(Reuters) -The U.S. Open kicks off its third round on Friday, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka looking to avenge an old loss to Leylah Fernandez, while Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu bid to strengthen their title bids.
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: ARYNA SABALENKA V LEYLAH FERNANDEZ
Aryna Sabalenka looked favourite to win her maiden Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in 2021 after top seed Ashleigh Barty suffered a shock third-round exit.
But the Belarusian, who had brushed aside three seeded opponents in straight sets to reach the last four, went down to unseeded Leylah Fernandez, who in turn lost the final to a qualifier, Emma Raducanu.
Since then, Sabalenka has won three Grand Slams, but the defending champion did not get a chance to avenge her loss to the Canadian four years ago, until now.
“You know, I think I bet I don’t remember anything from that match, because I think I changed a lot. I had really tough challenges after that, and I went through. I found myself. I become a better player and a person,” Sabalenka said.
“So I think it’s going to be a completely different match. I bet I just don’t even try to remember that match… I love rematches. So I’m actually super excited facing her here again.”
Fernandez has struggled since reaching the French Open quarter-finals in 2022, never making it past the third round of a Grand Slam.
But the 22-year-old won her first WTA title since 2023 at the Washington Open last month, and will look to carry that momentum with the hope of pulling off yet another upset against the world number one.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: NOVAK DJOKOVIC V CAMERON NORRIE
Novak Djokovic kept his quest for a record 25th slam on track after being given a brief scare against Zachary Svajda in the second round, where he fought back from a first-set loss to win in four sets.
The 38-year-old, who had struggled with a blister on his foot in the first round and dealt with some stiffness during the second set against Svajda, said he was going through an internal tussle as well.
“I’m just trying to be locked in, you know. Just trying to solve the riddle once I’m on the court,” Djokovic told reporters on Wednesday.
“It’s not like I’m not finding joy on the court competing. I enjoy competing, but I don’t enjoy not playing well. That’s why I put extra pressure on myself and my team to be better the next day, the next match.”
Djokovic has won all six of his previous matches against his next opponent Cameron Norrie. The Briton has won only two sets against Djokovic, including the first set in their Wimbledon semi-final clash in 2022, where the Serbian staged a comeback to take victory.
“There is always something to prove once you step out onto the court, which is you’re still able to win a tennis match,” Djokovic said. “You have days like this where you’re not playing at your best, but you just kind of find a way.”
RISING RADUCANU FACES RYBAKINA TEST
The U.S. Open of 2021 remains the only title Emma Raducanu has won on the WTA Tour, but the Briton has made some progress in her bid to recapture her old form, with dominant straight-sets wins in the first two rounds where she has dropped a total of six games.
But Raducanu, who took world number one Sabalenka into two tiebreaks in a three-set defeat at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, now faces a fellow Grand Slam winner in ninth seed Elena Rybakina, who is also yet to drop a set in her campaign.
Rybakina beat a 19-year-old Raducanu 6-0 6-1 in their only meeting in 2022 before winning Wimbledon the same year.
“I think she’s a top opponent. She’s won Wimbledon. She’s been at the top of the game for so long and very dominant and has big weapons, has a huge serve and big groundstrokes. So I do want to see how my game suits and fits against the top,” Raducanu said. “It’s going to be a tough match.”
Rybakina, however, did not see her previous win over Raducanu as being significant to their upcoming contest.
“She’s a tough opponent and definitely she knows this place better than anyone else, and I’m looking forward for this match. I know that I need to improve a little bit,” the 26-year-old said.
U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON FRIDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1530 GMT/1130 AM ET)
32-Luciano Darderi (Italy) v 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
4-Jessica Pegula (U.S.) v Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)
7-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v Cameron Norrie (Britain)
Taylor Townsend (U.S.) v 5-Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (1500 GMT/11 AM ET)
9-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) v Emma Raducanu (Britain)
6-Ben Shelton (U.S.) v Adrian Mannarino (France)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v 31-Leylah Fernandez (Canada)
Jerome Kym (Switzerland) v 4-Taylor Fritz (U.S.)
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
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