Iga Swiatek’s US Open title defense and reign as world No. 1 came to an end on Sunday with a shock loss to Jelena Ostapenko, while Novak Djokovic continued his march toward a 24th Grand Slam crown.
Swiatek’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 fourth-round defeat brought the day to a stunning conclusion, but it was not a surprise to some, with Ostapenko extending her domination over the Pole having won all four career meetings.
“I had nothing to lose today,” the 20th-seeded Latvian said. “I knew she’s a great player and she’s very, very consistent, especially last few years. I also knew she would have all the pressure. I was just trying to make it hard for her, and to play my game and to fight until the very last point.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Swiatek’s defeat means a new US Open women’s singles champion will be crowned on Saturday, and when the world rankings are updated on Sept. 11 it will be Aryna Sabalenka’s name at the top of the list.
There will be a new men’s world No. 1 as well, with Djokovic retaking top spot, but the Serb’s primary goal remains a fourth US Open title that would see him match Margaret Court’s record haul of 24 Grand Slams.
The 36-year-old took another confident step toward that objective, easing past Croatia’s Borna Gojo 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the 13th time.
Until the Swiatek drama, the day had belonged to local hopes with five US players competing in eight matches on the two steamy show courts.
It has been two decades since Andy Roddick became the last American man to win the US Open, and 2017 since Sloane Stephens hoisted the women’s singles trophy, but as the season’s final Grand Slam enters its second week there is a belief both finals next weekend could feature a homegrown contender.
For the first time since 2005 there will be three American men in the last eight, with Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton all posting round-of-16 wins, and there is certain to be at least one US man through to the semi-finals after Tiafoe swatted aside Australian wild-card Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 and Shelton beat compatriot Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to set up an all-American clash.
“Ben has wanted to play me at the Open for a long time,” said Tiafoe, who electrified the tournament with his run to the semi-finals last year. “So he’s going to be super excited. He’s going to come out with a lot of energy. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. Two people of color playing in the quarter-finals, huge match on Arthur Ashe. It’s a pretty monumental moment.”
Fritz, who has not yet dropped a set, advanced with a tidy 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker.
His reward? A quarter-final meeting with Djokovic.
Gauff was the first US woman into the last eight, ending Caroline Wozniacki’s return to Flushing Meadows 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, and was probably preparing for a showdown with Swiatek until Ostapenko rewrote the script.
In the third round of the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xinyu of China defeated Russian duo Kamilla Rakhimova and Elina Avanesyan 6-0, 2-6, 6-2.
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