US Open: Alcaraz and Sabalenka in the eighth, the Williams sisters eliminated at the end of the suspense

The title holders experienced a contrasting day, Friday September 4, at the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka easily reaching the round of 16 while Carlos Alcaraz dismissed China's Wu Yibing without fanfare. If he did not miss a round unlike the previous round, world number 3 Carlos Alcaraz also did not deliver a recital against Wu Yibing (113th), beaten 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Central.

A copy that “could have been better” for Alcaraz

Very solid from the baseline, the Chinese often pushed the seven-time winner of major tournaments into mistakes. Unbroken after taking Wu's serve in each of the first two sets, the former world number 1 experienced a particularly delicate second set, where he committed 17 unforced errors (33 over the entire match).

But he ended the game on a better note, rolling after breaking his opponent to lead 3-1. The match even ended with an ace from the Spaniard, "happy" with his level of play for his return tournament but aware that the copy "could have been better". Injured in his right wrist in April and absent from the circuit since, Alcaraz will play a test-like round of 16 on Sunday against world number 21 Tommy Paul, the first seed he will face this year in New York.

Another former boss of the circuit, the Russian Daniil Medvedev (8th) had fewer difficulties against the Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech (29th), beaten 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in just under two hours. He has a meeting with the American Frances Tiafoe (12th), winner of the Monegasque Valentin Vacherot (23rd) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Another American contender, Ben Shelton (9th) had to struggle to get rid of the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (48th), 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (7/5), 6-3, 6-4.

The Floridian nevertheless made a strong impression in the last two sets, accepting long rallies and releasing some electric racket shots. Shelton will be opposed in the eighth to Stefanos Tsitsipas (53rd), also author of convincing tennis at the end of his match against the number 18 seed, the Czech Jiri Lehecka, beaten 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1. The first seed of the tournament, Alexander Zverev (2nd), will try to reassure himself on Saturday against the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (28th), after two victories in five sets in the first two rounds.

Strong Sabalenka, Pegula with forceps

Double title holder in New York and forced to achieve the hat-trick to hope to retain her place as world number one, Aryna Sabalenka signed a third victory in two sets in a row on Friday. Falling 6-3, 6-4 from Kamilla Rakhimova (92nd) on the Louis-Armstrong court, the Belarusian displayed exceptional consistency in serving, since it was not until the seventh game of the match that she missed a first ball.

The second set was tighter but the boss of the circuit can be satisfied with not having conceded any break points on Friday. She will compete for a place in the quarter-finals against American doubles specialist Taylor Townsend (96th in singles).

Claimant to the world throne as long as she wins the tournament, Jessica Pegula (3rd) had to work much harder, after a failed first round against Leylah Fernandez (33rd), finalist of the US Open in 2021. Accustomed to matches in three sets, the 32-year-old American finally escaped from the trap set by the Canadian left-hander with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, to find the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (17th).

Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova (7th) disappeared in the third round, beaten 6-3, 7-5 by the American Emma Navarro (27th), just like Elina Svitolina (9th), dominated in the evening by the Russian Anna Kalinskaya (23rd), 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

But the highlight of the night session was the doubles of sisters Venus and Serena Williams (46 and 44 years old respectively), scheduled on the Arthur-Ashe court. The two tennis legends came close to the feat against the seeded pair (N.14) composed of the Taiwanese Hao-Ching Chan and the Australian Maya Joint. After leading 5/0 in the tie-break of the third set, they came back and were beaten, 6-3, 6-7 (8/6), 7-6 (10/7), in a hot atmosphere.