Serena Williams keeps her quest for a record 24th Grand Slam title alive by qualifying for the moms-to-be US Open quarter-finals. At the same time, Sofia Kenin, one of the favorites, fell.
Serena Williams remains in the race for a record 24th major title: she qualified for the quarterfinals of the US Open on Monday. Sofia Kenin, seeded N.2, ae dropped revenge, clearly beaten in the night session by the Belgian Elise Mertens (18th) 6-3, 6-3. We expected better from the American, winner of the last Australian Open, often betrayed by her service. Mertens will face the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, victorious at the same time of the Czech Karolina Muchova 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Serena Williams, she therefore took her revenge: beaten at the Cincinnati tournament two weeks ago by Maria Sakkari, after having cracked mentally and physically, portending the worst for the New York Major to come, she took her revenge against the Greek (6-3, 6-7, 6-3), not without being scared again.
“Oh yes, I thought about it”, admitted Williams after his victory, about an unfortunate bis repetita which emerged when Sakkari (22nd) equalized with a set everywhere in the tie-break then delighted the service of the American entry of the third inning.
Except it wasn’t the same Serena across the street. Her resentment at not letting herself be beaten like this once again pushed her to quickly unbreaker, and she then made the law to conclude in 2:28, the fist clenched and the eye of the tiger. Far from the resigned image she sent back of her on the verge of tears during their last fight.
Three moms in quarters
The 8th world, who wants to equal Margaret Court among the most successful in Grand Slams, will find Tsvetana Pironkova, decidedly bluffing for her return after more than three years without tennis, for a duel of … slugging mothers. With Azarenka, they are even three mothers to reach the quarters of the same Grand Slam. Never seen! Pironkova, unranked, had a hard time against the French Alizé Cornet, 56th in the world, but she finally took the upper hand (6-4, 6-7, 6-3).
“I’ve played Serena many times, never won yet. To play such a champion, such a legend of the game is a huge honor. I will try to do my best, and I have can’t wait, ”said the Bulgarian.
Thiem and Medvedev new favorites among men
On the men’s side, Dominic Thiem swept away the great Canadian prospect Felix Auger-Aliassime (7-6, 6-1, 6-1) after a rather tight first set. The Austrian won without appeal, thanks to a very high level tennis. “The 2nd and 3rd sets are by far the best I have played in the tournament. I have to keep the same form for the next game,” said the 26-year-old, who will face Australian Alex in the quarterfinals. De Minaur (28th) solid winner of Canadian Vasek Pospisil (7-6, 6-3, 6-2).
Now that the big favorite Novak Djokovic is no longer in the race, disqualified the day before for a dangerous mood gesture, Thiem seems to be, both by his classification and by the level he displays, the man to keep an eye on this 2020 edition, just like Daniil Medvedev, finalist last year. The Russian also literally erased the ghost of Frances Tiafoe (82nd) 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 in 1h38 on Monday.
“I’m playing well, getting better and better with each game,” he said, saying he was happy not to have spent a lot of time on the court. “It’s always better to win in one hour than in five”, especially when, like him, we aim to “play 7 games”, or until the final.
Medvedev is the only one of the eight players qualified for the quarterfinals not to have conceded a single set since the start of the tournament. In the next round, he will face his compatriot Andrey Rublev (14th) winner of Matteo Berrettini (4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3).
