Świątek edges Bouzková in two tiebreaks as Zheng completes comeback to set US Open clash
Iga Świątek advanced to the US Open fourth round after defeating Marie Bouzková 7-6, 7-6 on Saturday, setting up a clash with Qinwen Zheng, who overcame a 0-5 deficit in the third set to defeat Madison Keys.
Świątek overcomes Bouzková in two tiebreaks
Iga Świątek reached the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday by defeating Czech player Marie Bouzková 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3) in a contest lasting 147 minutes. Bouzková served for the opening set at 6-5 before Świątek forced a tiebreak, where the Polish player won four of the first five points. In the second set, Świątek fell behind 0-3 and later faced three set points at 5-6 on her own serve during the twelfth game. Świątek saved all three opportunities, forced a second tiebreak, and took six of the first seven points to close out the victory.
To był naprawdę trudny mecz i walka o każdy punkt. Było wiele przełamań, break pointów i trudnych sytuacji. Cieszę się, że w obu tie-breakach podniosłam poziom gry i zdołałam zamknąć mecz, bo czuję, że to było ważne. Uważam, że to było dobre spotkanie
The result marked the first time in Świątek's professional career that she won two tiebreaks in a single match. The win represents her 23rd appearance in a Grand Slam round of 16 since Roland Garros 2019, trailing only Novak Djokovic (25) across men's and women's singles in that period. Świątek has won 13 of her last 14 matches since the tournament in Toronto.
- Novak Djokovic
- 25
- Iga Świątek
- 23
Zheng mounts third-set comeback against Keys
Świątek's next opponent in the round of 16 is Qinwen Zheng, who defeated 22nd seed Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 in a match spanning nearly two and a half hours on the Grandstand court. Keys took the opening set in 23 minutes, conceding only one game. After Zheng claimed the second set in a tiebreak, Keys built a 5-0 lead in the deciding third set.
Zheng held her serve to love at 0-5, saved a match point on Keys's serve in the next game, and secured three consecutive service breaks. Zheng won seven games in a row to take the final set 7-5. Świątek holds a 7-1 career head-to-head record against Zheng, with the Chinese player's sole victory coming at the Paris Olympic semifinals. Their round of 16 match is scheduled for Monday, 7 September.
- Iga Świątek
- 7
- Qinwen Zheng
- 1
Rybakina and Osaka advance on bottom half
Second seed Elena Rybakina advanced to the round of 16 with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 win over Ukraine's Yulia Starodubtseva in 112 minutes. Starodubtseva served for the first set at 5-4, but Rybakina broke back and saved a set point in the tiebreak with an ace, finishing the match with 12 aces and one double fault. The win avenged Rybakina's three-set loss to Starodubtseva at this year's French Open. If Rybakina reaches the semifinals at Flushing Meadows, she will replace Aryna Sabalenka as world No. 1 for the first time at age 27.
Rybakina will face 13th seed Naomi Osaka, who defeated Belgium's 23rd seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Osaka, coached by Tomasz Wiktorowski, recovered from a 2-4 deficit in the third set to advance.
Nie czułam, że gram dobrze i byłam tym naprawdę zdołowana. Byłam strasznie negatywnie nastawiona do siebie. Bardzo przepraszam za swoje zachowanie
Osaka also expressed regret to spectators and young children watching the match after throwing her racket during moments of frustration.
