Phew. That’s my watch over for today. And we’ve only got through four singles matches. Taylor Fritz and Tomas Machac are up next on Louis Armstrong, in what’s nearly a night match now, with Aryna Sabalenka still to come after that. And in the night session on Arthur Ashe it’s Novak Djokovic v Jan-Lennard Struff, before Elena Rybakina v Marketa Vondrousova. We’ll have reports on the site later. Bye!
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Barbora Krejcikova completes the comeback! pic.twitter.com/Ryp2pKjVvL
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
A penny for Townsend’s thoughts right now. I don’t think she’ll get much sleep tonight, that’s for sure. It may be scant consolation, but Krejcikova did play some superb tennis on those eight match points. Sometimes you have to say too good. Though Townsend could have landed a few more first serves. I think she was waiting for Krejcikova to falter rather than win the points herself. The question now is can Townsend, the world No 1 in doubles, put herself in a position to go deep in the singles at slams more often.
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Krejcikova is celebrating with her team as if she’s won the tournament. “What a match,” the former Wimbledon and French Open champion says. “Just four months ago I was off the court, I couldn’t play, I couldn’t practice, I had a huge pain in my back. This is huge, I still can’t believe it. Even though the crowd wasn’t for me I loved the atmosphere. I wish they had a tournament in the Czech Republic for me! Maybe in a different life. But I’m still enjoying. I was sidelined for six months, I didn’t know if I’d be able to play again, it’s a huge privilege.”
Krejcikova defeats Townsend 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3!
But this isn’t over yet. We should have learnt that from the second-set tie-break. Townsend produces two of her best points of the decider to get to 15-30 … but she nets when Krejcikova’s slice skids viciously low. 30-all. Will it be match point or break point? “Let’s go Barbora, let’s go,” cries a lone voice in the crowd. He’s brave. And so is Krejcikova, as she brings up match point. Now it’s Townsend’s turn to save a match point though! But here’s a second … and Townsend lobs long! Krejcikova completes the most dramatic of turnarounds in the match of the women’s tournament, having saved eight match points. For Townsend, so close to a first grand slam singles quarter-final at her home slam, it’s utterly heartbreaking.
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Krejcikova, undeterred, gets straight back to the job in hand and clinically advances to 15-40 on the American’s serve. Krejcikova errs on the first break point … and nets on the second too! Townsend has her opponent on the run at deuce and is able to move to advantage. But even the crowd are applauding the Czech when she unleashes a backhand return winner. They’re less generous when Krejcikova brings up a third break point – and then breaks. A third break of serve in a row leaves Krejcikova at 5-3 and about to serve for the match …
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Taylor Townsend gets a break at a critical time and they're back on serve in Armstrong! pic.twitter.com/02noPCcFQn
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Krejcikova, meanwhile, is giving nothing away in her body language, even when she misses a volley and gives Townsend a break-back point! That didn’t seem to be in the script. Townsend, now lighter on her feet and skipping around the court, moves forward, but is suddenly jammed on the volley, and miscues wide! Cue an anguished expression. But a backhand pass gets Townsend a second break-back point! And she seizes it with a rasping return! She’s fist pumping and screaming and roaring and screaming some more. The energy is definitely back. It’s 4-3 Krejcikova but they’re back on serve.
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Townsend, looking fatigued and slow on her feet, drops 30-40 down after three unforced errors. She appears on the verge of tears. This match has taken so much out of her. She doesn’t want it to end in subdued surrender. Krejcikova rams a backhand winner into the open court and there’s the first break of the third set. And judging from Townsend’s body language right now, it could be the decisive one.
The level of intensity has totally dropped off. Maybe they’re just gearing themselves up for another tie-break (I’d take that, sure you would too), though the lefty Townsend does hit an eye-catching backhand winner for 30-all. That’s as good as it gets for her, though, as Krejcikova holds from there for 3-2.
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Townsend could do with trying to get the crowd back into this, she’s (understandably) been rather subdued since the tie-break. Krejcikova holds to 30 and is pushing on Townsend’s serve at 30-all. Townsend edges to 40-30, and then has the clarity of mind at the net to leave Krejcikova’s shot, which flies well beyond the baseline. It’s still on serve at 2-2.
Krejcikova cooly holds at the start of the third set. This is huge game coming up for Townsend … can she move on from the whirlwind of that breaker? The answer seems to to be no as she falls 0-30 behind, but then she shows real resolve to drag herself to 30-all and 40-30. “Rip and flick,” her coach is urging. Not sure what he means there. But it seems to work, as she holds from deuce. It’s 1-1 in the decider.
ICE COLD BARBORA 🥶
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Krejcikova saves 7 match points in a tiebreak thriller to force a decider on Armstrong! pic.twitter.com/DTi3s9CxuH
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Even players trying to warm up and cool down have stopped to watch the drama in Armstrong 👀 pic.twitter.com/4fgo0sOogZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Of course so much of the narrative in this match is about Townsend, and what she’s trying to achieve and what she’s been through this tournament after she unwittingly became involved in that row with Ostapenko, but credit to Krejcikova, she showed there why she’s a big-game player and why she’s won two grand slam singles titles. What happens in the third set? It’s a perilous job to predict it after the insanity of that second set, but I think Krejcikova has the edge given her experience and the fact Townsend looks absolutely shellshocked.
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Set point No 4 for Krejcikova. Townsend misses her first serve … lands a weak second, which allows the Czech to take authority in the point, coming forward, before finally settling matters with a smash! We’ve got ourselves another set of this! Yes please. 15-13 (!!!!!!!!!) was the final score.
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… Townsend’s volley sets up an eighth match point. Fine reactions from the world No 1 in doubles. But remember, she’s never made a slam quarter-final in singles before. Could this finally be the moment? No, because her return lands long. It’s now 13-13. And time is turning into a giant flat circle …
… how has Krejcikova saved her best shots for the match points?! This is crazy. And utterly compulsive viewing. Here’s a seventh match point for Townsend. She must barely be able to hear herself think such is the noise on Louis Armstrong. And Krejcikova swats away a forehand return winner! They change ends – again. And it’s 12-12 …
… now 10-9 to Krejcikova, so a third set point. Townsend aborts her ball toss on the serve, before hitting her first serve long. The second serve is wobbly, it’s so short, Krejcikova steps in to punish it … and nets! Another unforced error from Krejcikova and it’s 11-10 to Townsend, her sixth match point in this set and her fifth of the breaker. The crowd are imploring Townsend to get this done. But Krejcikova hits a superb sliced backhand volley and sticks it back behind the stumbling American! 11-11 …
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At 8-8, a long baseline exchange plays out, and Krejcikova is apologising to Townsend when her backhand flicks the net and lands for a winner. The Czech has her second set point. But she rams into the tramlines! She really should have landed that. Again they change ends. It’s 9-9 …
… but Townsend, once again finds a way to regroup, and jams Krejcikova with a body serve. MP No 5 at 7-6. The crowd are cheering. They think Krejcikova’s backhand has flown wide. But it’s in by just 14mm!!! So we go again. It’s 7-7. Krejcikova shows ridiculous reflexes at the net and even the American crowd are applauding. Townsend isn’t. She’s rolling her eyes. Now Krejcikova has her first set point at 8-7 …. but she nets! And. We. Go. On.
Some more net-bashing from Krejcikova and Townsend leads 4-3 – the American now has the mini-break – and she consolidates it for 5-3! She’s now two points away. Make that one! It’s 6-3! So here comes the biggest point of her singles career. Or at least the biggest point since that missed match point at 5-4 in this set. She can’t take it. Nor the second mp. Nor the third, as her shot skids just wide of the sideline. Somehow, Krejcikova has got it back to 6-6 …
Louis Armstrong is rocking when Townsend wins the opening point. Krejcikova comes back with the next two points, on her serve. The Czech then takes advantage of Townsend’s tentativeness in coming forward, threading a pass beyond the despairing American. So Krejcikova has the first mini-break for 3-2 … but a messy shot into the net and it’s 3-3 at the changeover …
A here’s another jarring shift in momentum, as Townsend gets to 15-30 … and then 30-40 with a forehand down the line that Krejcikova can’t get back into play! Win this break point and Townsend has got herself a tie-break … which she does when Krejcikova scoops her backhand long! That match point won’t hurt quite so much now.
Townsend, not surprisingly given that missed match point, is struggling to reset. She slips 0-30 down on serve. And then 15-40. She pulls out of her ball toss on the break point, before missing with the first serve. She makes the second, but her feet look heavy, and they barely move to retrieve Krejcikova’s punchy return. Krejcikova, from match point down, will serve for the second set at 6-5. How quickly a match can turn.
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The perfect start for Townsend as she seizes the opening point on Krejcikova’s serve. Or rather, the Czech gifts it to her with an errant forehand. And there’s another! 0-30. Krejcikova comes back for 30-all; this time her forehand hits the spot. But Townsend’s backhand down the line draws the error from Krejcikova! The American has a match point … but a brave one-two punch from Krejcikova saves it. Deuce. Game Krejcikova. The Czech is screaming as if she’s won the match. It’s 6-1, 5-5.
Back to Louis Armstrong, where Townsend, at 6-1, 4-4, 40-0, is on the cusp of something very special. And an unreturned serve settles the game! Townsend is a game away from the greatest achievement of her singles career.
I’m not sure what more Rinderknech could have done there. He played as well as he could have, but he simply doesn’t have the superpowers and other-wordly shot-making skills of Alcaraz. Though to be fair, who does? Not even Sinner. Sinner’s style is more metronomic consistency.
A beaming Alcaraz tells the crowd how much he loves entertaining them. “I think my style of tennis suits the energy here in New York. That’s why I play my best tennis here,” he says. He reckons he still needs to work on his golf swing though. “It doesn’t look that good on the golf course, to be honest,” he jokes when asked about his celebration.
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Alcaraz beats Rinderknech 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
Alcaraz, having generously allowed Rinderknech to hold four times in the third set, decides it’s time to finish things off, magicking an outrageous forehand winner from Rinderknech’s smash for 0-30 at 4-4! And the break inevitably follows. Alcaraz accelerates to 40-15 on his own serve, two match points, and he needs just the one. Cue his now customary golf swing celebration. He may not be the defending champion, but he’s the king of New York on this form. For me, he’s edged ahead of Sinner to become the favourite. Four matches in, he still hasn’t dropped a set and probably won’t have too many sleepless nights about facing Lehecka next in the last eight.
Too fast, too furious ⚡️
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Another Carlos Alcaraz highlight for your entertainment! pic.twitter.com/qcYJWwsvFN
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Townsend whips the crowd into a New York frenzy as she breaks with a perfectly placed lob! At 6-1, 3-1, that first slam singles quarter-final is getting much closer … can she see this over the line? She manages a wry smile after bashing into the net when the point was there for the taking … but she’s glaring when Krejcikova secures a break point at 30-40. Townsend moves forward … and this time courageously nails a backhand drive volley winner, similar to the one she missed a few points ago. Deuce. But she then coughs up a double fault to hand the break back. They’re back on serve at 6-1, 3-2.
The best part of 14,000 spectators sigh as Townsend slices into the net. From 40-0 up, it’s deuce. The American’s serve isn’t quite popping as it was, and it’s putting her under more pressure in the points. Townsend then drags wide and Krejcikova has her first break point of the match. Townsend will be furious with herself if she loses this game given the lead she had. A smart serve out wide and Krejcikova nets. And Townsend escapes with the hold. She’s 6-1, 2-1 ahead.
From 30-all, Alcaraz flicks the switch once again with a lights-out shot. 40-30. Game. Krejcikova, meanwhile, is refusing to, um, Czech out in the second set, and battles her way to her first hold since the opening game of the match. It’s 1-1 in the second, after Townsend took the first 6-1.
Another ridiculous point from Alcaraz – if there’s any space left on the match showreel – and he gets a break point in the opening game of the third set. But Rinderknech regroups. And holds.
Wow Taylor! 😮
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Townsend sweeps the opener 6-1 pic.twitter.com/vOcukojrFr
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is vamosing as he serves out the second set to 15, taking it 6-4. He’s two-thirds of the way to a quarter-final against Lehecka.
With a two-break lead, Townsend has the freedom to go for every shot, and blasts two winners for 0-30. She combines that with a delicate drop shot for 0-40, three set points. And they’ve only been going 28 minutes. And Krejcikova nets! Townsend is 6-1 up and already just a set away from a first grand slam singles quarter-final! The crowd are screaming but she’s not smiling; she’s got her game face on. She’s focused on getting this job done.
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Townsend, from 1-1, has got herself not one break but two. She leads 4-1. And will serve for a 5-1 lead. Unsurprisingly, there’s barely a spare seat in the house on Louis Armstrong. Townsend is looking so assured in only the second fourth-round singles match she’s ever played at a major; Krejcikova is cracking, with 14 unforced errors and only two winners. Townsend holds to 15 for 5-1.
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From the sublime to the ridiculous for Alcaraz, as he promptly falls break point down at 30-40. But, just as he did in the first set, he finds a way, and gets to deuce. Rinderknech gets a second bp from there, but a big serve out wide saves it. Two quickfire points and Alcaraz holds for 7-6, 5-2.
Carlos Alcaraz with the no-look 👀 pic.twitter.com/CIPshR60CK
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Given their doubles pedigree, neither player will hesitate to come to the net in this match, and Krejcikova steps forward to settle the point to edge to her advantage in the third game. But Townsend takes the Czech back to deuce, just as Alcaraz decides it’s time to set off the fireworks on Ashe, moving to 0-15, 0-30, 0-40 with some sparkling hitting. Alcaraz thunders down a smash on the second break point to lead Rinderknech 7-6, 4-2. Even by the 2022 champ’s lofty standards, that was some game.
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Krejcikova opens with a hold. Townsend responds with one of her own. “It’s been quite a journey to get here,” Lindsay Davenport says of Townsend on the commentary. “Being a single mother, trying to practice, travel the world. She sustained a concussion at the Miami Open and couldn’t play through to Roland Garros.” Despite these challenges Townsend is the world No 1 in women’s doubles, having won the Australian Open this year and Wimbledon last year, though Krejcikova’s doubles feats trump that – she has 10 major titles, to add to her two won in singles.
Emma Navarro and Mirra Andreeva Barbora Krejcikova and Taylor Townsend are just getting going on Louis Armstrong. I’m looking forward to this one: both have such intelligent games and both will be feeling confident after dumping out the 10th and fifth seeds respectively in the third round. Of course Townsend has been one of the central figures at this tournament, after being accused of having “no education” and “no class” by Jelena Ostapkenko in their second-round match, which prompted accusations of racism. If anything the storm has fuelled Townsend. Her performance against Andreeva was one of the best in her career. And victory today would put her in the quarter-finals of her home major – in fact any major – for the first time.
A little bit of magic from Carlos Alcaraz en route to winning the first set tiebreak! pic.twitter.com/vN36JTPSkJ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
… a wicked second serve from Alcaraz helps make it 5-2. He’s making his challenger pay for that double. And a backhand error from Rinderknech hands Alcaraz four set points at 6-2. Rinderknech hits his first winner of the breaker, but it’s come too late, as Alcaraz wraps it up 7-3 on the next point. For all of Rinderknech’s resistance in the first set, his double fault in the breaker gifted the momentum to Alcaraz, who comes through his toughest set of the tournament so far.
… and a flick of the wrist from Alcaraz as he improvises with a forehand pass! Cue a smile almost as big as the Arthur Ashe Stadium. And then he thunders a forehand for 4-2 at the change of ends …
Refreshed, I’m not sure. I feel as if I’m suffering from a post-dinner slump. And Alcaraz is in a slump too as he unexpectedly nets to hand over a mini-break. Rinderknech leads 2-1 in the breaker. But the Frenchman double faults at the most inopportune of moments and hands the mini-break straight back. So it’s 2-2….
Righto, that’s me did; here’s Katy, refreshed and back to chill with you.
A lush volley, leaping towards the sideline, gives Alcaraz 40-15 – and he probably didn’t need to play it, Rinderknech’s attempted pass falling long. But at 40-30 there’s a bit of pressure, then a bit more when he serves into the net … for all he cares. A massive forehand, a hold, and a first-set tiebreaker.
Rindderknech holds for 6-5, then makes 0-15 … only for Alcaraz to land a backhand right in the corner. Even he wasn’t sure that’d stayed in, but in the event it was perfect.
Lehecka is delighted and especially pleased with how he came back after losing set three and going a break down in four. He’s now up to 15 in the live world rankings and says breaking the top 20 was one of his main objectives for the year.
When not playing tennis, he enjoys emptying his mind on the golf course, but really his hobby is spending time with the people he loves as he’s away 40 weeks of the year. I daresay, though, he won’t mind being in New York for just a little longer; we’ll see him again on Tuesday.
Alcraz looks like he should be in the keep fit class at the start of Back to the Future. He holds comfortably for 5-5.
Next on Armstrong: Barbora Krejcikova v Taylor Townsend.
Jiri Lehecka (20) beats Adrian Mannarino7-4(4) 6-4 2-6 6-2
Lehecka seals it with an ace and moves on to face Alcaraz or Rinderknech.
Very nice from Rinderknech who, at 30-all, takes so much pace off his serve that Alcaraz is through his shot too early, then produces a swerving, high-kicking, second-serve ace. At 4-5, Alcaraz must now serve to stay in set one.
A brutal forehand to the corner gives Lehecka 0-15, he breaks to love, and at 7-6 6-4 2-6 5-2 will shortly serve for the match.
Another hold for Alcaraz, and at 4-4 in set one, we’re moving into the pressure zone. Can Rinderknech maintain his level?
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Oh, and Lehecka then breaks again for 3-2. After a pretty prolonged wobble, he’s not three holds away from the last eight – where he’d meet Alcaraz or Rinderknech.
Back on Armstrong, Lehecka might just’ve got himself going again, breaking Mannarino back before holding for 2-1 2-2. Mannarino is one of those players with a pretty decent top level, but who lacks the power to get by when not hitting it.
Now then. Rinderknech makes 0-15, then monsters a second serve back down the line, running around his backhand; Alcaraz can’t get away with landing the ball so short. And the Frenchman forces his way into the next rally with another terrific return, only this time he goes wide thereafter, before netting a volley, again when well in the rally. From there, Alcaraz secures his hold, and we’re at 3-3 in a really absorbing third set.
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Oh man! Alcaraz plays a rubbishy drop, guesses which side Rindereknech will thump his clean-up, and though he’s right, runs past it. So he thrusts his racket behind his back, back the way he came … and somehow he makes a winner! What a ludicrous individual he is, and he creases at his own magnificence. It confirms his latest hold, and we’re 2-2 in the first, Lehecka leading Mannarino 2-1 0-2 on Armstrong.
A lovely flick down the line, Rinderknech marooned at the net, makes a game he had won closer, but he holds through deuce and leads Alcaraz 2-1. On Armstrong, Mannarino breaks Lehecka, leading 2-1, for 2-0 in set four. Has momentum shifted?
We saw half a brilliant match last evening, when for two-and-a-half sets, Denis Shapovalov gave Jannik Sinner all he could handle. But the difference between the best and the rest isn’t just their top level, but how long they can sustain a decent level and, in the end, the underdog ran out of form just as Sinner produced his best stuff. I’d not be surprised if this match looked a little like that one; if it does, we’re in for a treat.
We’re back under way on Armstrong while, on Ashe, Rinderknech has just pasted a backhand winner down the line for 1-0 15-all; he’s not waiting to be asked. From there, though, Alcaraz serves out for 1-1, and this has the makings of a decent contest.
Righto, Rinderknech will serve, and can he build on his positive showing at Wimbledon? He beat Zverev and Garin there before losing to Majchrzak, and if he serves well can make this difficult. He starts with a love hold which, on Armstrong, Mannarino takes an injury time out between sets.
I wasn’t expecting that. Mannarino beats Lehecka to 15, secures the third set, and has trainer come on to look at his right thigh.
On Ashe, Rinderknech and Alcaraz are knocking up though, by the look of him, the later might sack it off and hit the Shore at any moment.
It’s t-short time….
Thanks Katy and hiya everyone. Mannarino, who couldn’t look more like Zinedine Zidane if he stuck the nut on Marco Materazzi, has just been broken, but at 6-7 4-4 5-2, he still has a chance to serve out set three.
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Alcaraz isn’t the only star poised to make his entrance; so is Daniel. I’ll be back in about an hour …
Make that 4-0. Mannarino has got the double break. The umpire then chastises the spectators, telling them to settle down so the Frenchman can serve. Mannarino wants to get on with this.
Mannarino makes Lehecka pay for thinking he could drop shot a 37-year-old, charging forward to not only retrieve it but pull off the winner! It gives him a break too. There’s life in this match yet. Mannarino leads 2-0 in the third set, having lost the first two.
What hope does Rinderknech have today? Erm, not much on paper, given that Alcaraz is the form player of the men’s draw, yet to drop a set, and only a combined 23 games so far in three matches. Rinderknech, meanwhile, the 30-year-old Frenchman playing in the fourth round of a slam for the first time, already has 13 sets on the clock and has lost to Spaniard in their three previous meetings. The one glimmer for him could be the slight question mark over the knee injury Alcaraz suffered in the previous round.
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An email. “The children will not now be making a slide down the stairs,” reports my neighbour Dan Beck, who’s currently downstairs in my house keeping an eye on my kids. “Instead they are taking all of the balls in the house to the trampoline. I’m sure that will be quieter for you.” How thoughtful of them. And it’ll make my escape for a break shortly a bit easier too. Daniel will be here in 10 minutes or so to take you through the start of Alcaraz v Rinderknech.
Lehecka, having broken Mannarino, is serving for a two sets to love lead at 7-6, 5-4. Lehecka can blow pretty hot and cold, but the Czech’s managed to maintain a sense of equilibrium today and advances to 40-15. Before double faulting! The commentator’s curse. But an errant forehand from Mannarino gives Lehecka the set.
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Alcaraz is backstage, headphones on. But he doesn’t have his game face on yet; instead he’s fiddling on his phone. He’ll make his entrance on Ashe, along with Arthur Rinderknech, in just over 20 minutes’ time.
It was announced today that Daniil Medvedev has split with his coach Gilles Cervara after his first-round exit in New York. They’d been together for about eight years – including for the Russian’s 2021 US Open triumph and getting to No 1 in the world – so it’s sad to see the partnership end, but something probably had to change after Medvedev’s sudden slump this year. He also went out of Wimbledon and the French Open in the opening round, and only made the second round at the Australian Open, his worst year at majors since his debut slam season in 2017.
Mannarino and Lehecka have traded a break in the second set, with Mannarino 4-3 up, having made Lehecka look like the 37-year-old rather than the 23-year-old a few games ago:
A dazzling backhand pass from Mannarino leaves Lehecka stranded! pic.twitter.com/G1WeVYriLk
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Alcaraz’s match is a “not before 1.30pm”, so he won’t be out for another 40 minutes.
No.4 seed Jessica Pegula is through to the quarterfinals in emphatic fashion! pic.twitter.com/y2EyKknHUt
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
A really nice interview between Pegula and Pam Shriver on court. “I played [Li] at Roland Garros this year and had a tough two sets,” Pegula says. “I feel she came out a bit slow and nervous here and I wanted to jump on that and not let her settle.”
Pegula, the daughter of the Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, is then asked about the new NFL season. “I think it’s so cool I’ve been able to bring football fans into the tennis world,” she says. “Everyone roots for me. Every city I go to [in the world], I always run into Bills fans.”
Finally, she thanks Lindsay Davenport, the US Billie Jean King Cup captain, for watching today. “Lindsay is awesome. It’s been so fun working with her and playing for her. I know she’s watching here as much as she can, it’s been awesome. I need to post a picture of her signing a giant tennis ball for me years ago, but she said it made her feel really old.” She’s smiling, Lindsay is smiling, as well they should after such a performance.
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Pegula beats Li 6-1, 6-2
Perfect touch from Pegula at the net and it’s 0-30. Li lamps it long and it’s 0-40. And Pegula, somewhat predictably given the way this has gone, needs only one match point. Last year’s runner-up is the first player into the last eight and she’s barely been troubled in her first four matches. Up next it could be another all-American affair with Taylor Townsend, or Barbora Krejcikova. It’s a shame this ended so quickly, but hey, at least the good news is it means we’ve got Carlitos next.
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These two did also meet at the French Open this year, by the way, in the second round, where Pegula came through in two much tighter sets. This match is all but over, though, as Pegula holds to 30 for 6-1, 5-2. She’s a game away from a fourth consecutive US Open quarter-final.
With Pegula pushing and probing once again on Li’s serve at 15-30, time is starting to run out for the less well known of the two Americans. 15-30 turns into 30-40. We’ve seen this before. But then Li tears up the script, sending down a rare stinging second serve to save the break point, before holding from deuce. Pegula leads 6-1, 4-2.
Pegula is still bossing it on Ashe, leading 6-1, 3-1. And a glance through today’s early results brings up the name “Hewitt”. It’s not the 2001 champion Lleyton, however, but his 16-year-old son Cruz, who’s suffered a 6-3, 6-0 defeat in the first round of the boys’ singles to the American fourth seed Benjamin Willwerth. Lleyton was in the stands watching.
Mannarino, who benefitted from Ben Shelton’s unfortunate retirement in the previous round, has taken Lehecka to a tie-break. Mannarino is in the early ascendancy, moving to 4-1, before Lehecka comes back for 4-4 with some gusty net play. Make that 5-4 Lehecka and then 6-4 when Mannarino misses an absolute gimme of a backhand! Lehecka takes his sixth point on the spin and that’s the set.
Textbook point construction 👌
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Lehecka battles from 1-4 down in the tiebreak to grab the opening set against Mannarino! pic.twitter.com/4qZJWxp4YK
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Li does get her side of the scoreboard going, breaking to reduce her deficit to 3-1, but Pegula locks straight back in to restore her double break before holding to 15. Only 23 minutes in, it’s very hard to see how Li can find a way back. Her second serve is batting practice for Pegula, who’s won all 10 of those points, make that 11. And in no time at all it’s 15-40, two set points. Pegula nets on the first and Li messes up her slice on the set. Pegula rattles through the first set 6-1.
Lehecka, meanwhile, has got a second set point in the opener against Mannarino, leading 5-4 and at advantage on Mannarino’s serve. Mannarino shows unrelenting resolve to save it. This match represents a big opportunity for these two, despite being at very different stages of their careers. The 37-year-old Frenchman Mannarino, in his 15th US Open, and the 23-year-old Czech Lehecka are both attempting to reach the last eight for the first time. Mannarino fends off a third set point before holding after six deuces. It’s 5-5.
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The support, it has to be said, for each player is fairly muted in the opening exchanges, because the stands are nowhere near full, unlike for Coco Gauff’s early match yesterday. Pegula is locked in from the off, breaking to 15 in the opening game, before holding to love and then breaking from deuce when she treats a second serve with utter disdain by battering a backhand winner. Li is already glancing up at her box looking for answers.
Pegula and Li have made their entrance. Amid all the aforementioned fury in New York, Pegula, as always, has been quietly going about her business, and last year’s finalist enters this round-of-16 match yet to drop a set. I don’t know that much about Li, I must admit, but the 25-year-old has been making decent progress this year and recently reached a WTA 250 final in Cleveland. But this is her first time on Ashe – how will she handle the occasion? At least she knows the crowd won’t be against her – though which American will shade the support?
And here’s what happened yesterday, if you need to catch up:
Key event
Tumaini’s written a good piece on all the player rage:
Daniel Altmaier had nothing more to say. Moments after one of the biggest wins of his career, the German unwittingly found himself on the receiving end of Stefanos Tsitsipas’s ire during their handshake at the net. Before Tsitsipas could finish, though, Altmaier had walked away from the net and he refused to engage in the Greek’s attempts to argue with him.
Altmaier shrugs at the first mention of the incident: “Even if I would have lost, I would not enter discussions because it’s just like heat of the moment. You need to cool down; let’s see if he reacts to it or he sticks to his opinion while cooling down on an exercise bike in the player gym late at night.”
Although Altmaier had the wherewithal to think clearly in the heat of battle, the same cannot be said for many other players in New York over the past week, a tournament that has been dominated by outbursts of anger and frustration from players. “Lots of drama,” says Jessica Pegula, laughing. “I don’t know. My matches have been pretty no drama, so I’m not really sure what’s going on with everybody else. I don’t know. It’s just that New York City tends to bring out just a lot of drama, I guess.”
In hindsight, the Daniil Medvedev show on the first night of the tournament was a sign of things to come as he lambasted the umpire before inciting the Louis Armstrong Stadium audience into a six-minute protest while Benjamin Bonzi held match point in their first round match. Although that incident sparked a dramatic comeback, Medvedev lost in five unforgettable sets.
Then, after crashing out of the tournament in a second round loss to Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko crashed out on the court. Townsend later said Ostapenko’s heated comments towards her had included the Latvian accusing her of having “no education” and “no class”. Tsitsipas, who was apparently frustrated by Altmaier’s successful underarm serve in their second round match, tried to send his opponent a message after the match: “Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, OK? No, I’m just saying if you serve underarm…” he said, his voice trailing off. By that time, Altmaier had removed himself from the conversation.
You can read the rest here.
Preamble
Hello! And welcome to today’s coverage of the US Open, as we hit the midway point in the final slam of the year. Despite all the noise and chaos over the past week in New York – including Daniil Medvedev’s mighty meltdown, Jelena Ostapenko’s ugly comments towards Taylor Townsend (for which Ostapenko has finally apologised), Stefanos Tsitsipas’s underarm serve fury and seven injury retirements on the men’s side – there’s a slight sense of calm at the start of day eight, with only six fourth-round singles matches in the day session.
Starting on Arthur Ashe in a few minutes it’s the all-American encounter between last year’s runner-up Jessica Pegula and Ann Li, followed by the man of the tournament so far, Carlos Alcaraz, against France’s Arthur Rinderknech. Play on Louis Armstrong is already under way, with Adrian Mannarino and Jiri Lehecka fighting for a place in their first US Open quarter-final. Then it’s the two Taylors – Townsend takes on the 2024 Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova and Fritz faces the Czech Tomas Machac – before Aryna Sabalenka (last but certainly not least as the defending champion) rounds things off against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Let’s hope, for Laura Robson’s sake at least, there isn’t another marriage proposal in Sabalenka’s match. The shame.
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