Emma Navarro ended Coco Gauff’s US Open campaign in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, thwarting Gauff’s attempt to retain her title and become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to achieve this feat.
Gauff, seeded third, struggled with consistency, accumulating 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors during her 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 defeat. Crucially, three double faults in the decisive game allowed Navarro to clinch the victory.
Navarro, who previously triumphed over Gauff at Wimbledon in the Round of 16 a few months back, continued her strong form against her compatriot.
Next, the 23-year-old Navarro will take on the 26th seed, Paula Badosa, in the quarter-finals. Badosa secured her place in the round of eight by defeating China’s Wang Yafan 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday. Remarkably, Navarro has become the youngest American woman since Serena Williams in 2004 to reach the quarter-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same calendar year.
Sabalenka Makes It to Quarter-Finals
Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, also progressed to the quarter-finals after a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Belgian Elise Mertens in New York on Sunday night. This marks the eighth straight time Sabalenka has reached the final eight in a Grand Slam event.
Former doubles partners, Sabalenka and Mertens have previously won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open women’s doubles titles together. Recently, Sabalenka has shifted her focus away from doubles to concentrate on her singles career.
After being sidelined by an injury that kept her out of Wimbledon earlier this year, Sabalenka returned in peak form, using her powerful forehand to tally 41 winners against Mertens.
Earlier in the tournament, Sabalenka secured victories against Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon (6-3, 6-3), Italian Lucia Bronzetti (6-3, 6-1), and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (2-6, 6-1, 6-2). In four matches, she has only lost one set.
The Belarusian is poised to face a significant test against China’s Qinwen Zheng, the No. 7 seed, in the quarterfinals. Zheng advanced by defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekić in her Round of 16 match, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2.
Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe Move Forward
In the men’s singles bracket, Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe progressed past the Round of 16, earning spots in the quarterfinals. Fritz overcame the 2022 finalist Casper Ruud, achieving a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win, while Tiafoe triumphed with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 result against Alexei Popyrin.
Fritz initially struggled against Ruud but managed to recover and dominate the second set onwards. He is set to face fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev later this week, marking his third major quarterfinal of the year and fifth overall. Zverev, reaching the quarters by beating Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, prevented an all-American clash.
Tiafoe had a smoother ride against Alexei Popyrin, who had previously eliminated Novak Djokovic in the third round. Though Popyrin took advantage of some lapses in focus to claim the third set 6-2, Tiafoe regained control in the fourth, breaking Popyrin twice to clinch a 6-3 win.
This victory propels Tiafoe to the US Open quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. He will now face a tough opponent in ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
The Bulgarian player Dimitrov triumphed over Andrey Rublev with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6, 1-6, 3-6, thus securing his spot in the quarter-finals.
Russian competitor Daniil Medvedev, still to compete in his Round of 16 match, stands as one of the strong contenders for the tournament title. He must overcome Portugal’s Nuno Borges to advance and face either Jack Draper or Tomas Machac in the next round.
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