NEW YORK: Karolina Muchova became the first woman into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Sunday, downing China’s Wang Xinyu in three sets to advance to the last eight.

The 10th-seeded Czech, beaten in the final of this year’s French Open, overcame an error-strewn performance to win 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in 2hr 34 min on the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The 27-year-old right-hander will face either Sorana Cirstea, the 30th seed from Romania or 15th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the last eight.

Wang had been bidding to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time after an impressive run to the last 16 in New York.

The 21-year-old from Shenzhen fought back to level after taking the second set, but wilted in the decider as Muchova broke twice to take a grip on the match before holding to clinch victory.

On Saturday, World number one Carlos Alcaraz surged into the last 16 while Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur kept her dream of a first Grand Slam title alive with victory in a three-set thriller.

Alcaraz, looking to become the first man to successfully defend the title since Roger Federer in 2008, produced a flurry of magical shots en route to dispatching British 26th seed Dan Evans 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

It was another stylish victory for the 20-year-old Spaniard, who will face Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the fourth round on Monday.

The Spaniard kept Evans on the back foot with his booming forehand while delighting the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with several of his signature forehand drop shots.

Alcaraz also conjured one of the shots of the tournament to clinch a decisive break in the fourth set, curling a logic-defying forehand up the line past Evans for a 4-2 lead.Alcaraz’s win keeps him on track for a repeat quarter-final against Italy’s Jannik Sinner, a year after the two men dueled in an epic five-hour five-setter.

Sixth seed Sinner did his part to keep the rematch on course Saturday with a stylish 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka.

Alcaraz’s last-16 opponent Arnaldi, meanwhile, advanced after upsetting 16th-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in just under two hours.

There was better luck for another member of Britain’s US Open contingent elsewhere though, with Jack Draper reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over American world No.89 Michael Mmoh.

Draper will face eighth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Rublev, a quarter-finalist at last year’s tournament, defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to advance.

Meanwhile Russia’s 2021 US Open champion and third seed Daniil Medvedev made it safely into the last 16 in a late-night 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.

Arguably the game of day six, came in the women’s draw, where popular Tunsian fifth seed Jabeur overcame a courageous display by injured opponent Marie Bouzkova to advance.

Czech No.31 seed Bouzkova started strongly to win the opening set against Jabeur, who has been laid low by flu since the start of the championships.

But the game changed midway through the second set when Bouzkova suffered what appeared to be a thigh injury, severely hampering her mobility thereafter.

Despite grimacing and wincing in pain, she somehow managed to keep on playing as Jabeur dug deep to complete a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in 2hr 56min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Elsewhere Saturday, 17th seed Madison Keys became the second American woman into the last 16 after Coco Gauff with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win over Russian 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova.

Keys will play compatriot and third seed Jessica Pegula in the last 16.

Pegula outfought Ukraine’s 26th-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the fourth round.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova wasted no time in sweeping into the last 16, taking just 56 minutes to dismantle Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-1.

Vondrousova plays US youngster Peyton Stearns, after she pushed the last British woman Katie Boulter to the exit with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, in the next round.

China’s Zheng meanwhile matched her best result at a Grand Slam — a fourth round appearance at last year’s French Open — by rallying to beat Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2023