Barbora Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, returns a shot to Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, throughout the second spherical of the U.S. Open tennis championships, on August 28, 2024, in New York
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Frances Tiafoe is getting the rematch he desires, a second shot at Ben Shelton on the U.S. Open. However there will not be a second straight Grand Slam title for Barbora Krejcikova.
The Wimbledon champion was knocked out of the U.S. Open within the second spherical on Wednesday, defeated by Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 7-5.
The No. 8-seeded Krejcikova gained her second Grand Slam singles title this summer season, however then she did not play any matches after the Paris Olympics. She acknowledged final week not figuring out the place her stage of play was. Seems, it wasn’t ok.
“I imply, profitable Wimbledon is wonderful. It’s a terrific, nice, nice outcome, I’m very proud about it and the way I used to be capable of deal with every thing there,” stated Krejcikova, who hadn’t performed a event on exhausting courts since February.
“I feel I used to be enjoying fairly effectively, undoubtedly higher than within the first match. I feel my recreation was bettering, however it simply wasn’t sufficient.”
No girl has gained Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the identical 12 months since Serena Williams in 2012.
Hottest day
Tiafoe had quick work on the steamiest day of the event so far, with temperatures in New York surpassing 90 levels Fahrenheit (32 levels Celsius). Three males’s matches ended when an opponent stopped enjoying, the final one sending defending champion Novak Djokovic to the third spherical when Laslo Djere retired early within the third set with what gave the impression to be ache close to his hip after they performed for greater than two hours throughout the primary two units.
“You understand, in the long run, not the sort of end that we gamers or crowd desires to see, however I feel it’s in all probability as a consequence of that bodily battle that we had within the opening two units,” the No. 2-seeded Djokovic stated.
Tiafoe, the No. 20 seed, gained the primary two units earlier than his opponent, Alexander Shevchenko, retired after the primary recreation of the third set.
Shelton, the No. 13 seed, later beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He ousted Tiafoe final 12 months within the quarterfinals, stopping Tiafoe from what would have been a second straight journey to the U.S. Open semifinals.
“Clearly he’s very very like me in how excited and energetic he’s on the courtroom,” Tiafoe stated, “and has such an enormous recreation and massive photographs and serves large and will get the group going.”
Properly, perhaps not fairly in addition to Tiafoe does.
“I do know that the individuals love him right here. In all probability greater than me. He’s electrical right here, and his crowds are electrical right here,” the 21-year-old Shelton stated.
“It is going to be a battle. It is going to be a warfare similar to the final two occasions we’ve performed. Yeah, I’m greater than excited to be on the market with him once more.”
They had been two of the 4 American males to succeed in the third spherical within the backside half of the draw. No. 12 Taylor Fritz acquired there by beating Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-1, whereas Brandon Nakashima beat Arthur Cazaux and can subsequent play No. 18 Lozenzo Musetti, the bronze medalist on the Olympics.
Defending champion Coco Gauff marched into the third spherical on the ladies’s aspect with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Tatjana Maria. The No. 3 seed will subsequent face No. 27 seed Elina Svitolina.
Ruse, a 26-year-old from Romania, superior to the third spherical of a Grand Slam for the primary time and can play No. 26 seed Paula Badosa, who eradicated American Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-5.
Jiri Lehecka ignored the warmth to engineer the largest comeback of his profession, rallying to beat Mitchell Krueger 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that completed a minute shy of 4 hours. Lehecka, the No. 32 seed, not solely got here from two units down for the primary time in his profession, however he was even down 3-0 within the third set in opposition to the American qualifier.
“I sort of dug again into the match with an enormous battle, after which the fourth set and fifth set was only a battle and we had been each preventing for each level,” Lehecka stated.
He’ll face No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev, who additionally got here from two units right down to outlast Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Previous U.S. Open finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev each gained their matches in straight units, whereas Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, the No. 7 seed, rallied handed Erika Andreeva in three units. However No. 12 Daria Kasatkina was upset by American Peyton Stearns, who will subsequent face No. 24 seed and Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic.
One other girls’s third-round match will see No. 14 seed Madison Keys in opposition to No. 33 Elise Mertens. Keys, the 2017 runner-up in Flushing Meadows, rolled previous Maya Joint 6-4, 6-0, whereas Mertens knocked out Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 6-2.
