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The highlights of day four at the US Open in New York.
Pliskova saves match point
Karolina Pliskova (WTA 4) almost got it as the first top ten player at this year’s tournament. The Wimbledon finalist, who also reached the final at the US Open (2016), had to fend off a match point against the American Amanda Anisimova in the tie-break of the third set before she prevailed 9: 7 in the short decision shortly before midnight .
Djokovic’s next step
Novak Djokovic qualified for the 3rd round at the beginning of the night session without any problems. The Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor was no yardstick for the world number 1, but the Serb prevailed in 1:39 hours 6: 2, 6: 3, 6: 2. The next hurdle for Djokovic on the way to the fourth major title in the same calendar year is Kei Nishikori. The Japanese had reached his only Grand Slam final in Flushing Meadows in 2014 – after beating Djokovic in the semifinals. The 31-year-old who lives in Florida is now number 56 in the world after various health problems.
Meeting of two Olympic champions
Between her two victories, Belinda Bencic met Lindsey Vonn. “It was really cool,” said the Swiss woman who met the former ski racer in a sponsor’s suite in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. “She knows tennis very well and closely followed the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which of course made me happy.” Like Bencic, Vonn is also an Olympic champion. The 36-year-old American won gold in downhill in Vancouver in 2010.
Alexander Zverev also proves at the US Open in New York that he is still in top form. Last year’s finalist and Olympic champion from Tokyo only lost four games in 74 minutes when he won the second round against the Spaniard Albert Ramos-Viñolas and is still without a set loss. For the 24-year-old from Hamburg, it was the 13th victory in a row. After the triumph in Tokyo, Zverev also won the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.
A sparkling water as a reward
Henri Laaksonen is in New York for the second time after the French Open in Paris at a Grand Slam tournament in the 3rd round. But there was no reason for a big celebration for the 29-year-old Schaffhauser. When asked how he would reward himself for beating Chilean Cristian Garin, Laaksonen said: “With a mineral water – carbonated.” On Friday, the only Swiss will also meet a qualifier with the German Peter Gojowczyk.
