New York (AFP)
Rafael Nadal went on, but the young Canadian and American sensations of women's tennis Bianca Andreescu and Taylor Townsend feasted the public on Saturday at the US Open by qualifying for the first time in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka will face another darling of the American public Coco Gauff (140th) at the beginning of the night session on the court Arthur-Ashe, while at the same time Gael Monfils (13th) will be opposed to rising Canadian Denis Shapovalov (33rd) on the Louis Armstrong court.
Nadal took less than two hours to clear South Korean Hyeon Chung (170 and qualifying) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
"I'm trying to be more aggressive and play less than before ... I'm not 25 anymore," commented last year's semi-finalist (he gave up on injury) and triple winner at Flushing Meadows (2010, 2013, 2017).
It's good, having benefited from the package of his opponent Kokkinakis in the second round, he spent only 4:07 on the court and lost 16 games only to reach the 8th. And his picture was largely illuminated during the first two rounds with the disappearance of four players in the Top 10 (Tsitsipas, Bautista, Thiem and Khachanov). He can meet Djokovic or Federer only in the final.
Andreescu, 15th in the world at 19, dominated the former N.1 Caroline Wozniacki (19th) 6-4, 6-4.
"Everything I've learned in the last two years is taking shape," she said.
- Title in Toronto -
Still 178th in the world after the 2018 season, the Canadian has exploded at the highest level this year including a title in Toronto where she benefited from the retirement of Serena Williams in the final.
Missing at Wimbledon because of an injury, she was eliminated in the second round in Australia and Roland Garros where she played for the first time large paintings.
Of Romanian origin, Andreescu said to be modeled the world No.4 Simona Halep who was eliminated in the second round this year at Flushing Meadows by Taylor Townsend ... his next opponent.
The American, 116th World, continues her dream career at the US Open, after eliminating Saturday's Romanian Sorana Cirstea (106th) 7-5, 6-2.
She is the last player from qualifications still competing in the women's draw. Not yet as advanced in the WTA rankings or track record as his next opponent, Townsend has not less seduced the public by his attacking game and his personality.
- "Go to the end" -
"I told myself by coming to the US Open: + I'm here, it will be necessary to count with me + And now, that we got there (at the 8th), we will go to the end", launched the 23-year-old player to the delighted public.
Townsend had created the sensation of the second round by saving a match point against world No.4 Simona Halep, before eliminating it.
"I did not know that so many people had my phone number!", She commented Saturday about this first win against a Top 10 player.
Against Cirstea, she continued in the tactics adopted against Halep and that is to increase the rises to the net. She went 105 times to win 63 points against the Romanian, including 4 in the decisive tiebreak, and she returned 75 times against Cirstea to win 45 points.
"It's hard to keep doing it because I get a lot done, but I have to go on ... I'm still here!" She commented.
In addition to the presence in the 8th of the qualified Townsend, that of the guest Kristie Ahn is also a surprise.
For the 141st World Cup, which had never played a single round of a Grand Slam tournament since its first attempt in 2008, eliminated Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko (77) 6-3, 7-5 and she lost in Flushing Meadows !
© 2019 AFP