Zverev Outlasts Sinner; Alcaraz, Medvedev Advance At US Open; Djokovic v Fritz QF

Carlos Alcaraz continues to look strong in his title defense at the US Open. Today, the 20-year-old thumped new Italian star Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in an entertaining affair under the Ashe roof.

Alcaraz has now won his last 11 matches at the US Open and the Wimbledon champion is on an 11-match win streak in Slams.

Alcaraz has lost just one set so far, and today lost serve just once while cracking 31 winners in his first meeting with the 22-year-old.

Andrey Rublev is back in the quarterfinals of the Slam, his third of the season and fourth in New York. Rublev dropped a set but managed to overcome big-serving lefty Jack Draper 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Rublev his 14 aces and 21 winners off the forehand against the 21-year-old Brit who was in his very first Slam fourth round.

“I thought to myself, even if I start to lose, let’s try to make the match as long as possible, maybe physically I’ll be more fit because Jack is just coming back from injury,” Rublev said. “In the end, you could see that Jack was tired and he was not playing the same way—I was able to add extra speed to finish the match.”

Rublev will now face his buddy and countryman Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev lost to Alex de Minaur over the summer, but Monday night had his revenge going away 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in the thick, muggy NYC night.

“The conditions were some of the most brutal we’ve ever played,” Medvedev said on court. “There was one moment where I thought I’m not going to be able to play until the end, it’s so tough. But I looked across the net and noticed he was slowing down too, so I thought okay, I can do this. Then I managed to serve much better and it changed the match.”

Medvedev reaches his fourth US Open quarterfinal and second of the season in Slam play.

In the night session finale, Alexander Zverev outlasted Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in 4 hours, 41 minutes. The match finished at 1:39am as both guys were hobbling toward the end. Sinner was cramping and in trouble in the middle of the match but somehow recovered in the fourth as Zverev faded. But Zverev picked it back up in the fifth breaking early and he was 10/11 at the net in the final set.

“I guess I’m back,” said Zverev who improves to 19-10 in five set matches. “This is one of the best moments of my career,”

Tomorrow for the start of the quarterfinals, in the heat Novak Djokovic will take on Taylor Fritz for an eighth time. Djokovic has dominated the American No. 1 winning all seven meetings and 15 of 17 sets including a 6-0, 6-4 win last month in Cincinnati.

“Novak’s Novak. It’s tough,” Fritz said on Sunday. “I said it on court, he’s gotten me seven times. There’s no one on Tour that has any kind of a record like that against me, so I’m hoping one of these times I’ve got to get him. US Open quarters would be a pretty good time to get him.”

In the evening, the fireworks will be aplenty as American Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton collide for a first time. Tiafoe is looking to return to the semifinals while the 20-year-old lefty Shelton is in his second Slam quarter of the season.

“Ben has wanted to play me at the Open for a long time,” Tiafoe said. “He’s an extremely loud player, hits the ball big, serves huge, pretty much throwing his whole arm at that thing. He’s so pumped up, comes to the net, great volleys, really athletic, fun to watch. He’s yelling the loudest ‘C’mon!’ from the first point till the last. I’m just going to have to tame him down, try to be the vet and get the win.

“I’m going to try to make him play a lot of balls, make it a really tough night for him. We’ll see. I like playing lefties. Not gonna lay out all the anecdotes right here.”