… before Altmaier misses a second set point … and takes the breaker 9-7 on his third. Just as Venus Williams continues her doubles run with a straight-sets win alongside Leylah Fernandez in the second round. The crowd are cheering as if the 45-year-old has won the singles title. She’s smiling as if she has too. It’s time to wrap up our live coverage now, but do join us again tomorrow. Same time, same place. Bye!
Updated
On Court 17, De Minaur and Altmaier are locked at six games all and five points all in the first-set tie-break. Demon then does what Demon does, staying in the rally, scrapping, scrambling, but Altmaier eventually brings up set point with a forehand winner. And, crucially, the set point is on his serve. De Minaur decides to take matters into his own hands, charging forward and putting away the volley. So it’s 6-6 at the change of ends …
Updated
Rublev wins against Wong, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Wong holds, so Rublev is serving for the match. From 15-all, with the early evening shadows stretching over Grandstand, Rublev puts Wong in the shade for 30-15. But Wong absolutely crushes a return winner and it’s 30-all! Wong can’t repeat the trick on the next point, so Rublev has match point. And Wong whacks into the net. The qualifier’s run is over, Rublev is into the last 16, and the Russian has now won eight of his past 10 five-setters. That’s an impressive stat for a player who can be up and down emotionally.
Venus Williams, everyone 👑 pic.twitter.com/ZkcSwePuvv
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Ruvlev grabs the first break in the fifth set as he moves to 4-2. For all of his ability, he’s still searching for a first slam semi-final, having reached the quarter-finals in New York four times. His link-up with Marat Safin seems to have mellowed him a little, and he’s had a decent US summer swing, but he’s shouting at himself as he’s taken to deuce, before settling the game with an ace. He’s a game away at 5-2.
Wong has taken it to a decider! The qualifier and grand slam debutant has won the fourth set 6-4 against Rublev. De Minaur v Altmaier is going on serve early on, with Altmaier 4-3 ahead.
Jannik Sinner’s US Open title defense is still alive! pic.twitter.com/e2bbmiqdf4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
A very relieved-looking Sinner speaks:
Very tough match today. The last time we played was some years ago, we’ve both improved so much, I knew I’d have to play at a very high level. I tried to stay there mentally. Let’s see what’s coming, but obviously I’m very happy to be in the second week.
Sinner defeats Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Sinner, serving for the match, stumbles on the opening point at Shapovalov smacks a winner. Sinner comes back for 15-all, but a draining duel ends in Shapovalov’s favour and it’s 15-30! He hasn’t won a rally like that in a while. He cheaply concedes the next point, though, and it’s 30-all. Then Sinner shanks a forehand and it’s break point! Sinner saves it with an unreturned serve, wins the next point too, and from break point it’s now match point. Sinner gets over the line when Shapovalov chops long. It’s been anything but comfortable today, but perhaps it’ll sharpen him up for the challenges ahead. The numero uno is into the last 16, where he’ll meet the winner of the night match between Tommy Paul and Alexander Bublik.
Updated
15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. At least Shapovalov gives Sinner something to think about.
He's here. He's there. He's everywhere. pic.twitter.com/2SWvZi6pd7
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Shapovalov saves a break point at 4-1 down but is probably just delaying the inevitable. Sinner is now smacking the ball with his relentlessly metronomic power and precision, and he holds to love for 5-2. So Shapovalov must now hold to inconvenience the defending champ any longer.
Updated
Munar’s straight-sets victory over Bergs has set up a last-16 contest with Musetti, and it means his near-namesake, De Minaur, is now on court against Daniel Altmaier, the German who so enraged Stefanos Tsitsipas with his underarm serves in the last round. De Minaur is the last Australian standing in the singles after Kasatkina’s loss to Osaka.
Shapovalov’s chance appears to have gone. He’s already 3-0 down in the fourth set. That’s nine games in a row against him. Though he does give himself something to build on when he holds for 3-1. Keeping up his level from the first and second sets was always going to be tough, especially with his brand of high-risk tennis, but his body language now is not good. He doesn’t look as if he believes he can turn this around. And he’s sarcastically giving the thumbs up to his box. Sinner holds to 15 for 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 4-1.
Osaka’s win means that Venus Williams’s doubles match has moved on to a rowdy Louis Armstrong. The 45-year-old, playing with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, is up against Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Japan’s Eri Hozumi. It’s a second-round meeting, after Williams won her first women’s doubles match at the US Open in more than a decade on Thursday.
Jelena Ostapenko has apologised after her row with Taylor Townsend:
Jelena Ostapenko with a new Instagram statement. pic.twitter.com/xC3bdkpAQm
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 30, 2025
On Grandstand, Rublev is now two sets to one up against Wong, leading 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. And if you haven’t already seen it, this documentary on the Russian’s search for a new outlook on life and tennis is well worth watching.
Sinner pulls off the great escape, holding and breaking once more to take six games on the spin – and the third set 6-3. Sinner set up the break with a superb backhand winner around the net post. And Shapovalov has left the court. Which his team are probably quite relieved about, because it means they’ll get a brief respite from him chuntering at them.
Updated
Jannik Sinner wins a crucial deuce point and breaks Shapovalov in the third! pic.twitter.com/bNiMs17cCy
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Sinner holds, before Shapovalov coughs up consecutive double faults to give Sinner three break points! Sinner can’t take a single one, but then shows ridiculous powers of retrieval to stay in the point and get himself a fourth break point. Shapovalov surrenders with another double. And then screams at his coach. I think he has only himself to blame there. Sinner, from 3-0 down, leads 4-3 with the break.
A word on Osaka’s landmark win. It’s been quite a journey for her to get back into the second week of a slam, you could see what it meant to her in her post-match celebrations and interview, and she’ll be so relieved to pull off a tight victory having had some gut-wrenching three-set defeats at slams. Next up is a box-office meeting with Coco Gauff, whom she says she views as a “younger sister” in her on-court interview. She’s also asked about the latest Labubu attached to her bag. After Billie Jean Bling and Arthur Flashe, this one is also a tribute to BJK and is apparently called la-billie-bu (geddit?). It’s good to see her having fun out there.
Naomi Osaka is ready for her Round 4 match against Coco Gauff, who is considers to be a little sister 💙 pic.twitter.com/YCueVQPEQN
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Updated
Sinner, after replacing his shoe lace, gets himself a break point. He can’t take it, but soon he has another at his advantage. Shapovalov pulls off a classic one-two punch, striking deep to Sinner’s forehand, and Sinner nets. Deuce. But here’s a third break point. And this time Shapovalov misfires! Somehow Sinner has dragged himself back on to serve, despite appearing all out of sorts, and he trails 3-2.
Updated
One piece of housekeeping: Kostyuk has come through against Parry after two and a half hours, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, and will play Muchova next.
After breaking a string, Sinner now breaks a shoelace and has to stop mid-game. It’s all going against him. Shapovalov still leads 7-5, 4-6, 3-1.
Thanks Tom. This is head-scratching from Sinner. He’s probably hit more unforced errors in this match than he has the rest of the year. Credit to Shapovalov, though, who isn’t letting up with his high-risk game. The 26-year-old hasn’t quite hit the heights in his career that were once predicted for him – injuries certainly haven’t helped – but the 2020 quarter-finalist is showing what he’s capable of here.
Katy is back from her break and will see things through until the conclusion of the day seven live blog. Night all.
At 0-30 down Sinner breaks a run of seven straight points won in a row by Shapovalov and manages to get it to 30-all, but then a backhand goes wide to cough up another break point. A backhand into the net offers Sinner a reprieve and a big forehand on the next point allows the number one seed to come in to seal it at the net. Sinner holds on the back of a well-placed serve. He needed that, Shapovalov leads 3-1 in the third.
After taking the second, Sinner is already in a battle for the third. Shapovalov won the first two games and goes 3-0 up with an easy forehand winner into the open court. On Grandstand, Rublev has a secured a break in the second and Wong is currently serving to stay in the set, with the score at 5-3 to the Russian.
Osaka beats Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3!
Osaka is now on her deepest run at a major since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
Updated
Kasatkina has to battle through her service but despite dropping two double-faults she manages to hold. Osaka is now serving for the match, with a 5-3 lead in the third.
After the shock of losing the first set, Sinner has quickly got himself on terms. He sews up the second set with a rapid-fire hold to love. We’re all square after two sets, Sinner 5-7, 6-4 Shapovalov.
Sinner is serving for the set against Shapovalov…
Updated
Osaka looks confident as she twice works her way up the court to hit forehand winners. She earns a swift service hold when a powerful serve can only be returned high and wide. Kasatkina will now serve to stay in the match, Osaka leads 5-2.
No issues for Kasatkina this time on serve. She holds to love and it’s 4-2 to Osaka.
This time it’s Osaka’s turn to serve an ill-timed double-fault to cough up a break point. The error doesn’t last long in the memory and the next two points are of the highest quality as Osaka wears down Kasatkina to set up two piercing backhand winners, one cross-court, the other down the line. Osaka goes 4-1 up with another winner cross-court. Sinner was able to hold serve to go up 5-3 and Shapovalov is serving to stay in the set at 3-5 down.
Kasatkina has picked the wrong time to serve a double fault and when she dumps a forehand into the net Osaka had two break points. A baseline rally ends with Kasatkina going long, it’s advantage Osaka in the third she leads 3-1. Sinner has broken Shapovalov in the second set of their match and is serving to consolidate a 4-3 advantage.
Hello, first update from me: Wong has won the first set against Rublev 6-2. Osaka and Kasatkina remains on serve in the third set, the Japanese player leads 2-1.
Another hold apiece and Shapovalov is 7-5, 3-2 up on serve. Sinner’s body language doesn’t look great. Tom is here to guide you through the next stages – I’ll be back in a bit …
Updated
Osaka shakes off the disappointment of losing that second set as she bosses a hold to love at the start of the third. She’s often too hard on herself, which can cause her to lose clarity during points, so she needs to go easy on herself here. Elsewhere, Parry and Kostyuk are also into a decider, Munar is two sets to love up on Bergs and Coleman Wong, the 21-year-old qualifier from Hong Kong who’s making his slam debut, has a surprise 5-2 lead against Andrey Rublev.
There’s no let-up from Shapovalov at the start of the second set. He’s still taking it to Sinner, who’s looking rather rattled with a couple of mis-timed shots. Sinner slumped two sets to love down against Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon fourth round, before being rescued by Dimitrov’s injury retirement – could he be in danger of dropping two sets behind here too? Shapovalov leads 2-1 on serve.
Updated
Kasatkina has set points at 0-6, 5-4, 40-15. A lengthy rally plays out … Osaka eventually pulls the trigger … and Kasatkina thwacks into the tramlines. And the Australian then goes long! Deuce. Which is followed by set point No 3. Kasatkina’s first serve is well wide, but she makes her second, and Osaska nets the return! After the most topsy-turvy of sets (and matches), Kasatkina has taken this third-round match to a decider.
Updated
But just as Osaka has the victory line in her sights, Kasatkina breaks, and will serve for the second set at 5-4! Though the rate at which these two have been breaking each other in this set, there are no guarantees she’ll see the next game through. Osaka tosses her racket at her bench in disgust.
Jannik Sinner drops his first set in the third round of a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Denis Shapovalov is out in front, 7-5. pic.twitter.com/tfw3TiCyg0
Osaka is riding the wave now, holding and then getting to 0-30 on Kasatkina’s serve with her 20th winner of the day. And a 10th double fault from Kasatkina makes it 0-40! Osaka breaks to love and from 4-1 down she’s level at 4-4. And possibly two games away from her first last-16 slam appearance since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
Sinner, once again serving to stay in the opener, starts inauspiciously with a double fault. He draws level at 30-all, but an inside-out forehand winner from Shapovalov, set up by an excellent backhand return, means the 27th seed has a set point! And 24,000 spectators gasp as the defending champion and world No 1 doubles again! Shapovalov has snatched the first set 7-5!
Osaka stops the rot, breaking to 30. But, at 4-2 down, she’s still got to get another break back.
Sinner, now very much in the ascendancy, gets a break point at 30-40. Shapovalov may be wondering if his chance has gone in this first set. But he gamely holds from there and seals the game with an ace. He’s got himself at least a tie-break. And there’s been a crazy turnaround on Louis Armstrong, where Osaka, having zipped through the first set 6-0, is 4-1 down to Kasatkina in the second.
Shapovalov isn’t happy at the changeover, telling the umpire he’s never been called for a foot fault in his life. Sinner swiftly holds. It’s 5-5. And Shapovalov needs to quickly regroup.
HERE COMES JANNIK SINNER! 🦊 pic.twitter.com/18fut4idVh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Updated
Shapovalov does actually have a winning head-to-head against Sinner. But his one victory came back in 2021, before Sinner turned into a cyborg, so we shouldn’t read too much into that. He gives Sinner a glimmer at 0-30, but a punchy serve down the T makes it 15-30. He’d love a few more of those. The pair go at each other cross-court in a lung-busting point, Sinner’s backhand to the lefty Shapovalov’s forehand … Sinner draws Shapovalov in with the drop shot … and then finishes his opponent off with the lob! 15-40, two break points. Shapovalov is called for a foot fault … before Sinner wins the rally from the second serve. They’re back on serve. As if it was ever going to go another way.
Updated
Sinner is serving to stay in the first set. Not something I was expecting to write before this match started. He’s 5-2 down against Shapovalov, and he then gives the Canadian a head start by dropping 0-30 down. Shapovalov errs on the next two points, so it’s 30-all. Then, off-balance, Shapovalov hits his overhead well long. Sinner holds from there, after a point of real quality, but Shapovalov will now serve for the opening set.
A flick of the wrist from Osaka and a perfect lob lands right on the baseline. She leads 5-0, 15-30 on Kasatkina’s serve. And that becomes 15-40, two set points. And Osaka nails a forehand return winner down the line! They do make a good bagel in New York and Osaka has just served one up to her befuddled opponent.
Bullet train start 🚄
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Osaka races through the opener 6-0! pic.twitter.com/lR4bisKuXL
Updated
Muchova bests Noskova 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
Shapovalov backs up the break for 4-1. Sinner settles a bit for 4-2. And Karolina Muchova has finally got the better of her fellow Czech Linda Noskova, coming from a set down to prevail 6-2 in the third. The 2023 and 2024 semi-finalist will next play Parry or Kostyuk, with Parry 6-3 up in that one.
Updated
Kasatkina is still flailing on serve. The double fault count is already at seven. Her problem is she likes to use a kick serve on her second serve, but that would sit up into Osaka’s strike zone, so she’s trying something different and it isn’t working. Osaka breaks again, this time from deuce, and it’s now 4-zip.
And look here, a break point for Shapovalov! He leads 2-1 and 30-40 on Sinner’s serve. Shapovalov smacks a forehand down the line and Sinner surrenders his serve for the first time this tournament.
Just nine minutes played and Osaka leads 3-0. It’s good to see the 2018 and 2020 champion playing with freedom again; she’s won eight of her past nine matches since linking up with Tomasz Wiktorowski, the former coach of Iga Swiatek, with the only blip being her Montreal final defeat by Victoria Mboko. Victory today would put her into the second week of a slam for the first time since the birth of her daughter in 2023.
It’s a love hold apiece for Sinner and Shapovalov. And a love hold for Osaka, before she’s handed the break when Kasatkina hits b2b double faults. Osaka leads 2-0.
In important news: Osaka’s purple crystal-covered day ensemble gets a second outing, after her orange night version in the first round. Kasatkina, the last remaining Australian woman in the singles after she switched allegiance from Russia this year, is also wearing purple, but she isn’t bedazzled.
Updated
Sinner and Shapovalov are warming up on Arthur Ashe, as are Naomi Osaka and Daria Kasatkina on Louis Armstrong. I’m looking forward to these two matches – though Sinner’s form in New York so far suggests Shapovalov could be swiftly dispatched. At best, I’d give the Canadian 27th seed one set. He does love the big stage though and is a flashy but inconsistent player (the exact opposite of Sinner you could say).
Muchova and Noskova are into a deciding set. Munar (now with the distinction of being the highest-ranked Mallorcan in men’s tennis) and Bergs (who definitely doesn’t have the distinction of being the most famous Zizou in sport) are just getting started. And France’s Diane Parry is 5-3 ahead against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who blows so hot and cold but is the favourite in that match despite the scoreline.
Updated
Martina Navratilova and Laura Robson are giving Gauff a B+ for today’s performance. I’d go with that.
Gauff could face Osaka next. Yes please! Osaka will soon get under way against Daria Kasatkina.
Updated
“I thought today I played well,” she says. “Overall I’m really happy. It’s been an emotional week but I needed those tough moments to move forward. I had fun out there. I’m so privileged to walk on to this court and have your support.”
Coco cruising in straight sets! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/3JG2xuRbUA
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Updated
Gauff defeats Frech 6-3, 6-1
Which won’t be very long, because Gauff is ripping through the games now, leading 6-3, 5-1 and 0-30 on Frech’s serve. Make that 0-40, three match points. Gauff whacks long on the first. And Frech hits long on the second! That was a gutsy performance from Gauff after her woes the other night. She was crying in her post-match interview then; it’s good to see the smile’s now back. It’s going to be incredibly hard for her to win this tournament while remodelling that serve, but right now what matters is she’s into the last 16 for the fourth straight year.
Updated
Up next for Musetti: Spain’s Jaume Munar or Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. And it could be the most famous Italian of them all in the quarter-finals. And speaking of Sinner, he’ll be on after Gauff v Frech.
It’s the second time in two days a player has had to retire after diving for a shot on the hard courts, after Ben Shelton had to call it quits against Adrian Mannarino yesterday. Maybe someone should quietly remind the players this isn’t grass.
Nothing but respect ❤️🩹
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Get well soon, Flavio! pic.twitter.com/DhE3BB3peJ
Updated
Cobolli retires against Musetti
Sighs on Louis Armstrong, and muted celebrations for Musetti, as Cobolli retires while trailing his great friend 6-3, 6-2, 2-0 because of that wrist injury. So Musetti is through to the fourth round for the first time – but he wouldn’t have wanted it to happen like this. “I didn’t want to finish like that, especially against Flavio. He’s my best friend on tour, we’ve known each other since we were nine years old. So a big round of applause for Flavio please. It’s a bittersweet match.”
Updated
On Thursday night Gauff was shaking at the changeovers as she battled against her own serve. Now, she’s skipping back to her chair after breaking Frech for a 6-3, 2-1 lead. She then comes out on top in an attritional rally for 30-all on her serve. She then turns in Carlos Alcaraz with a showreel worthy forehand slice winner! The crowd liked that. Frech then misfires and Gauff is in command at 6-3, 3-1.
Cobolli, by the way, has had the physio on three times for a wrist injury, which he suffered during the second set while diving for a volley. To make matters worse, he’s just been broken at the start of the third set too.
Musetti is serving for a two sets to love lead. It’s not going as smoothly as the rest of the match for the French Open semi-finalist, as Cobolli gets two chances to break. But here’s a set point for Musetti, as he chases down the drop shot … but he knifes a backhand slice into the tramlines. A second set point comes his way … and this time Cobolli clunks at his backhand. Musetti leads 6-3, 6-2 and is a set away from breaking new ground by reaching the last 16.
Gauff, her serving arm looking a little more relaxed, despite an aborted ball toss, brings up two set points at 40-15. A cross-court forehand battle ensues … and Frech finally prods long! Gauff, after surviving that mid-set wobble, secures the set 6-3. And one stat that few would have predicted before the match: she’s managed to land 79% of her first serves so far.
Game eight is turning into a real tussle between Gauff and Frech, and it has the feeling of perhaps being the decisive game of this first set. From deuce, Gauff has her third break point … and she takes it! Arthur Ashe – which is as full as I’ve ever seen it at this time of day – rises. The American will serve for the opening set at 5-3 up.
Updated
The tie-break sums up the first set for Muchova. Despite a commanding lead, the two-times semi-finalist just can’t shake off Noskova, who comes back from 4-2 down to snatch the breaker 7-5.
… just as Gauff’s shoulders visibly drop as Noskova wins her third game on the spin for 3-3. “There are 50,000 things going on in Gauff’s head,” says the always excellent Laura Robson. “She’s thinking about all the technical aspects. Even her backhand is suspect. It seems there’s no confidence in any area of her game apart from her movement, which she can always rely on.” I agree – she’s playing in her head, not her body, which is not surprising given she’s trying to remodel her serve mid-tournament. But it’s hard to watch. But Gauff does, at least, hold for 4-3.
Noskova has won four games on the spin and is serving for the first set. But the 20-year-old – nine years younger than her seasoned compatriot – blinks with three double faults. So they’re going to a tie-break. Muchova – of which there’s so much to like about her game, with her mix of spins and slice – leads 4-2 at the change of ends …
Updated
Frech holds for the first time to reduce her arrears to 3-1. On the Sky commentary, Martina Navratilova is asked about Gauff looking more comfortable today, and whether she preferred playing during the day vs at night during her US Open career. She says she never liked the night matches, because the floodlights weren’t so good and it affected her volleying, as she thinks it did for Bjorn Borg. And suddenly Gauff throws in a few errors, including a first double fault, and she hands the break back to Frech. So disappointing for the American after her assured start. She leads 3-2 but they’re back on serve.
Noskova has got the break back against Muchova and is serving at 5-4 down. I’m not too sure how she got there; my computer isn’t really playing ball and is only letting me watch two matches at once. So I’m dipping between that and Musetti v Cobolli. But Muchova did serve for the first set at 5-3.
Gauff, looking more relaxed than she did the other night against Vekic, skips from 0-15 to 0-30 to 0-40 on Frech’s serve. Three early break points. And she then drags Frech to one corner and then the other, before dispatching the forehand winner. That’ll shake off any nerves. Gauff’s got the break and leads 2-0.
Updated
Musetti has pressed the accelerator on Louis Armstrong. From 2-2, he now leads 5-2, and then flashes a forehand pass on his way to set point on Cobolli’s serve. Cobolli cooly finds a way to hold. But Musetti soon has three set points on his own serve, and he serves out the 6-3 set to love. He’s the first player with a set to his name on day seven.
Gauff, the 2023 champion, could also be helped today by the fact that Frech, the Polish 28th seed, doesn’t have any stand-out weapons. Even if Gauff’s serve is still misfiring, she should be able to swing freely in her return games. That said, Frech settles the second point of the match, a 28-shot rally, with a piercing winner. Gauff is already stumbling at 0-30 on serve. But Gauff, ever the competitor, even when her game isn’t totally clicking, hauls herself up and gets to 40-30. Make that game.
Gauff was in tears during and after her second-round win over Donna Vekic, such were her struggles on serve. Since winning the French Open in June she’s been plagued by serving problems and resorted to emergency action just before this tournament, splitting with her coach Matt Daly and hiring the biomechanist Gavin MacMillan, who previously helped Aryna Sabalenka overcome her service yips. But trying to remodel her serve under the public scrutiny of nearly 24,000 home fans on Arthur Ashe, has, understandably, been incredibly stressful for the 21-year-old. Perhaps playing in the day session today, rather than in the primetime night slot, will take off a little pressure. And Gauff gets a huge cheer of support as she arrives on court, even though the stands are nowhere near full.
Musetti and Cobolli are still going on serve at 2-2. And despite another double fault, Noskova gets herself on the board with a hold to 30, finishing things off with a forehand winner. She trails 3-1. Coco Gauff, meanwhile, is about to step on to Arthur Ashe, so we’ll be focusing on that match once it gets going.
Updated
And if you want to catch up on yesterday’s play, here are our reports:
Do remember! You can get in touch with any chat. It’s always good to hear from you.
Cobolli, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last month at his breakthrough grand slam, withstands the pressure from his higher-ranked opponent and holds. It’s 1-1. Muchova, who’s made the last four in New York for the past two years, breaks when Noskova double faults and then makes a hash of her smash. It’s 2-0.
It’s 11.21am in New York, the sun is shining and already under way are two internal conflicts, between the Italian friends Musetti and Cobolli and the Czech mates Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova. Musetti has taken the opening game on serve and is pushing for a break on Cobolli’s serve, while it’s a similar story for Muchova, who leads 1-0 and has just had a break point.
Preamble
Hello! And welcome to our coverage of the US Open day seven.
Such has been the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz over the past two years, it’s almost possible to have sudden amnesia for all that the Big Three managed to achieve before the Big Two came along. Having carved up the past seven grand slam titles between them, they’re now seemingly hurtling towards a third consecutive major final against each other, yet to drop a set – and after Alcaraz’s latest breeze yesterday, it’s now Sinner’s turn to remind everyone that there are two kings of New York, as the defending champion takes on Canada’s Denis Shapovalov for a place in the last 16.
Sinner is second on Arthur Ashe in the day session, after Coco Gauff puts her shaky serve through another round of intense scrutiny, this time against Poland’s Magdalena Frech. On Louis Armstrong it’s an all-Italian affair between Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli, before what could be another cracker, as Naomi Osaka and her countless crystals take on Daria Kasatkina. Elsewhere we’ve got Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, the whitewashed Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova, plus Venus Williams, 96, in the women’s doubles.
Play gets going: straight away. Don’t go anywhere!
