The US Open
US Open Women’s Day 5
Top seed Iga Swiatek showed no mercy to friend and practice partner Kaja Juvan as the defending champion crushed the Slovene qualifier 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to book a predictable place in the US Open fourth round.
Swiatek, with four Grand Slam titles in her resume, extended her Flushing Meadows win streak to 10 matches as the Pole heads towards the business end of the final major of the season.
Swiatek and the 145th-ranked Juvan are best tennis friends with the pair going back a decade as juniors.
But the top seed put emotion on the back burner as she crushed her longtime mate in just 49 minutes to advance to her third consecutive victory in the one-way series.
“My level was high, and I didn’t make a lot of unforced errors,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy with my performance and overall with the way I started.
“I was disciplined and didn’t change my level till the end of the match.”
Swiatek added: “I wanted to focus on myself, and because I knew it would be a little bit harder for me to focus because (she’s) my best friend,
“I’m happy that I could do that and I was fully professional.”
Swiatek is working to defend a title for the fifth time in her career.
The Pole is also fighting off a challenge to her WTA ranking superiority and must advance one round further here than hot rival Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed.
Swiatek polished off the out-matched Juvan with 21 winners against just two for her opponent, with the winner never facing a break point
The top seed now takes on 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko – a three-time winner in their series – who defeated Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a third-round encounter.
The comeback of former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki continued at pace, with the Danish mother of two defeating American Jennifer Brady 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, with the 33-year-old winning 10 of the last 11 games.
“I played really, really well the last set and a half,” the Wozniacki said.
“I didn’t play for a very long time (January, 2020). I didn’t even touch my racquets. I didn’t know where they were.
“I didn’t miss (tennis). I’ve played since I was very, very young. It’s been part of my life and my lifestyle for so long. I needed a break.”
American Brady, 28, also has a comeback story (injury) after not playing for two years from late 2021.
“The toughest part is just not knowing when you’re going to compete again. The unknown is something that – it’s scary. It’s tough, but I’m here, I’m feeling pretty good,” the No. 433 said .
.The 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova hammered No. 132 Taylor Townsend 7-6 (0), 6-3 to equal her fourth-round best here from 2020 as she fought back from an early break down.
This season’s Roland Garros and Cincinnati finalist will aim for a breakthrough New York quarter-final in the next round as she plays No. 53 Wang Xinyu, who reached the second week of a major for the first time through a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Muchova found 25 winners while Townsend hit 39 unforced errors in defeat.
“The match was played really, really great from the start,: Muchova said. “I’m glad I refocused very well for the (first-set) tiebreak – I played well there.
“At the start of the second set it was a little bit more in my hands.”
Main photo:- Mother of two children, Olivia and James,Caroline Woniacki celebrates victory – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
Alexander Zverev on Thursday made a long-sought after return to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, booking his first final four at the event since 2019, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The 2027 year-end No. 1 last got this far as the Covid pandemic began to surface in China in 2019. The event was not played 2020-2022, with the German making modest progress here over the past three editions since resumption.
After winning his 62nd match of the season, the 29-year-old was pleased with his performance.
“I think it was a huge step up. From just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.
“I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here.
“I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
Zverev advanced in 78 minutes, sending over 10 aces as he defeated the Australian for the ninth time in their 13 matches.
Added the reigning Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows Grand Slam champion: “I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year. In a way you play a bit more relaxed.
“Once Jannik (SInner) unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
Zverev will play for the final to wrap up the Asian swing as he takes on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced when Arthur Gea quit their quarter-final with injury.
Alexander Zverev will claim world year-end No. 1 honours for the first time on the back of two Grand Slam titles and a final this season.,
The ATP confirmed the changing of the guard as current No. 1 Jannik Sinner ended his season early last week due to a knee injury which has kept him off court since winning Wimbledon three months ago.
Zverev won Roland Garros and US Open trophies and lost to Sinner in the All England Club final.
His reign at the top will begin after the ATP Final in Turin with the ranking period starting on November 23.
Zverev will be 29 years, 217 days old on the date, three days older than Andre Agassi in 1999 (29 years, 214 days).
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev by ISF Ltd
The protagonists from the just-completed China Open will give the WTA Wuhan event a miss, with both Zheng Qinwen and finalist Mirra Andreeva skipping the key Asian date.
Beijing weekend champion Zheng who thrilled a nation with her home title victory, is claiming a right shoulder injury which Andreeva feels “fatigue.”
“I’m very sorry to share that I will be withdrawing from this year’s Wuhan Open,” Zheng said in a statement. “Wuhan is where my tennis dream began, and the Wuhan Open is also where I made my breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level.
“I have always looked forward to competing in front of my hometown fans.
“Since returning from injury, however, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the China Open.
“My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches. I look forward to returning to the Wuhan Open next year and stepping onto the court in my best possible form!”
Andreeva’s Beijing performance has lifted the teenager into the ranking top 3 for the first time and gives her a shot at the world No. 1 ranking by season’s end next month.
Main photo :-Zheng Quinwen by ISF Ltd
Zverev scratches 7-year itch with return to Shanghai SF
Tenth time lucky as Li knocks out Sabalenka
Zverev celebrates No. 1 status with Shanghai QF
-
Beijing2 weeks agoNo. 1 and 2 seeds ousted in Beijing WTA
-
ATP2 weeks agoBu hoo for China as Djokovic outlasts a local
-
ATP3 weeks agoItalian media fear Sinner may need surgery
-
ATP2 weeks agoDjokovic reaches 7th Beijing final as Medvedev DQ’d
-
ATP2 weeks agoDjokovic untouchable after 30th win in Beijing
-
ATP1 week agoAlcaraz beats Lehecka to triumph in Tokyo
-
ATP1 week agoDjokovic backs into 7th Beijing title as injured de Minaur quits
-
Billy Jean King Cup3 weeks agoCzechs charge to BJK Cup title