Romania’s twice grand slam winner Simona Halep outlasted Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 7-6 (13-11), 4-6, 6-3 in a dramatic third-round showdown at the US Open here on Friday.
Halep, seeded twelfth, saved four set points before converting on her seventh, courtesy a double fault by Rybakina in an epic, 18-minute first-set tie-break in front of a roaring crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Rybakina fired back and built a two-break lead through the first three games of the second set, taking a medical timeout after the fifth to have her left foot taped, while Halep received a shoulder massage with the lead narrowed to 3-2.
Rybakina broke again in the ninth game, helped by one of Halep’s three double faults in the second set, before closing it out in the next game with an ace, one of her 14 in the match.
After sitting on the sidelines between sets, a renewed Halep grabbed the momentum and won the third set to advance.
Ninth seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain got past 18th seed Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Novak unfazed
World No.1 Novak Djokovic sailed into the third round moving a step closer to achieving a calendar year grand slam, defeating Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday.
Djokovic missed an overhead along the way to getting broken for the only time on Thursday night and stared at a man in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands who was being noisy during the point.
Miffed as the distractions persisted, he later spoke to the chair umpire about it. “That guy, for some reason, was calling, raising the sound and kind of screaming just before I would hit my smash, which was a big point,” Djokovic said. “I don’t mind the noise… But if someone does it over and over again ... he knows why he’s doing it. The guy that I pointed out, he knew exactly what he was doing, and that’s all,” he said after the match.
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov defeated Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 6-0. Italian world No. 89 Andreas Seppi upset 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to move into the third round for the first time since 2015. His compatriot Matteo Berrettini, the sixth seed, beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
American 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby, ranked 99th in the world, came from behind to beat compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (12-10), 7-5, 6-2 in a four-hour contest to book his place in the third round for the first time.
Pliskova on course
Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova overcame local challenger Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7) to move into the third round.
The 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu, who has never lost a main draw match at the US Open, won crucial points to register a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Former champion and 16th seed Angelique Kerber of Germany secured a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, a player who had upset the German in straight sets in the first round at Roland Garros in May.
Sharan out
India’s Divij Sharan, partnering South Korean Soonwoo Kwon, lost their men’s doubles first round match to fourth seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 3-6, 4-6.
