When it comes to Rafael Nadal, the numbers are often staggering. On Saturday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion extended his winning record over Richard Gasquet to 18-0; he has now won all 22 Grand Slam matches in which he’s competed this year.
Vamos, @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/6XIMbmzzGV
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022
On the women’s singles side, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek continued her charge in Louis Armstrong Stadium while Americans Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins advanced in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Earlier in Armstrong, Petra Kvitova saved two match points in a battle of two-time Grand Slam champions aganst Garbiñe Muguruza.
Iga Swiatek is into the second week of the #USOpen in back-to-back years! pic.twitter.com/vrGdnZyS0M
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022
Other big names also advanced on Day 6, including Nadal’s compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev, who survived a fifth-set tiebreak in the Grandstand against Denis Shapovalov.
Plenty to celebrate on a Saturday afternoon for @carlosalcaraz! pic.twitter.com/GUfPsVgsXZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2022
Doubles action also continued on a busy Saturday, with a pair of lucky No. 13 seeds advancing in the men’s and women’s competitions.
Straight sets for Spanish men, while Muguruza misses out:
Former world No. 1 and current No. 2 seed Nadal played his best match of the fortnight on Saturday, defeating French veteran Gasquet, 6-0, 6-1, 7-5. For the first time this tournament, the Spaniard cleaned up in Ashe via three tidy sets. He is now 22-0 in Grand Slam matches this year, though he was forced to retire ahead of his Wimbledon semifinal due to an abdominal tear—an injury that, much like his Thursday nose gash, didn’t seem to bother him at all during Saturday’s win.
“I always say that night sessions here in New York are the best in the world without a doubt,” said Nadal, who overcame eight double faults to advance. “I increased a little bit the level today. That’s important for me. When the tournament keeps going, I’m able to rise a little bit. I’m happy for that against a very good friend like Richard.”
Earlier and on the same court, No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz—at just 19 years old, nearly half Nadal’s age—dominated American opponent Jenson Brooksby in similar fashion, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. The Spaniard didn’t need to reach far into his bag of tricks to earn a win, though he did manage to convert seven of 11 break points through the match.
Last year, Alcaraz advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals. He’ll now have to go through No. 15 seed Marin Cilic, a four-set winner against Daniel Evans, to dive that deep again.
“I played really, really well,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “High level, high intensity. I knew that it was going to be a tough match. Brooksby is a really tough opponent, but I’m really happy with my performance today and I’m going to keep going.”
Another Spaniard, the ninth-seeded Muguruza, barely missed a spot in the Round of 16, unable to capitalize on two match points against the Czech Republic’s Kvitova in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The third-round match saw Muguruza clinch the opening set before Kvitova claimed the second and a deciding tiebreak that concluded only after 22 points. Final score: 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(10), in over two-and-a-half hours.
“I left everything on the court today,” Muguruza said post-match.
Speaking of epic matches and final-set tiebreaks: Rublev defeated No. 19 seed Shapovalov in the Grandstand, 4-6, 6-2, 6(3)-7, 6-4, 7-6(10). Scoring the final point four hours after the match started, Rublev collapsed on the ground and cradled his head in disbelief.
Swiatek, Sinner enjoy late-night wins in Louie:
Saturday was one of the rare nights that saw the action in Armstrong close play at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Armstrong evening session began with a straight-sets win for world No. 1 Iga Swiatek—though the Pole needed to battle back in set two to preserve her perfect set record this fortnight.
“For sure it wasn’t as smooth as in the first and second round,” Swiatek said after her 6-3, 6-4 victory against American Lauren Davis. “I’m pretty happy I made it through and could close it in the second set and come back. That was pretty important for me.”
After Swiatek won the final five games to advance, it was Jannik Sinner’s turn to eliminate a home favorite.
In a battle of 21-year-olds, Sinner dropped the opening set against Brandon Nakashima but—like Swiatek—raced through the finish in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory. The Italian is through to the Round of 16 for the second straight time in New York, where he will face Ilya Ivashka, who upset No. 26 seed Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets earlier in the day.
Game, set, match, Collins. pic.twitter.com/hSn9LaQJLn
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022
Pegula, Collins, Tiafoe deliver for Team USA:
It wasn’t her cleanest win, but top-ranked American Pegula—the women’s singles No. 8 seed—defeated qualifier Yuan Yue at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday afternoon, 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-0. Pegula will now face Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion (2011, 2014) who reached the US Open quarterfinals in 2015 and 2017.
In advancing to the Round of 16, the 28-year-old has achieved a personal best in Queens.
“I felt good going into the tiebreak,” Pegula said post-match. “I just wanted to get on her early to kind of ease the nerves. I could tell she was struggling a little bit physically, as well. I just kind of wanted to get on her quick.”
As the clock approached midnight, Pegula’s compatriot Collins—this year’s Australian Open finalist, seeded No. 19 here—faced the persistent Alizé Cornet of France. The 28-year-old Collins topped the Frenchwoman 6-4, 7-6(9), pumping her fist and riding a vocal crowd to victory.
“I’m living out my dream right now,” Collins said post-match. “And it means the world to me.”
As for American men, Tiafoe advanced to the US Open’s Round of 16 for the third consecutive year after downing Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4. He faces an uphill battle in Round 4, taking on an in-form Nadal.
Doubles continues:
Men’s, women’s and mixed doubles matches all continued on Saturday.
Thirteen seemed to be a lucky number on Day 6. On the men’s side, No. 13 seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah—who captured the US Open men’s doubles championship in 2019—squeaked a 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(7) victory. In women’s doubles, No. 13 seeds Alexa Guarachi and Andreja Klepac defeated Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3.
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