Barty and Zverev roll into Round 3
DJOKOVIC CONTINUES HIS QUEST FOR CALENDAR-YEAR GRAND SLAM
Djokovic is six wins away from his 21st career Grand Slam crown, which would give him the men’s all-time record.
Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and topranked Ashleigh Barty rolled into the third round of the US Open yesterday while New York struggled to recover from a deadly storm and flash flooding.
With abandoned cars scattered across streets near the National Tennis Center and many highways shut down, fewer spectators than normal watched in Arthur Ashe Stadium as Australian Barty dispatched Danish teen Clara Tauson 6-1, 7-5 and German fourth seed Zverev ripped 33rd-ranked Spanish lefthander Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.
Zverev, last year’s US Open runner-up and a champion two weeks ago at Cincinnati, broke to open the match and took the first set in 22 minutes, the second in 23 and finished in 74 minutes. “It’s great that I’m through in three sets and just over an hour,” Zverev said. “I will need that energy. I’ll need that power I have for further matches. I’m happy I only lost four games.”
Zverev still recalls his loss to Dominic Thiem, sidelined by injury, in last year’s US Open final when he was two points from his first Slam crown.
“It was painful,” he said. “I still remember it every single time I walk on this court. I use it as motivation.”
Reigning Wimbledon champion Barty, seeking her third Grand Slam title, advanced in 90 minutes and kept her cool when Tauson broke to level the last set 5-5. “I’ve always been quite a calm person,” Barty said. “That’s certainly part of my game.”
Bencic wins
World No 1 Novak Djokovic was set to continue his quest for the calendar-year Grand Slam in the night feature on Ashe against Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
Djokovic is eyeing the first men’s singles calendar Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 if he captures a fourth career US Open crown.
The 34-year-old Serbian is also six wins away from his 21st career Grand Slam crown, which would give him the men’s alltime record, one more than the mark he now shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent with injuries.
Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, the Tokyo Olympic women’s champion, beat Italy’s Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 in windy conditions.