NEW YORK — Italian Matteo Berrettini brought an end to Britain’s Andy Murray’s run at the US Open as he won in four sets in their third round clash. Tunisian Ons Jabeur and Americam Coco Gauff reached the tournament fourth round.
Playing in the third round in New York for the first time in six years, Murray appeared utterly outmatched as Berrettini rocketed across nine aces and 19 winners in the first set and extinguished the Briton’s sole break point opportunity.
The situation went from bad to worse for the 2012 champion in the second set, when a dejected Murray tossed his racket towards his bench after handing 13th seed Berrettini the break with a double fault in the ninth game.
But the tables turned as the 26-year-old Italian was unable to convert any of eight break point chances in the third set and handed his 35-year-old opponent the momentum in the tiebreak with a handful of unforced errors.
Berrettini, who beat Murray in the Stuttgart final earlier this year, said he tried to play more “brave” in the final set, getting the critical break in the eighth game after forcing the twice Wimbledon winner into a backhand error.
“I guess you learn from the past a little bit,” said Berrettini according to Reuters.
Jabeur had to come from behind to reach the second week of the US Open for the first time. The No.5 seed defeated No.31 Shelby Rogers 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Jabeur, who reached her first major final at Wimbledon this year, has now reached the second week at each of the Grand Slams — and six times in total. Her previous best showings at Flushing Meadows were a trio of third-round runs between 2019 and 2021.
“Finally,” Jabeur said in her post-match press conference. “[The US Open second week] means a lot. You know, I know that I don’t play the best on hard court, but it’s always amazing to see how I’m improving, how I’m pushing my limits.
“I just don’t want to stop here. You know how much I love New York, how much I want to be here. Just amazing to put the hard work, even though the preparation for the hard court season wasn’t great. But just the main reason to be here and the main goal for me is always to play good here.
“I’m just gonna keep fighting and keep pushing and breaking records here.”
Back in January, Gauff lost to Madison Keys in Adelaide. “I learned a lot from that match,” Gauff told reporters.
“In the beginning of the year I feel like in general, I wasn’t in a good head space, I wasn’t confident in my tennis. I feel like now I’m really confident in my tennis.
“I think my serve is a lot better. I’m winning a lot of first-serve points. Forehand has improved a lot. Return has improved.”
That’s a lot of improvement — in a span of only eight months — but this 18-year-old is blasting through a learning curve that typically takes years and years. There was more progress at the US Open, when Gauff beat Keys 6-2, 6-3 in a third-round match.
It was clean, comprehensive and thoroughly cerebral. After the last point, Gauff screamed — more animated than usual — and pointed at her head.
The No.12 seed meets Zhang Shuai, a winner against Rebecca Marino, in a fourth-round match Sunday.
Playing in her third US Open, Gauff is into the second week for the first time. This had been the only major event where that hadn’t happened. Overall, this was her sixth victory at her home Grand Slam — a total she matched earlier this year in a single fortnight with a run to the final at Roland Garros.
Keys, who reached the finals here in 2017, is a classic hard-court power player. She had recorded the most aces of any woman on hard courts this year, but Gauff held her own in those power categories.
At the same time, Gauff — among the quickest players on the WTA Hologic Tour — was able to frustrate Keys with nearly impenetrable defense.
A defiant Serena Williams bid an emotional good-bye to the US Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic, in what may have been the last singles match of her glittering career.
Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and no doubt the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the 46th ranked Australian stung her to her core.
Her three matches, highlighted by a second-round win over world number two Anett Kontaveit, were a gift to her fans, the relentless never surrender attitude that made her tennis’ dominant player for over two decades on display right until the very final point.
Always up for a fight, the 40-year-old came out swinging, forcing Tomljanovic to go the distance. The Australian needed six match points to deliver the knockout punch and bring an end to an engrossing three-plus-hour slugfest.
Williams had signalled her intention to retire last month, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the US Open as her final event.
