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Serena Williams fought in the US Open on Saturday 16, when the tournament suffered a new controversy after New York health officials ordered the women’s doubles pair to be withdrawn due to coronavirus restrictions.
Williams, who is chasing a record 24 Grand Slam titles, came out of a set down to defeat 2017 champion Sloane Stephens 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, in what she called an “intense” encounter. at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“In that first set I don’t think he made any mistakes, honestly. He was playing so clean and I just said, ‘I don’t want to lose in straight sets,'” Williams said.
With viewers barred from this year’s Flushing Meadows event due to the pandemic, second and fourth seeds Sofia Kenin and Naomi Osaka took advantage of their assigned suites to watch the competition.
“It’s great that the players can see each other. It’s interesting, I like it,” said Williams, who will play 15th seed Maria Sakkari for a place in the quarterfinals.
The Greek player, who stunned Williams at the Western & Southern Open last month, progressed with a 6-3, 6-1 dismantling of the 22nd seed of the United States, Amanda Anisimova.
Off the court, number one seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos were removed from the women’s doubles competition after Mladenovic was instructed to quarantine for coming into contact with fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire, who tested positive. by COVID-19 last weekend.
“All persons who were identified as having prolonged close contact with the infected player will be quarantined in their rooms for the remainder of their quarantine period,” the United States Tennis Association said in a statement.
The USTA said local public health authorities had issued the quarantine notices, preventing players from traveling from their hotel to the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“The USTA is required to adhere to government guidance at the state, city and county level,” the agency said.
A spokesman for the New York State Department of Health said the decision was “in the best interest” of health and safety.
But France’s Alize Cornet described the move as “very brutal.”
“It’s definitely weird because she was able to play her first round of singles and the first round of doubles, and now all of a sudden she was fired,” Cornet added, after advancing to the knockout stages when Madison Keys retired injured.
The crash intervention came a day after government officials tried to prevent Adrian Mannarino, who had also been in contact with Paire, from playing his last match of 32.
The health department contacted the USTA to tell him that Mannarino should be quarantined in his hotel room.
The match began three hours after the scheduled start time, after authorities ruled that it could continue following discussions with tennis officials that also included lobbying by world number one Novak Djokovic.
Mannarino and Mladenovic were two of the 11, mostly French players, subjected to improved security protocols on Monday after Paire was withdrawn from the US Open the day before after testing positive.
The players signed an agreement with New York City authorities that allowed them to stay in the tournament under the enhanced restrictions, which involved daily tryouts and barred them from the common areas of their hotel.
Mannarino said Friday that organizers told him that New York state authorities had taken over the case and ruled that he could not play now.
After his singles victory in the first round on Monday, Mladenovic said he had been “living a nightmare” following Paire’s positive test result.
The US Open is being held behind closed doors due to the deadly pandemic.
The movements of the players are strictly controlled and everyone in the venue is regularly tested to minimize the risk of infection.
Paire, who later tested negative, left the tournament in anger, accusing authorities of operating a “fake bubble.”
Players who were in contact with him have been told they will not be allowed to fly from New York until next week.
Back on the pitch on Saturday, Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, Italy sixth seed Matteo Berrettini and Andrey Rublev entered the round of 16 with easy wins in three sets.
Second seed Dominic Thiem also advanced to the fourth round, beating 2014 champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
And Canada’s Vasek Pospisil, ranked 94th, surprised eighth-seeded Spanish Roberto Bautista Agut and Australia’s 21st seed Alex de Minaur surprised 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov.
In the women’s draw, unrated Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, playing her first tournament in three years, knocked out 18th seed Donna Vekic.
Second-seeded Sofia Kenin defeated Tunisian Ons Jabeur 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to set up a match against Belgian Elise Mertens for the quarter-final place.
And former number one Victoria Azarenka said she had “a great chance” to end her seven-year wait for a third Grand Slam after booking a spot in the last 16 with a straight-sets victory over Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
Single men
3rd.
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) bt Casper Ruud (NOR x30) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Andrey Rublev (RUS x10) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-0, 6-4, 6-0
Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) over Jeffrey Wolf (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP x8) 7-5, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Alex De Miñaur (AUS x21) over Karen Khachanov (RUS x11) 6-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x15) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-1, 6-0, 6-4
Dominic Thiem (AUT x2) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x31) 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Female singles
3rd.
Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Madison Keys (USA x7) 7-6 (7/4), 3-2 retired
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Donna Vekic (CRO x18) 6-4, 6-1
Maria Sakkari (GRE x15) by Amanda Anisimova (USA x22) 6-3, 6-1
Serena Williams (United States x3) vs. Sloane Stephens (United States x26) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) by Iga Swiatek (POL) 6-4, 6-2
Karolina Muchova (CZE x20) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7)
Elise Mertens (BEL x16) by Caty McNally (USA) 7-5, 6-1
Sofia Kenin (USA X2) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN x27) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
