Gasquet, Cornet and Burel out, Swiatek and Alcaraz quiet… What to remember from Saturday

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The last sesames for the round of 16 were delivered, Saturday, September 3, at the US Open 2022. The day was not kind to the three French representatives who tried to imitate to follow in the footsteps of Corentin Moutet and Caroline Garcia. Alizé Cornet, Richard Gasquet and Clara Burel were all eliminated in one-sided matches. There were no big surprises regarding the favorites in the men’s and women’s draws. Are qualified: Pegula, Collins, Kvitova, Azarenka, Swiatek, Pliskova, Sabalenka, Niemeier in women, Alcaraz, Nadal, Tiafoe, Norrie, Rublev, Cilic, Sinner and Ivashka in men.

Nadal inflicts a new lesson on Gasquet

His return to form on hard will not have been enough. Richard Gasquet once again suffered the harsh law of Rafael Nadal, in the 3rd round of the US Open 2022, losing in three sets and 2h16 of play (6-0, 6-1, 7-5). The last round, more hung, barely masks the gap separating him from the Spaniard. It took him 1h10 to finally win his first game and finished the game with only four service games held.

“At the beginning, I served very, very badly and then I took a little pressure. He is much stronger than me. It really cancels all my strength and at no time do I manage to have a little strategy, a little air“, admitted the Frenchman after his 18th defeat in as many face-to-face encounters with the Majorcan. No other player on the ATP circuit, under the Open era, has lost so many matches against the same opponent without ever win (tied with Monfils against Djokovic).

Burel and Cornet will not join Garcia

The day after Caroline Garcia easily qualified for her first round of 16 at the US Open, the tricolor clan had the opportunity to place three players at this stage of the competition. But Clara Burel and Alizé Cornet did not experience the outcome they would have liked. For the first, the exit was dry since it was swept away by the seeded n°6, Aryna Sabalenka, in 1h08 of play (6-0, 6-2).

Cornet fought a little more, and until the end, against the American Danielle Collins, but also lost in two sets (6-4, 7-6 [9]). The Frenchwoman, who will end 2022 with a quarter-final, an eighth and two third rounds in the four Grand Slam tournaments (her best record in a season), fell on an opponent simply at her best level (52 winning moves).

Quiet as Alcaraz

The laps pass and look alike for Carlos Alcaraz. The tournament’s number three seed advances with less pressure than at Roland-Garros, where he was expected to begin his reign on clay. And it shows. Three rounds, no set left on the way, and still this feeling of power that the 19-year-old gives off on the courts of Flushing Meadows.

Facing Jenson Brooksby, the player coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero recalled his main strengths against an opponent who had all the weapons to confuse him with his game while variations. A big serve, a devastating forehand, enough to afford the scalp of the 44th player in the world and qualify for the round of 16 (6-3, 6-3, 6-3). Next step: Dan Evans or Marin Cilic.

The fight of the night pitted two seeds, Andrey Rublev (9) and Denis Shapovalov (19) against each other. After 4h08 of struggle and a last set won in the super tie-break, it was the Russian who was able to exult (6-4, 2-6, 6-7 [3]6-4, 7-6 [7]). He will find Cameron Norrie in the next round.

Swiatek serene, Kvitova saved from the waters

When Garbine Muguruza looks in the rear view mirror of this US Open, the Spaniard may have some regrets, in particular this exit from the road against Petra Kvitova. In this third round between the former world numbers one and two, it was the Czech who ended up taking the upper hand in three sets (5-7, 6-3, 7-6[10]). But Muguruza had the chances to win in a particularly undecided third set. She served for the match at 6-5 and even had two match points in this game. In vain. Kvitova made her left paw speak to save them and win at the end of the suspense. In the next round, the 32-year-old will meet the number 8 seed, Jessica Pegula.

Iga Swiatek had a much calmer evening. The world No. 1 beat the American Lauren Davis in two sets (6-3, 6-4), still not dropping a single set in this tournament. The Pole has also lost only 15 games in her first three rounds, only Caroline Garcia does better (14). She will face the surprising German Jule Niemeier in the next round, who also did not lose a single set in this US Open despite her 108th place in the WTA rankings, to try to snatch her first quarter-final in New York.


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