Sharapova revels in New York night shift
Results
KERBER, ZVEREV FALL
The third round was the end of the line for men’s and women’s fourthseedGermans- Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber.
Kerber, the 2016 US Open winner tying to become the third woman in the last 20 years to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season, was bundled out by Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Zverev, the 21-year-old sensation, who has lifted titles in Munich, Madrid and Washington this year and reached finals in Miami and Rome, fell 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 to veteran compatriot Philippe Kohlschreiber.
It was another Grand Slam disappointment for Zverev, touted as the youngster most likely to end the major dominance of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Kohlschreiber will seek a quarter-final berth against 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori after the Japanese beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Fifth seed Petra Kvitova also crashed out, beaten 7-5, 6-1 by Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka.
DIVIJ OUT
India’s Divij Sharan bowed out of the US Open on Saturday after he and his Kiwi partner Artem Sitak were beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 by PolishBrazilian duo Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.
Maria Sharapova continued to enjoy working the US Open night shift with a 6-3, 6-2 humbling of 10th seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko on Saturday, improving her record to 22-0 under the Arthur Ashe Stadium floodlights.
There is no denying Sharapova’s love for the big stage or the New York crowd’s love for her and the five-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she feeds off the buzz.
“It’s the energy you get, no doubt I feed off this energy,” said Sharapova, who used that inspiration to carry her to victory at the 2006 U.S. Open.
“I don’t remember how old I was when I played my first night match, but I’m sure I was young enough to still be intimidated by the city and the lights and the atmosphere, the noise.
“But I really turned that around. I think I thrive on that.
“I love the atmosphere. I love that they know how to cheer hard. I thrive on playing under the lights for some reason. I love that.”
Even if the match was played at night there was no masking the poor quality of the opening set that featured four breaks of serve.
Ostapenko, who was the runaway leader in double faults at this year’s final Grand Slam, had three alone in her opening service game but was not punished for her sloppiness with Sharapova unable to convert any of five break chances.
Eventually Sharapova would
DEMOLITI0N JOB Swiss great eases to straight sets victory over 30th seed NEWYORK: NEW YORK: I love the atmosphere. I love that they know how to cheer hard. I thrive on playing under the lights for some reason. I love that.
MARIA SHARAPOVA, tennis player
Marin Cilic defeated 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the US Open last 16 on Sunday morning in the second ever latest finish at the tournament.
Cilic, the 2014 champion, needed eight match points to defeat the world number 45 in a four-hour tie which ended at 2.22 local time (0622GMT), just four minutes short of the record for the latest finish in New York.
Seventh seed Cilic will face Belgium’s David Goffin for a place in the quarter-finals.
“Alex showed incredible fighting spirit, he played his heart out,” said Cilic who had cash in on Ostapenko’s generosity with the Latvian offering up 11 break opportunities and the Russian converting three - more than enough to take the first set.
“First game was a tricky game,” said Ostapenko, who had 41 unforced errors to go along with six double faults. “But then I served two good serves on deuce. I won that game.
“Then everything went just not my way. I was making so many unforced errors.”
The nightmare serving continued into the second set with four consecutive breaks before Sharapova finally managed a hold for 3-2.
Ostapenko, however, would not manage to hold her serve at any point in the set and Sharapova broke the 2017 French Open champion twice more to clinch the victory.
The 31-year-old will meet Carla Suarez Navarro in the last 16 after the Spaniard upset French sixth seed Caroline Garcia 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4).