ATP
Djoko writes another record with sweep of Struff
Novak Djokovic added another line to his list of records with a decisive 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 sweep of Jan-Lennard Struff which put the 38-year-old into another quarter-final at the US Open.
The Serb becomes the oldest man to book the last eight at all four of the majors in a single season as he polished off his German opponent in under two hours to end a six-match win streak for the European.
Djokovic will play for his fourth Grand Slam semi-final of the season when he takes on fourth seed Taylor Fritz, who beat Czech Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic boasts a perfect 10-0 record over Californian Fritz, with all of their matches played either at the Grand Slams or Masters events, including a 2023 quarter-final here.
.”I expect players who have never won against me to come out on the court and try something different and try to make me feel maybe uncomfortable and play more aggressive or not, whatever,” Djokovic said of the 2024 finalist here.
“I don’t think there’s going to be any major changes with Taylor: you obviously you stick to the kind of a game plan that got you to the quarters.
“You know what your strengths are. You stick to those weapons in your game, which for him obviously is serve and forehand.”
Even as he prepares for the quarter-finals after not playing a match since Wimbledon, Djokovic is wary of eyeing further success.
.”It’s still a very long way. (In the) last couple of years, I learned (that) one thing right now is to take really one match at a time.
“Of course I’m dreaming about winning another Slam, and it would beamazing if I do it here.
“ButI can’t allow myself to go that far with my thinking – I just need to focus on what needs to be done to win a match, next match, next challenge.
“The last Grand Slam I won was here actually two years ago. So it would be a nice kind of journey of years to kind of close the circle here again.”
By booking his 14th career New York quarter-final, Djokovic pulled ahead of Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, on 13 appearances.
In the women’s draw, former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova saved eight match points against Taylor Townsend in the second set, hanging on to impose a 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3 win into the quarters.
Top seeded holder Aryna Sabalenka defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 6-4 in 73 minutes, ensuring that she will remain world No. 1 no matter the final outcome of the tournament.
“I’m enjoying being world No. 1. I’m enjoying this pressure,” she said. “I’m working really hard to be where I am.
“For me it’s important to focus on my game and on bringing, try to bring
my best tennis and just to fight. I know I’ll have my chances, but for me, it’s a fun life if you’re really enjoying your job.”
The top seed who has now earned 98 wins at the majors will next face Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, who beata Elena Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Main photo:- Novak Djokovic sets another majors record – by Mark Greenwood/Grandslamtennis
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a reprieve due to fading light with his second round match at the Swiss Open Gstaad stopped with the Greek deadlocked with local Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7 (2), 5-5.
The math had to be halted as night fell and electronic linecalling computers could not read the path of the ball on the clay in contrast to humans who could have carried on for a few additional minutes..
The 27-year-old Tsitsipas was taking the worst of it in the concluding stage after a promising start.against a journeyman opponent ranked 186.
Tsitsipas, his ranking down to 85th after once standing third in the world, lashed out verbally in the last few games, apparently frustrated with his racquet reactions.
The Greek was quick to make his point of an overnight stoppage to the chair umpire while Kym – who reached 5-all with a love service hold – left the court with a defiant fist pump for his public in this alpine resort village.
The cutoff came after just over two hours of play, with the contest to be concluded on Thursday. The winner reaches the Friday quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas produced his last notable result in April with a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Masters,
He is aiming for his second quarter-final of the season after Doha in February and his 2025 Barcelona 15 months ago.
Tsitsipas stands 10-1 vs. players ranked outside the top 100 this season with a sole loss to No. 104 Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Roland Garros second round.
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
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