Dominic Thiem continues to prove to be one of the leading candidates for avoid the victory of Novak Djokovic in this US Open. The Austrian, second seeded in the tournament, He clearly beat the Indian Sumit Nagal 6-3, 6-3 and 6-2. Thiem, very serious with his serve, closed the game in 1 hour and 59 minutes.
The first round was the one in which Nagal showed the most resistance, he even broke the serve of the world's number three to equalize the set. Finally, Thiem brought out its quality to take away. The rest of the game had less history. The Austrian, who frequented the network on numerous occasions and limited his unforced errors, overwhelmed the Indian. He is already in the third round (in which will face Marin Cilic) of a tournament that has never done him very well, since in six participations, his best record is the quarterfinals in 2018.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, a finalist at the 2019 US Open, also entered the third round without major complications. He beat Australian Christopher O'Connell 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in just over two hours. The first set was the most even of all, and it was not until the eighth game that the Russian managed to break O'Connell's effective serve. From that moment, Medvedev's quality came to the fore, and he did not give up his serve on any occasion during the three sets of the match. The Russian will face J.J. Wolf, the man from the wildcard who beat Roberto Carballés.
Another candidate in this tournament, the Italian Matteo Berrettini, sixth seeded, also found it difficult to overcome his confrontation against Frenchman Ugo Humbert. Berrettini, very successful with his first serve (he only lost eight points with first serve), unhinged the young Frenchman, who He lost with dignity 6-4, 6-4 and 7-6 (6). On the path of the Italian, who seeks, at least, to repeat the semifinals he reached in 2019, The Norwegian Casper Ruud (30th) will cross, who is also in the third round after the retirement due to injury of the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori when Ruud won 6-4, 6-3 and 3-2.
End to Murray's Adventure
The British, very physically impaired after his heroic first-round win over Nishioka in nearly five hours, this time he could not sign the feat against Félix Auger-Aliassime. You can tell that the best-of-five-set matches are too many for Andy Murray, who was able to finish the match with great difficulty due to his two hip operations. And that was Andy's main achievement, since From the beginning of the second round, everything pointed to his retirement. The 20-year-old Canadian It was superior from start to finish. He knew how to move the British on the track, who did not miss delivery at any time.
The Canadian's serve was one of his main assets. Up to 24 aces added Auger-Aliassime for a total of 52 winners, for just 9 from Murray. The Briton did not have a single opportunity to break Felix's serve, who won in just over two hours by 6-2, 6-3 and 6-4. Auger-Aliassime advances for the first time to the third round of a tournament in which, according to himself, he commented, Nine years ago I was in the stands watching a match by Murray himself against Feliciano López. It remains to be seen if this Thursday It will be the last meeting in the career of the 33-year-old Querrey at the US Open.
Victoria worked from Cilic, who now goes for Thiem
The croatian Marin Cilic, one of the few Grand Slam winners present in the men's edition (won the 2014 US Open), had to work hard to beat the Slovak Norbert Gombos. Cilic, who had just played a five-set match in the first round against Kudla, again exceeded three hours of confrontation, to finish winning by 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (5) and 7-5.
The poor success with the second serve and the unforced errors of both players equaled a match in which each break ball was gold (4 service breaks each player). The superiority of Cilic in the tie break of the third set, In which he threw experience against a player who was playing his fifth Grand Slam, it was decisive for the match.
Pospisil wins the Canadian gunboats duel and Dimitrov is eliminated
One of the surprises of the day in New York occurred in the match between Canadians Vasek Pospisil, world number 94, and Milos Raonic. The two servers led their confrontation until 3 hours and 18 minutes. Raonic, 25th seed, started as a favorite and took the first set, but a great recovery from Pospisil made him take the next three sleeves to take the match by 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4) and 6-3.
Pospisil, which found in the success with the second serve (61% against 45% of Raonic), reaches the third round of the US Open for the first time in nine participations, and will face the Spanish Roberto Bautista, who beat the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic today.
Another big surprise on Thursday was the defeat of the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the 14th seed, against the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. The meeting was a marathon, and it went until 4 hours and 50 minutes, deciding on a tight 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 and 6-1. Fucsovic was seen from behind on two occasions, but the 74 unforced errors he made doomed Dimitrov. The semifinalist of the last edition of the US Open falls in the second round, while Fucsovics will meet Frances Tiafoe.
Rublev and Khachanov advance with a firm step, just like de Miñaur
Russians Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov are also in the third round, and together with Medvedev's victory they signed a round day for their country's tennis in the men's box. Rublev, the tenth seed at this US Open, beat Frenchman Greogoire Barrere 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in less than two hours. The 22-year-old Russian, very effective with his serve (he only gave two serves) and active to the rest, is already in the third round of his favorite tournament (he reached the semifinals in 2017), in which He will face the Italian Salvatore Caruso.
Khachanov, for his part, also comfortably beat compatriot Andrey Kuznetsov in less than two hours for a score of 6-3, 6-4 and 6-1. The match was marked by the difficulties of Kuznetsov with his second serve (28% of points won) and the solidity of Khachanov on service.
The opponent of Karen Khachanov, seeded number 11, for a place in the round of 16 will be the Australian Álex de Miñaur, who beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (6) and 7-5 in just over three hours. De Miñaur will seek to return to the fourth round, his best Grand Slam result, achieved in the last edition of the US Open.
The rain appeared at the end of the day and prevented the match between Daniel Evans (23rd) and Corentin Moutet from ending. The meeting between the two tennis players, very tight at the time of the interruption, will resume this Friday with 6-4, 3-6 and 5-6, on the way to the tie break in the third set.
Results of the day.