Nadal, Pliskova avert upsets

Top seeds struggle at start but advance to fourth round.

NEWYORK— No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal rallied after dropping the first set again, moving into the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Leonardo Mayer with the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium closed because of rain Saturday night.

Just as in his win over Taro Daniel on Thursday, Nadal started slowly before finding the range on his punishing shots and dominated the next three sets.

The two-time U.S. Open champion advanced to the round of 16 for the ninth time and will play unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine.

Dolgopolov ousted Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 and is in the fourth round for the first time since 2011.

On the women’s side, top seed Karolina Pliskova can still win the U.S. Open and keep her No. 1 ranking, thanks to a big comeback Saturday.

Pliskova fought off a match point in the second set and rallied to beat No. 27 Zhang Shuai of China 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round.

The runner-up last year needs to at least return to the final for a chance to remain atop the rankings when the year’s final major tournament is over, and it appeared for a while that she wouldn’t get close.

But she stayed alive while trailing 4-5 in the second set, then pulled out the third after receiving treatment from a trainer on her right forearm between sets.

“Last Grand Slam of the season and knowing you played fine last year, you just want to play that good again,” Pliskova said. “I don’t feel like I’m playing that good again, but I’m still in the draw, actually, so I’m not going to be that sad.”

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza and No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina are the other women who can still get to No. 1. Svitolina advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over American Shelby Rogers, who won the longest women’s match in U.S. Open history on Thursday when she beat No. 25 Daria Gavrilova in 3 hours, 33 minutes.

This one went 1:33, ending when Svitolina’s forehand hit the tape and barely fell over the net onto Rogers’ side.

Pliskova, who fell to Angelique Kerber in the 2016 final, would need to win the tournament if Muguruza reaches the semifinals and loses. If Muguruza advances to the final, Pliskova would be eliminated from contention for the WTA’s top ranking.

“It’s not only about the points, but I just felt I really can play well here,” said Pliskova, who will next face American Jennifer Brady.

Another American advanced when No. 20 seed CoCo Vandeweghe outlasted No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

French Open women’s champion Jelena Ostapenko lost 6-3, 6-2 to Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.

Nadal, No. 6 Dominic Thiem and No. 9 David Goffin remain alive in their half of the men’s bracket. No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta is the highest seed in the other, which will send a first-time Grand Slam finalist to Arthur Ashe Stadium for the championship match next Sunday.

Thiem eased into the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 30 Adrian Mannarino of France. He will next face No. 24 seed Juan Martin del Potro. The 2009 champion swept past No. 11 Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Goffin won his match when No. 18 Gael Monfils of France retired with knee, back and arm injuries with Goffin leading 7-5, 5-1.