifth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-0 6-3 to advance to the fourth round, where he will meet Argentina's 24th-seeded Cerundolo.
Keys, the 2017 runner-up, was crestfallen after blowing a healthy lead to lose 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 to China's Qinwen Zheng. The 31-year-old said: "I feel like I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really scared, like I couldn't swing. Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over." Last year's beaten finalist Anisimova hit 46 unforced errors in a 6-2 7-5 defeat by Austrian Anastasia Potapova.
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