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NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic reached the knockout stages of the US Open on Friday (Saturday in Manila) when off-court intrigue forced the delay of a men’s singles match over coronavirus-related issues.
Djokovic edged Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in a routine victory for the world number one, who is chasing his 18th Grand Slam singles title.
Far from the routine, New York health officials tried at the last minute to prevent Frenchman Adrian Mannarino from playing his round of 16 match against German fifth seed Alexander Zverev.
The intervention caused a back and forth between the tournament organizers and the state government and resulted in the match, which Zverev won in four sets, starting more than three hours late.
“It was a strange situation for me,” said Mannarino, one of 11 players undergoing improved security protocols earlier this week after compatriot Benoit Paire was withdrawn from the tournament after testing positive for coronavirus.
“I was lying on the couch still trying to focus just in case I went to the court,” he said, following Zverev’s 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Zverev will now play Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 16, while Djokovic will play Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta for a place in the quarter-finals.
– Osaka fight –
Previously, the Japanese Naomi Osaka faced the last 16 of the women’s team.
The two-time Grand Slam winner required three sets and 2h33min to dislodge 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in an early match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Japanese fourth-seeded, who threw her racket in frustration after losing the second set in the tie-break, won 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 against the world number 137.
“I felt that I had so many points that I did not take advantage of. I think when I went up, I became a little passive and then she came in because she is not afraid, ”said Osaka, 22 years old.
His experience came to the fore in the deciding set when he kept his serve and broke Kostyuk twice to set up a match against 14th-seeded Estonian Anett Kontaveit for a place in the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, sixth seed Petra Kvitova edged American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-3 to set up a round of 16 match with Shelby Rogers, also from the United States.
Eighth seeded Croatian Petra Martic swept Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-3.
Martic will play Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16 after the 23rd seed topped Vera Lapko of Belarus 6-3, 6-3.
Germany’s 17th seeded Angelique Kerber also advanced to the fourth round, doing light work off American Ann Li 6-3, 6-4.
Kerber, the 2016 US Open champion, will face Jennifer Brady for a spot in the quarterfinals after the 28th-seeded American knocked out Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-3.
Garcia had provided the biggest upset of the tournament on Wednesday when she eliminated seed Karolina Pliskova.
– Tsitsipas stunned –
In the men’s draw, Croatia’s 27th seed Borna Coric starred in a remarkable act by Houdini to surprise fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 4 hour 36 minute night thriller.
Coric appeared to be heading for a certain loss after Tsitsipas, leading by sets to one, opened a 5-1 lead in the fourth.
But Coric bounced back magnificently, saving six match points and struggling to take the set 7-5 to force a decider.
Tsitsipas broke once more in the fifth, but failed to seize the lead when Coric forced a tiebreaker before clinching a 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7- 6 ( 7/4) wins.
12th seed Denis Shapovalov rallied from a 5-2 drawdown in the fourth set to beat No. 19 American seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6- two
Fritz, 22, came within two points of victory before Shapovalov, 21, completed a remarkable comeback.
“I think we both deserved to win,” Shapovalov said. “It was great tennis and I think I was a bit lucky.”
The Canadian will fight seventh seed David Goffin for a place in the quarterfinals after the Belgian edged out 26th seed from Serbia Filip Krajinovic 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Britain’s participation in the singles ended on Friday with the departure of Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie.
France’s Corentin Moutet knocked out Evans 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/1) when they resumed their second-round match which was postponed on Thursday due to rain.
