The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner had to admit defeat to the American Frances Tiafoe 4: 6, 6: 4, 4: 6 and 3: 6 on Tuesday night and thus conceded in the 23rd Grand Slam Game of this year the first defeat.
The 36-year-old had previously won the Australian Open and French Open, and in Wimbledon he did not compete in the semi-final match against Australian Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal muscle injury. Tiafoe, 24, is the youngest male US tennis pro to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2006.
In the round of the top eight, number 22 seeded Tiafoe meets Andrei Rublev, who clearly won 6: 4, 6: 4 and 6: 4 against British player Cameron Norrie after almost two and a half hours. The 24-year-old Russian has his third chance at the semi-finals in New York after 2017 and 2020.
With a lot of effort, the top seeded Pole Iga Swiatek won against the unseeded German Jule Niemeier with 2:6.6:4.6:0. The sensational Wimbledon quarter-finalist this year from Dortmund was well on course for the round of eight in Flushing Meadows. She led against Swiatek 6: 2, 2: 1 and a break, but then the French Open winner, who was already so strong this year, caught herself. After a total of seven breaks in the second round, she equalized in sets. But then Niemeier had shot her powder and finally went under.
“I’m proud that I haven’t lost hope. She played a great first set,” said Swiatek on the court. She now meets American Jessica Pegula. The Czech and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova had unexpectedly eliminated them with a score of 6:3.6:2. Swiatek is in the quarterfinals of the US Open for the first time, it’s her third in a major this year.
Previously, Rublev had been spared a trembling game. He had needed five sets in round one against the Serb Laslo Djere and in round three against the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, he was spared this fate in the third duel with Norrie. “It was tough. I played a good match. He was a bit tired, that helped me. I’m very happy,” said Rublev, who impressed with 30 winners and only 17 unforced errors. It is already the second major quarterfinal this year after the French Open for the Muscovite, who, like his compatriot Daniil Medvedev, was not allowed to play in Wimbledon because of the Ukraine war.
Source: Nachrichten
