US Open 2021 LIVE, Day 6: World No.1 Novak Djokovic progresses; Ash Barty OUT, Alexander Zverev next in action- Follow LIVE updates- After a major upset that saw the ousting of defending champion Naomi Osaka and Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday, it was turn of Women’s Top Seed Ash Barty to get ousted from US Open 2021. Meanwhile both top seed Novak Djokovic and Alexander made it to the Round of 16.
US Open 2021 LIVE, Day 6: World No.1 Novak Djokovic progresses; Ash Barty OUT, Alexander Zverev next in action- Follow LIVE updates
World No.1 Tennis player Ash Barty was knocked out of contention by Shelby Rogers in yet another David v Goliath result at the ongoing US Open 2021. Rogers claimed an epic 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 and came from behind in the final set to clinch the match in the tie-breaker. The American had clinched the first set with ease as Barty struggled to get her serve going, before the Australian bounced back with a classy second set to force a decider.
Barty lead 5-2 in the third set before Rogers held her nerve and pushed the world No.1 to the brink and eventually claimed the biggest result of her career. It was Rogers’ first win over Barty, who had a 5-0 record over the American coming into the US Open contest. Rogers was in tears as she embraced Barty at the net and buried her face in her hands after Barty’s final shot went long.
India kickoff Time: 4.30 AM
Novak Djokovic vs Kei Nishikori
World No.1, and defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Kei Nishikori in the 3rd round of the US Open 2021 on Saturday. He moves onto Round of 16 after a brilliant comeback. He went down in the 1st set but did really well to come back and win the next 2 sets.
Novak Djokovic did not seek to keep his thoughts to himself on the court Saturday, the way he mostly did through his first two US Open matches. Instead, he let it all out, slapping his chest or sneering with a fist raised to celebrate success, pointing to his ear to ask the crowd for noise.
Matteo Berrettini vs Ilya Ivashka
Italian sixth seed Matteo Berrettini survived a third-round test from Ilya Ivashka to win 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-3, firing off 27 aces in front of an adoring Grandstand crowd on Saturday.
A handful of unforced errors cost the first-set tiebreak for the Wimbledon runner-up, who got the break in the fourth game of the second set and fired 21 winners to plow through the third. Berrettini put up a strong defensive performance in the fourth, saving six of eight breakpoints, but the Belarusian converted when it counted as the Italian struggled at the baseline.
The crowd chanted “Matteo!” as he began serving for the match and the 25-year-old pumped his fist and let out a roar after clinching the contest to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the third year in a row. He next faces German qualifier, Oscar Otte.
Emma Raducanu vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
British teenager Emma Raducanu extended her dream run at Flushing Meadows with a comprehensive 6-0 6-1 victory over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo to storm into the last 16 in the U.S. Open on Saturday.
The 18-year-old Raducanu, who burst onto the scene earlier this year by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in her first Grand Slam appearance, was utterly dominant against Sorribes Tormo, closing out the one-sided match in 70 minutes.
Raducanu, who came to New York ranked 150th in the world, has breezed through all three of her matches without dropping a set and won a hugely impressive 79% of her first-serve points while smashing 23 winners past her hapless opponent.
The 24-year-old Sorribes Tormo, the world number 41, had no answer to the youngster’s combination of power, guile, and court coverage, folding meekly and managing just five winners in the face of Raducanu’s relentless onslaught.
The only blemish for the Briton came when serving for the match as nerves got the better of her and she let a 30-0 lead slip to allow her opponent to get on the scoresheet before sealing the win on Sorribes Tormo’s serve in the next game.
Next up for Raducanu is a possible clash with top-seeded Australian Ash Barty, who faces American Shelby Rogers in the third round later on Saturday.
India kickoff Time: 11 PM
Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev will be aiming to seal progression into round four when he takes on USA’s Jack Sock. The duo will clash at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at 5:45 AM IST on Sunday, September 5. While Zverev will be aiming to put a spanner in Novak Djokovic’s title bid yet again, Sock will be aiming for a shock win in front of a home crowd.
Alexander Zverev has had a good start to his US Open 2021 campaign, with wins over Sam Querry and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets. The World No.4 is on a 13-game win streak and has been in fine form with back to back title wins at the Tokyo Olympics and Cincinnati. Zverev had made it to the US Open final last year, and will be aiming to lift it this time around.
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