Emma Raducanu is through to her first Grand Slam quarter-final Photo: US Open
Three teenagers are the names on everyone’s lips after days seven and eight at Flushing Meadows with Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez and Carlos Alcaraz all reaching their first Grand Slam quarter-finals, meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev [2] continued his perfect run at this year’s US Open.
No Australians entered the fourth round of either singles draw of the US Open but not a single athlete from the United States exited the fourth round and only two Grand Slam champions remain in contention to take home a title.
Raducanu through to week two at her second Grand Slam
Emma Raducanu emerged from Wimbledon as a fresh face brimming with potential but few considered her up to the challenge to emerge from the bracket that boasted Ash Barty, especially after Shelby Rogers defeated the world number one in the third round.
Heading into the match Raducanu had dropped fewer games than any other player at the US Open so far and wanted to produce another big win in the fourth round.
After the first two games, it didn’t seem like this wasn’t going to be quite as easy for the Brit, in a six-minute game she went down a break to Rogers and was fighting to win her second service game of the match as well.
But those first three games was the only time Raducanu was on the back foot for the remainder of the match. Breaking back against Rogers in the next game.
She finished off the set in 37 minutes winning six consecutive games and only giving up 24 points for the set total.
The 18-year-old came out flying in the second set winning the first five games in a row conceding fewer points in Roger’s service games than her own, including a 40-0 break in the fourth game.
Rogers was able to take back one game off of her own serve in the sixth game for the set and had three break point opportunities in the next game but was unable to convert and ultimately fell at the final hurdle to reach the quarter-final at her second Grand Slam.
She’ll play Olympic Gold Medalist Belinda Bencic next for a spot in the semi-finals.
| Emma Raducanu | 6 | 6 |
| Shelby Rogers | 2 | 1 |
First Osaka now Kerber – Fernandez continues to shock
Coming into the fourth round Leylah Fernandez had already claimed one of the biggest upsets of the US Open to date defeating defending champion Naomi Osaka. This time the teenager was up against 16th seed Angelique Kerber hoping to make her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
The Canadian showed signs of vulnerability in her first service game going out to a 40-0 lead but was unable to convert as the former world number one won the next five points to break.
However, Fernandez didn’t let the early consolidation get to her breaking Kerber’s serve in the next game and then holding her own.
The 19-year-old broke again in game six in a back and forth game between the two, showing signs of what helped her defeat Osaka in the previous round.
But the momentum well and truly shifted in the next game when Kerber managed to break back, it took seven minutes and went to deuce four times but Kerber was allowed back into the set due to a pair of double faults from Fernandez.
From there Kerber cruised through the remainder of the set, winning nine points in a row to claim the first set.
Fernandez was the first to go down a break again in the second set, this time in the third game. The German then won her next service game with ease.
Much like the match against Osaka, the Canadian was able to rally and work her way back into the match only losing two points in her next two service games before taking a dominant break in the eighth game to put herself back into the match.
Both players held their serve for the remainder of the set sending them to a tie-break, Fernandez looked in control winning five of the first six points, while she gave Kerber an opening it was too little too late for the former champion as the 19-year-old was able to send the match to a third set.
The third set started just as tight as the second ended with both having little difficulty with their own service games. but Fernadez took control when she managed to break Kerber.
After that the Canadian did not let up winning the final three games, claiming her second win over a former US Open Champion for the second match in a row.
Fernandez will play fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.
| Angelique Kerber [16] | 6 | 6[5] | 2 |
| Leylah Fernandez | 4 | 7[7] | 6 |
Alcaraz creates history reaching the quarter-finals
Carlos Alcaraz showed signs of the player that has emerged throughout the US Open earlier this year but after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas [3] in the third round it became a question of just how far he was able to go.
Coming off a five-set match no one would have been surprised if he didn’t have the stamina for the fourth round match against Peter Gojowczyk but the teen wasn’t about to be seen off in straight sets.
The Spaniard took an early 3-0 lead, breaking Gojowczyk twice in 12 minutes showing few signs of fatigue from the tough match two days prior.
Gojowczyck was able to break back in the fourth game and hold his serve in the following game for the first time for the match. He soon managed to even up the set at 4-4 but Alcaraz was quick to break back and get control of the set again.
However, control didn’t last long with the German breaking again in the following game before holding his own serve, Alcaraz just had to hold his serve to send the set to a tie-break but fell just short losing the first set.
Once again the Spaniard was off to a great start in the second set, winning the first two games of the set and almost breaking again in the third game.
There was little to be disappointed in from Alcaraz’s second set winning the next four games only losing four points total from those games.
Gokowcyck showed signs that there was still going to be a fight for this match in the third set, offered two chances to break the teenager’s serve.
The German found a rhythm and managed to win the next three games finally looking in control again after the brutal first set.
Alcaraz managed to break again to tie up the set but Gojowcyzk was able to close out the set breaking again and holding his serve in the next two games.
The fourth set opened with a seven-minute game that went to deuce four times before Alcaraz gave up the break with an unforced error.
The 18-year-old broke back soon after but found his footing in the fourth game, needing five break points to go up a break in the third set. Alcaraz only lost one more game for the set, having little trouble at all with his own service games, sending the game to a fifth set.
Alcaraz didn’t show any signs of weakness in the final set only dropping seven points for the set total, winning the match and progressing into the quarter-final.
He will now play the other remaining youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime with the winner of the quarter-final to make their maiden semi-final.
| Peter Gojowczyk | 7 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Medvedev’s perfect run into week two
Daniil Medvedev [2] has had a career-best year at the Grand Slams despite not seeing the title success he would have liked this year, he has looked extremely comfortable at the US Open.
Yet to drop a set for the tournament that wasn’t about to stop when he took on Daniel Evans [24] in the fourth round.
It only took four games for the Russian to go up a break in the first set and he rarely showed signs of wavering, meanwhile, Evans was two days off of a tough five-set match against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.
Medvedev didn’t need to break again in the first set but managed to close it out comfortably with a 40-0 win in the ninth and final game of the set.
The second set started with Medvedev breaking Evan’s serve 40-0 in the first game before he backed up the break, in his first service game 40-15.
Evans was able to break back in the fifth game of the set, but it didn’t last long with the Russian breaking again in another clean game.
The Brit threatened to break again in the eighth game but was unable to convert and ultimately didn’t get another chance to break again and Medvedev took out the second set.
Once again Medvedev was in front early going up a break in the third game on track to win another match in straight sets.
Despite only breaking twice in the third set, on serve Medvedev wasn’t threatened, not losing a single point in the set from any of his service games. He finished off the match with a 40-0 break ending Evan’s best US Open run to date.
In the quarter-final he’ll play qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp who took down Casper Rudd and Diego Schwartzman in the first week of the US Open.
| Daniel Evans [24] | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Daniil Medvedev [2] | 6 | 6 | 6 |
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