NEW YORK, United
States – Defending
champion Naomi Osaka, of Japan, and Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas were
both ousted from the US Open by 18-year-olds in epic stunners at Arthur Ashe
Stadium.
اضافة اعلان
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was shocked by Canadian
left-hander Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 after Spain's Carlos Alcaraz
upset French Open runner-up Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 0-6, 7-6 (7/5).
"Honestly the Alcaraz match gave me motivation and
gave me the energy to do the same," Fernandez said. "I saw his match
and I saw the way he won and I'm like 'I'm going to do that next now.'"
After the upset, defending champion Osaka announced she was
taking a break from playing tennis.
"I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next
tennis match," Osaka said, wiping away tears. "I think I'm going to
take a break from playing for a while."
Osaka, who had won her prior 16 Grand Slam matches, was
foiled in a bid for her third US Open crown in four years and the first
back-to-back title since Serena Williams in 2014.
Alcaraz is the youngest man in the US Open fourth round
since 17-year-old American Michael Chang in 1989, and at any Slam since
Ukraine's Andrei Medvedev in the 1992 French Open.
"Incredible. Incredible feeling for me," Alcaraz
said. "This victory means a lot to me. It's the best match of my career,
the best win.
"To beat Stefanos Tsitsipas is a dream come true and
to win here is even more special for me."
Osaka had a major meltdown on court during the final
moments of the second set after she was unable to hold serve for the victory.
"From the very beginning, right before the match, I
knew I was able to win," Fernandez said. "Thanks to New York fans.
They helped me get the win."
Osaka, who hadn't played since Monday thanks to a
second-round walkover, took the first set in 37 minutes on her sixth ace.
But she was broken in the 12th game of the second set, an
errant forehand sending her to a tie-breaker.
That began a sequence of repeated racquet smashing, as she
was humbled in the tie-break to force a third set.
"I wanted to stay on court a little longer," said
Fernandez, who turns 19 on Monday. "One hour was just not enough for
me."
Fernandez then hit a forehand winner to break Osaka to
start the third set.
Osaka saved two break points to hold in the third game and
from there both held to the finish, which came after two hours and four
minutes, sending Fernandez against German 16th seed Angelique Kerber in her
first Grand Slam fourth round appearance.
"It'll be a battle," Fernandez said. "We're
just going to have fun. I'll put on a show like I did tonight."
Fernandez, the daughter of an Ecuadoran father and
Filipino-Canadian mother, won her first WTA title in March at Monterrey. She
had never beaten so high-ranked a rival as third-rated Osaka and the same was
true for Alcaraz when he sent home the men's world number three.
'It's
kind of bitter'
Alcaraz became the youngest man to beat a top-three player
at the US Open since the rankings began in 1973.
World number 55 Alcaraz next faces 141st-ranked German
qualifier Peter Gojowczyk, who ousted Swiss Henri Laaksonen 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.
Alcaraz won his first ATP title at Umag in July, becoming
the tour's youngest champion since 18-year-old Kei Nishikori in 2008 at Delray
Beach.
The teen nicknamed "Next Nadal" was the crowd
darling at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with roars erupting as he blasted 33 winners
past Tsitsipas.
"Without this crowd, I haven't the possibility to win
the match," Alcaraz said. "I was down at the beginning of the fourth
set so thank you to the crowd for pushing me up in the fifth."
Tsitsipas opened the final tie-break with an ace, but
Alcaraz jumped ahead 5-2 and 6-3 before finishing matters with a forehand
winner after four hours and seven minutes of play. He collapsed on the court to
celebrate.
"It's one of those matches where you feel like you're
in control and it doesn't go your way," Tsitsipas said. "It's kind of
bitter."
American Frances Tiafoe sprung an upset, ousting
fifth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-1 in a
late-night encounter.
Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 US Open and
2021 Australian Open runner-up, beat Spain's 74th-ranked Pablo Andujar 6-0,
6-4, 6-3. He will next face British 24th seed Daniel Evans.
Women's second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus also
advanced with ease, beating American Danielle Collins 6-3, 6-3.
Read more Sports news
.jpg)
.jpg)
