Holders Gauff, Djokovic win second spherical matches at US Open tennis | Tennis Information

Djokovic marches on in his bid for a twenty fifth Grand Slam title and American gamers shine on a sizzling day three in New York.

Defending champion Coco Gauff and twelfth seed Taylor Fritz capped a terrific day at Flushing Meadows for the house hopes as a number of Individuals moved on to the third spherical of the US Open tennis championship.

Gauff cleaned up early errors to beat unseeded German Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-0, organising a gathering with 2019 semifinalist Elina Svitolina of Ukraine following her victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night time.

“It was a tough match. I imply, she’s not somebody that generally you play and you’re feeling nice after,” mentioned Gauff. “It was nearly execution.”

Within the males’s draw, Novak Djokovic saved his bid for a file twenty fifth Grand Slam title on monitor after fellow Serb Laslo Djere retired injured whereas trailing 6-4 6-4 2-0 of their second-round match.

The world 109, who pushed his countryman to 5 units in New York final yr, had required a medical time-out to deal with an damage simply earlier than dropping the second set.

The 37-year-old Djokovic had himself required a go to from the coach for what gave the impression to be a facet pressure after sealing the primary set.

“It’s not what we wish to see when there’s a retirement. Laslo had an damage which took him off the tour for a while and he’s been struggling to return again,” mentioned Djokovic.

“He’s such an excellent participant in these situations and the second set ought to have been his, he was 4-2 up.

“I don’t know if [my] profitable the second set in all probability put extra burden on him.”

It was the ninetieth win on the US Open for Djokovic, making him the primary man to succeed in that complete in any respect 4 Grand Slams. He’ll subsequent meet Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, whom he defeated on the Australian Open and Wimbledon this yr, with each matches going to 4 units.

American stars shine

Later, on the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Fritz closed out the motion with a convincing 6-3 7-6(1) 6-1 defeat of Italian Matteo Berrettini. He was delighted together with his stage after a nervy opener in opposition to Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

“I got here in actually centered. I felt like I used to be simply locked in each level, one thing I used to be type of upset with myself about my first-round match,” Fritz mentioned.

“I used to be simply able to go. Matteo is an especially good participant, an excellent robust second spherical. So I got here in further locked in.”

Large-hitting Frances Tiafoe and former finalist Madison Keys did their bit to spice up the American cost earlier within the day.

Tiafoe, who reached the New York semifinals in 2022 and was a runner-up in his remaining tune-up occasion this yr, was in full management when Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko retired at 6-4 6-1 1-0.

“Joyful to get it accomplished. [I] hate to win it that method, however total I assumed I truly performed fairly effectively immediately,” Tiafoe mentioned after a stress-free victory throughout which he modified shirts 5 occasions.

He subsequent performs 21-year-old compatriot, Ben Shelton, who electrified the house crowds final yr with a run to the semifinals, and had no drawback getting previous Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 6-4 6-4 on the Grandstand.

The left-handed Shelton despatched over 17 aces and walloped Bautista Agut with 60 winners, feeding off the power of the boisterous house crowd amid stifling warmth.

In the meantime, Madison Keys, making her thirteenth main-draw look on the US Open, beat Australia’s Maya Joint 6-4 6-0, placing first when she transformed on her third break-point alternative for a 4-3 lead en path to wrapping up the opening set on her serve.

The 29-year-old American opened the second with one other break and sprinted to the end line in 62 minutes.