United States Open | Rafael Nadal beaten in the round of 16

(New York) Surprise in New York: Rafael Nadal, third player in the world and four-time winner of the event, was eliminated in the round of 16 of the United States Open, beaten 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 , 6-3 by Frances Tiafoe (26^e), Monday in New York.

In the absence of Novak Djokovic, banned from entering the territory of the United States because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, world No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who is recovering from a right ankle injury, and after Sunday’s elimination of world No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the Mallorcan was favorite to clinch a fifth Major at Flushing Meadows and take his record of Grand Slam titles to 23.

But he fell on a Tiafoe (26^e world) who played the match of his life when he himself regretted not having been able to play his best tennis.

“He played well, he did a lot of things very well. For my part, I had my chances, and if I want to be in the quarters, I have to play better than that, ”said the 36-year-old Spaniard.

“You have to be ready to seize the opportunities that present themselves. And I couldn’t. He knew how to do it, he played with the right determination,” he added.

Nadal only converted two of the six break points he got when Tiafoe won five of eight.

The defeat of Nadal leaves wide open the race for the place of world No. 1 that Medvedev will automatically give up on September 12: the Spaniard remains in the running, but the chances of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and the Norwegian Casper Ruud, still in the running at New York, suddenly skyrocketed.

Tiafoe, who had never exceeded 8^are finalist at the United States Open (he had reached the quarters in Australia in 2019), therefore continues his journey.

“I don’t know what to say, I don’t believe it… I played incredible tennis, I don’t know what happened,” he said hotly, on a cloud, before leave the Arthur-Ashe court where the feat and the ovation of the public had clouded his eyes.

It is he who will face the Russian Andrey Rublev (11^e) for a place in the semis.

Rublev in the last four

Andrey Rublev also qualified for the quarter-finals on Monday. He will try for the sixth time to climb into the last four of a Grand Slam tournament.

The Spaniard, world No. 3 but who can recover the place of No. 1 on the occasion of this New York Major where he is seeking a 23^e Grand Slam title, faces Monday afternoon the American Frances Tiafoe (26^e).

A sudden downpour at the end of the morning briefly interrupted the games on the Louis-Armstrong court and delayed the start of the games on the Arthur-Ashe, the time to close the roofs. The day on the side courts was a little longer impacted, but no more singles table matches are scheduled there.

Rublev, 11^e world, got rid of Briton Cameron Norrie (9^e) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, after having had to fight five sets in the previous round to dismiss the Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the tiebreaker, in more than 4 hours of combat.

“We still played two and a half hours, that’s a long time! “, insisted the Russian.

“It was hard… The last time (in the semi-finals in San Diego in 2021, editor’s note), he had beaten me and I knew perfectly well when I entered the court that I had to play well to have a chance” , he added.

He actually produced very good tennis, full of punch as usual, scoring 30 winners for 17 unforced errors.

At 24, Rublev has already played quarterbacks in New York in 2017 and 2020, at Roland-Garros in 2020 and 2022, and at the 2021 Australian Open. But he never went further.

This 8^e day of the United States Open will also see Carlos Alcaraz (4^e), try to qualify for the quarter-finals (like last year for his first participation) by facing the Croatian Marin Cilic (17^e and winner 2014).

After the elimination of defending champion Daniil Medvedev from the 8^are final on Sunday, Alcaraz can also take his place on the world throne on September 12. The third player to qualify is the Norwegian Casper Ruud (5^e) who qualified on Monday.

In the women’s draw, the American Jessica Pegula (8^e) easily eliminated the Czech Petra Kvitova (21^e) 6-3, 6-2 and will play its first quarter-final at Flushing Meadows.

“It was really not easy”

Karolina Pliskova (22)^e world), finalist of the competition in 2016, qualified for the quarter-finals of the US Open, beating 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (26^e), Monday in New York.

The 30-year-old Czech, who has reached this stage at Flushing Meadows for the fifth time, will face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (6^e) or the American Danielle Collins (19^e).

As often when they face each other, Pliskova and Azarenka, tied for four wins everywhere before this 8^e finals, played a very close match. But the Czech was more often aggressive (53 winning shots against 46) and rewarded after three hours of intense struggle, on her fourth match point.

“Victoria is a great player, very dangerous. The match was very tight, the points very long. It really wasn’t easy,” Pliskova commented hotly.

” Satisfying ”

It will be against the world No. 1 Iga Swiatek who scared herself before finally beating the German Jule Niemeier (108^e) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 in an erratic game where a total of 76 unforced errors were committed and 12 breaks were made.

“It’s really satisfying,” commented Swiatek, however, explaining: “It will be my first quarter-final in New York so I’m really proud.”

The 21-year-old Polish, double winner of Roland-Garros (2020, 2022) and the first representative of her country to reach the quarters at the United States Open, was eliminated this year in the semi-finals at the Australian Open .

She then lost in the second round in Dubai but, from the next tournament, in Doha, she went 37 games without defeat, winning six titles, in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Suttgart, Rome and Roland-Garros, until to his fall in the third round at Wimbledon.

She assured that her successes of the season had been accompanied by an unchanging ritual for her entrance on the court: listening to the same playlist including songs from AC / DC, Led Zeppelin or Pearl Jam.

“I’ve been listening to it all year and I’m a little sick of it. But I’m not going to change now! “, she said.