Australia’s Alex de Minaur has continued his sizzling run at Flushing Meadows to surge into the fourth spherical of the US Open for the primary time since 2020.
The top-seeded Australian crushed Chilean twenty third seed Nicolas Jarry in straight units on Saturday to succeed in the final 16 – and arrange a possible showdown with former champion Daniil Medvedev.
De Minaur, one among two Australians left within the males’s draw together with shock packet Rinky Hijikata, powered previous Jarry in beneath two hours, successful 6-1 6-3 6-2 – making simply 10 unforced errors in an completely dominant show.
The victory places him inside touching distance of matching his greatest grand slam consequence, when he reached the 2020 US Open quarter-finals.
De Minaur will subsequent face the winner of Medvedev and Sebastian Baez, who play in a while Saturday (Sunday AEST).
De Minaur stated he had completed his mission on court docket and his recreation was prospering from the “energy and intensity” he was in a position to preserve all through the match.
“I’m extremely happy again. I had a mission to accomplish, I stuck to my game plan and I executed and I did everything I wanted to so it was a great day at the office and lots to be proud of,” de Minaur stated
“I feel like I’m in a good head space, I’ve got very clear thoughts once I’m on the tennis court, I know what I want to accomplish, what I want to do and it’s always great when you can execute as well.
“I think what I’m bringing is the kind of energy and intensity from the first point to the last and it’s been showing because it’s been really helpful to keep my level throughout the whole match.
“I knew obviously the game plan against someone like Jarry – who’s got such big weapons – is to try to neutralise him and try to find a healthy balance between kind of pushing the ball and still being somewhat aggressive without missing.
“I found that line today and it was great to keep applying that pressure. If he wanted to win the point, he was going to have to come up with some amazing winners.
“It didn’t discourage me, I just kept on, played the next point and did it all over again.”
De Minaur felt he was as sharp mentally as he had ever been coming into matches at a significant match.
“Over the last four or five years I have been extremely solid and always been tough to beat and it has shown year-end ranking wise, I have been around that 20-mark year in and year out,” De Minaur stated.
“Probably the biggest difference is I have stepped it up a notch, especially recently, and at the same time I have not let it be just one week, just the odd week where I closed my eyes and played unbelievable tennis.
“I just showed it week after week and I’m happy with that, so it’s a good spot to be in.
“Every time I step out on court I’ve got a purpose, I think I’m being a bit more aggressive as well, I’m going after my shots, I’m not letting people dictate me too much.
“Obviously, there is that sense of belief as well that maybe in the past – as good as I am mentally – there were times when I would maybe lose confidence because I lost one match or a couple of tough matches here or there, but at the moment I am backing myself at every stage of the match.”
Facing a possible fourth-round showdown with Medvedev, De Minaur anticipated it might be a “chess battle” in opposition to the Russian tactician.
“We all know Daniil. Daniil he’s an extreme kind of counter-puncher, defence specialist, finds ways to bait opponents into playing the game style he wants, so he’s an extremely good tactician,” De Minaur stated.
“Whenever you play him, you have got to be ready for an absolute chess battle from start to finish.”
“It’s going to be a long match. I’m sure there’s going to be chances both ways so it’s about who hangs around and sticks around and fights till the end and finds a way.
“I’m expecting an absolute battle.”
Meanwhile, world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz surged into the final 16 of the US Open on Saturday as second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka superior safely within the ladies’s draw.
Alcaraz, trying to turn out to be the primary man to efficiently defend the title since Roger Federer in 2008, polished off British twenty sixth seed Dan Evans 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in 3hr 11min.
It was one other trendy victory for the 20-year-old Spaniard, who will face Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi within the fourth spherical on Monday.
Alcaraz’s win retains him on observe for a repeat quarter-final in opposition to Italy’s Jannik Sinner, a yr after the 2 males duelled in an epic five-hour five-setter that completed at 2.50am, the most recent end in US Open historical past.
Sixth seed Sinner did his half to maintain the rematch on target Saturday with a trendy 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka.
Alcaraz’s last-16 opponent Arnaldi, in the meantime, superior after upsetting Sixteenth-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie, successful 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in slightly below two hours.
In the ladies’s draw, Australian Open champion Sabalenka maintained her dominant begin to the match with a 60-minute demolition of France’s Clara Burel, successful 6-1, 6-1.
“I’m super happy with the performance today,” Sabalenka stated afterwards. “I think I played great tennis today.” The Belarusian right-hander will play Russia’s thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina on Monday within the final 16. Kasatkina booked her place within the fourth spherical with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
Originally revealed as US Open 2023: Results and newest news from Flushing Meadows as Alex de Minaur into fourth spherical
Source: www.news.com.au
