But I’ll wrap it up there – Nadal and Cilic are on later, and we’ve a report on Osaka’s shock defeat coming up, so do stay close to the site.
Here’s some Johanna Konta latest from Kevin Mitchell, in the meantime. Thanks for your company!
Elise Mertens is a set up against Kristie Ahn – she won that 6-1.
Schwartzman beats Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
He’s done it! And he’s deserved it. A really fun, unpredictable, flamboyant match ends in the Argentinian’s favour on the second match point (he, in keeping with proceedings, fluffed a gift on the first). He sees it through with a booming forehand winner!
He does, and fair play to him for that, he was put under severe pressure and taken to deuce but found a couple of huge shots in there. Zverev has really kept at it here when this looked nailed on to be a 0-6 at one point. Now Schwartzman serves for the match at 5-3.
Now Zverev needs to gather himself, somehow, and serve out the next game to stay in the match ...
Schwartzman, under a bit of pressure on serve, digs it out to 40-15 with a sensational angled volley. And then Zverev gets given another violation for an obscenity ... and is cost a point! What an idiot! He was still in that! He’s claiming he never got a prior warning, or couldn’t hear it. But I could hear it from here in London! It’s 5-2 to Schwartzman.
And the tie still has a pulse ... Zverev holds this time, so it’s 4-2, and this next game is not one that Schwartzman will want to let slip.
Zverev is still fighting and gets a glimmer of light with a break point, then another ... and breaks! It’s 4-1. And I didn’t say anything in the previous entry, OK?
Ok, I will call it now. Zverev manfully saves three break points but ... that’s right ... double faults on the fourth and that’s 4-0. He has made 16 double faults to Schwartzman’s one. There are so many good elements to his game but those have done for him here.
Schwartzman makes good the break, is now 3-0 up and can see the lights of home. He’s playing some great stuff now. But, look, this match has been so scattergun that I’m not going to call it quite yet ...
Uh-oh, Zverev might not have much left after all. Schwartzman gets two break points in the second game and is absolutely rapid to hunt down a drop shot and return it with interest. He goes 2-0 up in the fourth and could win this from here. Zverev gets a code violation for ball abuse.
What has Zverev got left? He’s played a lot more tennis in the last few days than his opponent. We’ll soon see ...
Zverev seems to have made it 30-30 with an ace but no, a review finds it was a millimetre wide and he double faults on the second serve! 15-40, then, and two set points, but an absolutely wild Schwartzman forehand sends the ball way off court. Does either player want to win this? Well, Schwartzman takes the third set in the end – with an absolutely bewitching bit of cat and mouse around the net! 6-4 to Schwartzman and two sets to one up.
A relatively easy hold for once, Schwartzman serving out to make it 5-4 and put pressure on Zverev’s serve. And if there’s one thing Zverev can’t handle that well, it’s pressure on his serve.
We’re two hours, 18 minutes in and not quite at the business end of the third set yet. These two players are both highly flawed but they’re giving it everything, slugging out from the baseline but producing some deft touches too. We could be here all night. Zverev holds for 4-4 but nobody is running away with anything here.
Berrettini beats Rublev 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
A nip-and-tuck third set there, but far more straightforward than Zverev-Schwartzman!
Zverev’s 12th and 13th double faults give Schwartzman the chance to break back in an epic sixth game of the set. The latter correctly challenges a serve that was called good on his third break point and capitalises, making it 3-3! This is a fraught, frayed rollercoaster.
And now Zverev takes his chance, gets his break! He leads 3-2. Goodness knows what will happen from here.
At 30-30 in the next game, these two pull out an absolutely epic 35-shot rally that Zverev pulls out of the bag with a delightful slice down the line that totally foxes his adversary. It’s a bit of a wild match, this – never quite know what’s going to happen next. In this case, Zverev shows guts to make it 2-2.
Big chance for Zverev at 0-40 on the Schwartzman serve, and 1-1, but he loses his head and the next five points. He’s really let his opponent off there, and is letting too many good chances slip. 2-1 Schwartzman on serve.
Schwartzman breaks yet again and wins the second set 6-2! It’s one set all and Zverev needs to sort this out. He is crumbling.
We are seeing some sensational rallies just now and some fine variation from Schwartzman, who is flamboyant at his best and this time goes 5-2 up in the second set with some wonderful play.
Now Schwartzman breaks after *yet another* Zverev double fault and he’s got another chance to take firm control of the set. 4-2.
Berrettini has won the second set too and leads 6-1, 6-4.
Updated
We’re still just about on serve, at 3-2 Schwartzman, but these are very tight games at the moment with some long, meaty rallies to enjoy. The most recent one saw Zverev pass up on FOUR break points!
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It is so wet at Flushing Meadows that the sound of the rain drilling against the roof is quite off-putting even for those of us watching on telly.
And he breaks back! This match is all over the place at the moment. 2-1 Schwartzman, on serve.
Updated
Zverev finally falls apart on serve again and Schwartzman breaks for 2-0. Those double faults are so costly and if he can’t, somehow, rid himself of this demon then he will lose this match despite being a set up as we stand.
Berrettini is a break up in the second against Rublev now, so he could be about to run away with it.
Schwartzman takes it to 15-15 in one of the best rallies you will see all tournament, retrieving the point at one stage with an impudent flick from between his legs. It seems to put his tail up as Zverev double-faults for the SIXTH time and is then taken to 15-40. Zverev digs in and returns it to deuce with some rapier-like groundstrokes, and then earns a set point. It’s an exceptional game, this particular one. Zverev sees it through and takes the first set 6-3!
Schwartzman stays alive and now Zverev serves for the set ...
Zverev has broken and, despite losing a point on his own serve after a wonderful lob from his opponent, gone on to confirm that break! It’s 5-2 to the German.
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Berrettini has thrashed Rublev 6-1 in the first set! It’s a lot tighter in the one I’m watching currently although Zverev looks very shaky on serve. He’s 3-2 up though, with Schwartzman serving.
I’ve got Zverev and Schwartzman, the sixth and 20th seeds, on my telly so we’ll keep our weather eye on that one for the time being. Zverev was two games down, I should say, before breaking back.
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So – at the moment Zverev and Schwartzman are on serve at 2-2, while Berrettini is a break up at 4-1.
On soon: Zverev v Schwartzman and Rublev v Berrettini – we’ll join them in a little while.
What a day’s tennis we’ve had so far! Wow. There’s a little break now so I’m off to grab a bite to eat, won’t be long. Do send in your assessments of what we’ve seen, in the meantime!
An emotional Vekic speaks: “I don’t know how I won this match, she had match point but I just kept fighting and believing I would win. It feels pretty amazing to play [here] and have such amazing support. I was just trying to get the ball in the court, she was serving amazingly today, but I was feeling confident in the rallies but I knew that if I could get those returns in I’d have an advantage.”
Vekic and Bencic – who are good friends – will face each other in the last eight!
Vekic beats Goerges 6-7, 7-5, 6-3
Goerges wastes two break points and then, on match point to Vekic, fluffs a doable overhead. Vekic wins the longest women’s match of the US Open so far at two hours, 42 minutes – an absolute thriller from both players. Goerges will be absolutely kicking herself at how she let that slip in the second, but will hopefully reflect that, like her opponent, she put on a great show overall.
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And the action keeps on coming as Vekic has just broken Goerges in the final set ... after another double fault from Goerges! Vekic leads 5-3 and will serve for the match!
Bencic speaks: “I was so excited to come on the court, the challenge could not be bigger so I had to be on top of my game, I’m really pleased with how I played and how I managed my nerves in the end. Taking the serve early, trying to anticipate because she has a lot of power ... I’m not the person with the most winners or aces, I had to play it a bit like chess with tactics on the court.”
The world number one and defending champion is out. Belinda Bencic takes out Naomi Osaka 7-5 6-4.
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 2, 2019
Bencic played a seriously flawless match. 29 winners, 12 unforced errors.
Tumaini is on the scene.
Bencic can’t stop smiling, she’s dancing and clenching her fists. What a bold performance it was. This women’s tournament is absolutely anyone’s now!
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Naomi Osaka is out of the US Open
Bencic wins 7-5, 6-4 against a clearly troubled opponent and, after letting Osaka back in it for a while in the first set, that was a supreme performance from the Swiss. She goes through!
Updated
Osaka takes a drink and looks at a sheet of notes. “Break back, pronto,” it probably doesn’t read.
A slightly wobbly hold to 30 from Osaka, and now we reach the crux: can Bencic hold her nerve for a stunning victory? She leads 5-4 and is a set up.
Vekic and Goerges are inseparable at 3-3 in the third, incidentally.
It may well be Osaka’s knee injury – her left one, which is strapped – that forced her to miss Cincinatti, that’s troubling her. At 30-0 to Bencic she defies any pain to slam down a winner but Bencic comes out on top and needs to win just one game now.
Osaka is taken from 40-0 back to 40-30, via a lovely feathered touch at the net by Bencic and an unforced error, but holds for 3-4. The crowd are in the mood to get right behind her – and she’ll need them now.
Bencic eases her back in with a double fault. But the Swiss recovers to win the match’s best rally so far for 15-15, and then goes on – via some more huge hitting from both women – to take arguably the most important hold so far. 4-2 to the Swiss, and a set up.
Play will continue now. I’m not quite sure what all that was about.
The physio is on to see Osaka and I wonder if it’s more a useful time for the defending champion, who is on the edge of tumbling out here, to take a bit of a time out. There’s currently more conversation than treatment going on.
Bencic breaks Osaka’s serve and she is now well in control of this match! Osaka misjudges a volley with most of the court gaping and sees it swatted past her for 0-40 ... then she double faults and it’s 3-2 to Bencic, with a break, and a set up!
Osaka holds again and then gets a glimmer on Bencic’s serve at 15-30. She can’t make it count, just when Bencic was starting to look a little wobbly. 2-2 in the second, and as you were.
Osaka makes short work of her first service game in the second set and will hope to continue in that vein. Bencic then does similar.
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And Vekic has levelled the match against Goerges, coming back from the very, very edge to win the second set 7-5. A thriller there – I gather Goerges served three double faults when the match was there to be won! Incredible.
Updated
Bencic takes the first set against Osaka, 7-5! And what credit you have to give her here. It came at the second time of asking, after she double faulted first time out. She seemed to have crumbled after that great start but stayed in the set doggedly and then rediscovered her best form towards the end. The reigning champion has a problem here!
Updated
Well, well, well! Bencic breaks Osaka with a fine, clean backhand. That was her at her assertive best from earlier; she leads 6-5 in the first, and a break up!
Two more holds in Bencic-Osaka to make it 5-5. After a fast start it’s settled down now, with both players having their moments but looking strong on serve.
Vekic has saved two match points and levelled the second set against Goerges! 5-5 and game on.
Holds for both players here in a fairly uneventful phase. 4-4 in the first set.
Now Bencic holds serve and she needed that. Goerges, meanwhile, leads Vekic 5-3 in the second and is on the verge of going through.
Bencic is starting to get a little rash, while Osaka is producing some awesomely powerful strokes. On serve, it’s now 3-2 to Osaka.
That last game must have cleared Osaka’s head because now she earns two break points. She takes the first through a Bencic error and levels the set – 2-2!
Goerges has kept that break against Vekic. She leads 3-1, and by a set.
Bencic earns another break point, with Osaka yet to get going at all. It’s fended off well, and then another one is too, but what about a third? That’s saved too but, my word, Bencic is striking the ball well. A fourth break point is then saved and Osaka is really at full stretch early on here. Eventually she gets out of the hole and off the mark – to some relief. It’s 2-1 Bencic, with a break.
And it’s a comfortable hold from Bencic, who leads 2-0.
Osaka serves first and Bencic shows instantly that she’ll be assertive, winning the first point via a deep forehand. Then she forces a break point with a superb, radar-like backhand ... and takes it after Osaka double faults. Some start here! 1-0 Bencic.
I can tell you, before we get stuck into Osaka-Bencic, that Goerges has gone a break up in the second – it’s 2-0 and she looks set fair for victory.
We’re into the second set but Osaka and Bencic are about to get underway and we’re going to head over to that for the time being. I’ll keep you posted on how this one is panning out!
Goerges fired down seven aces in that first set, and 22 winners! Her opponent? No aces and five winners. But Goerges made 16 unforced errors to Vekic’s seven.
She takes it! Goerges wins the first set 7-6 (7-5) and yells with delight.
Updated
Goerges whips out a sensational backhand winner down the line on Vekic’s serve, and has a set point at 6-5!
Then a cross-court shot from Goerges on the Vekic serve is called good by the umpire, overruling the line judge, and now she has the mini-break. Can she take advantage? No – she double-faults too!
Vekic gets a mini-break but then double-faults and it’s 3-3 at the change of ends. That’s a golden chance wasted.
Goerges powers through another service game, leaving us to wonder where it all went wrong mid-set. She can have another nibble at Vekic now, and takes it to deuce with her eighth forehand winner so far ... but Vekic responds appropriately and we have a tie break!
Decent hold from Vekic to 15, her first serve purring at the moment. It’s 5-5 and might well go the distance.
Back to her earlier form from Goerges there though, hitting her 14th winner down the line for 40-0 and then serving it out to put pressure on Vekic’s serve at 5-4.
Vekic, now looking the stronger player, holds to 15 for 4-4 and you wouldn’t bet against her going on to win this set now.
Vekic again holds comfortably and finds a nice pass on Goerges’ serve for 15-15. Then she forces her first break point of the match ... and takes it! Vekic levels to get things back on serve, it’s 4-3 to Goerges.
Goerges holds well for 4-1 and they’ll now change ends. Vekic needs to step things up considerably on her opponent’s serve here.
Rich writes in: “He was obviously injured from the match before last but consistently refused to answer media questions about it, in fact saying more than once that he was good and ready to play. We fans base our decisions to invest a lot of time and money on these statements. Also the sports culture here in the US demands more transparency about injuries. So yes, boo to Novak (as great as he is) for intentionally misleading us.”
I do take this point but it just seems a bit habitual from that particular crowd.
Much, much better from Vekic here. She finds a few sweet groundstrokes to hold for love and get off the mark. She’s still a break down though at 3-1.
It’s wet in New York – good job the roof is on here!
Goerges is serving superbly and holds for 3-0, via a failed challenge from Vekic who thought an ace should have been called out.
Well, well – Goerges breaks Vekic at the first time of asking, doing so to love. She has started very assertively indeed and leads 2-0.
And we get underway! Goerges serves first and moves 30-0 up with a sweet double-handed backhand winner. But Vekic is hitting the ball well too and pulls to 30-30, before Goerges serves it out to go 1-0 up.
Vekic and Goerges are out on court at Louis Armstrong. Neither player has ever gone beyond this stage at a US Open before, and Vekic hasn’t reached a grand slam last-eight at all. What gives this time?
Where Bencic and Osaka are concerned, we’re reminded that Bencic leads the head-to-head 2-1. That starts in about an hour and I think there is every chance it might go all the way ...
We won’t see Johanna Konta today – but if she has her way we’ll get several more chances over the rest of the week!
Vekic is yet to drop a set at this US Open; Goerges has dropped one, in her opening-round win over Natalia Viklyantseva. It should be a very close match given that, in terms both of ranking and seeding, you can barely separate them.
Play in the Vekic-Goerges match starts in around about 40 minutes. You can send in your emails and tweets to the addresses above if you’d like to provide your observations, on that tie or any other aspect of the US Open so far!
Updated
Hello everyone
Afternoon order of play
Arthur Ashe Stadium (12pm local/5pm BST)
Naomi Osaka (Jpn, 1) v Belinda Bencic (Sui, 13)
Alexander Zverev (Ger, 6) v D Schwartzman (Arg, 20)
Louis Armstrong Stadium (11am local/4pm BST)
Donna Vekic (Cro, 23) v Julia Görges (Ger, 26)
Andrey Rublev (Rus) v Matteo Berrettini (It, 24)
Kristie Ahn (US) v Elise Mertens (Bel, 25)
Gaël Monfils (Fr, 13) v Pablo Andújar (Sp)
That does exactly what it says on the tin! I wonder if we’ll see the kind of drama we got yesterday, when Novak Djokovic was booed off at Arthur Ashe after retiring hurt against Stan Wawrinka. They like an entirely unreasonable boo there, don’t they? But anyway, lots of positives in store today: we’ll see how Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils do in their fourth round clashes, for one thing. Arguably the biggest match of the day comes much later on, when Rafael Nadal faces Marin Cilic. I’ll be tucked up in bed by then and you might, too! So feast on the above we will.
