Key events
Oh, but Blockx breaks for 3-2, then calls out the trainer to look at his right arm and lat.
For those not so familiar with Cerundolo, he’s your classic clay-courter, playing with heavy over-spin, but with power which translates to hards. He came from two sets down to beat Taylor Fritz in the last round and, not the best athlete on tour, I wonder if that’ll catch up with him. Blockx, meanwhile, isn’t moving all that well, perhaps carrying something, and they’ve both started poorly.; the score is 2-2
Our only live singles match is on Ashe, Francisco Cerundolo up 2-1 on Alexander Blockx. Osaka and Rybakina will be out on Armstrong after a women’s doubles match that’s not long since started, while Gea v Van de Zandschulp follows one in the men’s.
Qinwen Zheng, though; back from injury, then back from 0-5 down to win sets against two grand slam champions. Amazing behaviour, and she’ll face another major winner in the last eight, whether Naomi Osaka or Elena Rybakina.
Thanks John; I didn’t miss anything good did I?
Cerundolo breaks back in short order, neither player’s serve up to snuff. And with that, I shall hand back to Daniel Harris.
Peter Oh made a decent prediction: “I reckon the Belgian will be the fastest out of the Blockx.”
Arthur Ashe not so raucous as it was between Zheng and Swiatek, which became a match for the ages. It’s lunchtime in New York City, and that’s a serious business. It’s a manageable 27 degrees out there. Blockx, whose left leg is strapped up, races to 0-30 on his opponent’s serve. Then to a break point, and an instant break. Cerundolo’s serve was sluggish, very sluggish.
The action is back on Arthur Ashe, with Franciso Cerundolo up against Alexander Blockx in the men’s, it’s a battle of 24th v 26th seed. Cerundolo is at his furthest reach at the US Open, while Blockx, just 21, is in his very first visit to the tournament.
Mirra Andreeva spoke about Potapova’s unfortunate demise at the end of that excellent match.
“She’s my good friend, and, seeing her fall like this, it’s not easy, ‘cause I can’t imagine what she’s going through It’s not the way, obviously, you want to finish the match, or you want to see one of your good friends finish the match.
“So, I just told her that, you know, she’s been playing amazing so far, and now she’s been having one of the best seasons, and I’m sure that she’s gonna come back even stronger,”
Swiatek departs with a mournful wave of her racquet, and there are tears of disappointment.
Zheng speaks: “I start the match not so well and little by little I find my radar. I just focus point by point and I found my game … I try to play more aggressive and I try to stay with her as long as I could. It’s been a long time since I beat a top 10 player. Thanks to my team, we’ve been working really hard, that’s why I am here .. I just feel really punped for my next match.”
Zheng beats Swiatek 7-5 6-3
Talking of comebacks, this has been amazing. Zheng, from 5-0 down in the first, wins in straight sets. Swiatek faces three break points, having to risk it all. She goes big, and profits, taking the game to deuce. Then, suddenly, a bad backhand, the ball lost in the shadows presents a fourth match point, and when Swiatek nets, Zheng collapses to the floor. Incredible scenes and the widest of smiles.
Andreeva beats Potapova 5-7 6-4 6-3
Potapova is strapped up, and continues on, but tearfully. Andreeva serves out to love, and claims a comeback win. There’s more tears, and hugs in the aftermath.
Zheng meanwhile, has her break, and Swiatek is on the ropes, and after being bamboozled by a net cord, is not happy when she turns to her coaches. They too, look a little shellshocked. Zheng holds, and is 5-3 up, and will have chance to serve out the match.
Andreeva is in sight of victory, at 5-3 in the third set, and Potapova takes a tumble at 0-15 down. She’s in some pain, and it looks like she’s strained a knee at the baseline. The trainer is out, trying to assess the damage. Potapova is laid down, and this looks serious, potentially the end of the affair.
Swiatek gets to break point on the Zheng serve, and there’s a sign of nerves from the Olympic champion, taking an age to restart but seeing out both break points. Then comes a 118mph serve, to take an advantage. A Swiatek backhand returns us to deuce, but then comes Zheng, almost as a reflex action, digging out a winner. We stay with serve as both continue to hold at 3-3.
Danger for Swiatek as a wild swipe sees Zheng proceed to break point, only for her speed around the court rescue her, and make it to deuce, and then Zheng splats it wide, and the hold is claimed. 3-2 in the second.
Zheng’s hitting has been fierce, when it’s Swiatek who is supposed to the power player. The Polish player clanks an attempted blast wide and thus we go to 2-2 in the second. This is only the second set but it’s been a long, attritional affair.
Andreeva goes a break up on Potapova, at 2-1 up, and trying her best to wrest control of the third, she goes to 3-1 up. The French Open champion has struggled but is battling her way towards the finishing line.
Zheng continues to hit the ball with fearsome abandon and Swiatek is struggling to live with that. It’s 1-1 in the second set.
Swiatek, at last, locates her nerve, and wins the first game of the second set. She seems to be rubbing hand cream as she takes a deep breath and gets ready to face the Zheng serve. 1-0 in the second, 0-1 on sets.
Andreeva has taken the second set 6-4, and they go into the third.
Zheng has done it! She wins the first set 7-5, repeating what she did against Madison Keys in her last match. An incredible turn of events.
Another revival act sees Andreeva lead Potapova 5-3 in the second set, just as it seemed the match was slipping away.
Zheng makes it 5-5. The bagel was on, and now the charge is on. Swiatek is at a loss. What’s gone wrong? The answer lies mostly in Zheng’s play though Swiatek is also complaining her racquet doesn’t have the right tension. Then follows a couple of double faults and Zheng will now serve for the set at 6-5 up.
Potapova is back in control over Andreeva, 3-2 up in the second set, having won the first.
Hello! Zheng’s revival continues, and it’s back at 5-3. When Swiatek steps up to serve, she’s taken to the wire, but lands a third set point when Zheng overhits. Still, she saves another deuce with another, dripping forehand. And then lands a break point, which is saved. Swiatek is in deep conference with her coaches, this is not going to plan as another break point is stared down. A wild swipe means it’s back on serve and Zheng has won four consecutive games.
Potapova fights back in the second set, hitting one beauty of shot on the way to a break point to level at 2-2. And she manages it when Andreeva was looking to go 3-0 up.
Gutsy stuff from Zheng, as would be expected, and she stops herself from losing the set by breaking back. It’s still 5-2, but there are signs of life.
Righto, I need to dash, so here’s John Brewin to hang with you for the next little bit; Potapova leads Andreeva 7-5 0-2 30-all, and Swiatek leads Zheng 5-1 deuce.
Andreeva goes down 0-15 then complains about spectators coming in once rallies are in progress. Then, at 30-15, she goes slightly wide with an attempted winner down the line … only to conjure a delectable drop, waved from above shoulder-height, taking her to within a point of consolidation. Potapova, though, makes deuce, two big forehands restoring it after Andreeva makes advantage. From there, though, the French Open champ closes out for 5-7 2-0 while, on Ashe, Zheng is starting to compete, holding to save the bagel then pushing Swiatek to deuce as she seeks to serve out the set.
Andreeva has advised herself. Before she was broken, she exchanged frantic gesticulations with her coach, but she comes from behind in the game to raise break point as Potapova loses focus, a booming backhand converting 30-40 into 1-0.
Yeah Zheng isn’t ready for the skill and intensity Swiatek brings to the court. Anisimova is an amazing player and her backhand is probably my favourite shot in the game, men or women, but she doesn’t have that nastiness about her – yet – while Swiatek is defined by it. She leads 4-0 and, in the time it takes me to write this post, holds for 5-0.
Excellent hitting from Potapova, who gets to 0-15 courtesy of a double, then unleashes on the forehand to make 0-30; Andreeva is under it. And she buckles, another double donating three st points … converted when a backhand flies a good foot long, at least. Potapova leads 7-5 and doesn’t she deserve it! This has been a performance of confidence and enterprise; Andreeva isn’t quite sure how to respond.
Potapova is wearing the pressure really well, holding to 15 and forcing Andreeva to serve for a breaker at 6-5. There’s a lovely abandon to her game: she’s come to attack and she’s not second-guessing herself, rather committing to her shots and getting good value for them.
On Ashe, meanwhile, Swiatek holds then breaks Zheng immediately for 2-0.
Excellent work from Andreeva, racing in to pick up a net cord and finding a decent riposte, eventually making 15-0 with an overhead. But from there, Potapova makes 15-30, only to go fractionally long with a backhand to end a terrific rally. Nevertheless, she remains two points from the set … but not for long, Andreeva quickly closing out for 5-5.
Back on Armstrong, we’re still level but at 4-4, Potapova playing with confidence and poise. She holds to 30, and Andreeva must now serve to stay in set one.
Zheng and Swiatek are out on court; Zheng, the Olympic champion, had to come through qualifying after missing time with an elbow injury, but two weeks of competition have brought her into the main event nicely loose. I’d be surprised if she finds a way to win here, but she did at those Olympics, so knows she can.
Potapova has made an impression on each of Andreeva’s service games and she makes 15-30 on this latest one. But from there, the hold is sealed, and these two good mates are playing a really entertaining match so far; it’s 3-3.
Now Potapova holds for 3-2, and we’ll shortly have action from Ashe too, where Swiatek and Zheng are due.
Again, Andreeva struggles on serve, but at 30-all, Potapova thwacks a return long. Again, though, when a second delivery arrives, she assaults it, a deep return facilitating a clean-up forehand, muscled inside-out from the backhand corner; deuce. But though Andreeva doesn’t convert her first advantage, she immediately earns another, sealing the hold with a service winner to level the set at 2-2.
Ridicuolous athleticism from Andreeva, sliding into net to make a volley, has Potapova applauding at 0-15. But she certainly isn’t at 15-30, when a net cord leaves her one to dispatch, only for her to unload the suitcase at a ball not requiring violence, overhitting by a long way to donate two break-back points. And Andreeva only needs one; Potapova leads 2-1 in the first.
And Potapova holds to 30. She’s never been beyond round four of a major – she’s fallen at that stage twice in Paris – and will know the extent of her task today. As if to underline the point, Andreeva opens with an ace, but a forehand winner makes 15-all and we wind up at 30s. Just watching this game, I think Potapova fancies tucking into her opponent’s second serve; she attacks one, then unleashes a murderous inside-out backhand, followed by a fore to the same corner – in the process raising break point. And, though she accidentally sends over a moon ball, Andreeva swipes her attempted winner wide and trails 0-2.
My predictions during this competition have been an absolute nonsense, and I fancied Anisimova to win the women’s event, but misguided or not, to beat her on a hard court requires a proper standard, and Potapova did it in straights. She’s serving first on Armstrong…
I can’t lie, part of me wondered if Andreeva would ever win a slam. Not because I doubted her talent, but because I feared that at some point in every major, she’d be out-hit by an opponent with a bigger but not necessarily better game. In the event, though, her preternatural grasp of the game is worth more than a few mph, the question no longer how but how many.
Preamble
Word up and welcome to the US Open 2026 – day nine!
We begin on Armstrong with Mirra Andreeva, now a grand slam champion so spieling with house money … except not spieling with house money at all because she’s a killer with the potential to win multiple. She won’t, though, find things easy against Anastasia Potapova, who binned Coco Gauff in Paris and Amanda Anisimova in the last round here. If her high-risk, high-reward style is as grooved now as then, we’re in for a treat.
Opening up on Ashe, half an hour later, we’ve Iga Swiatek, winner in 2022. Yet to lose a set in the competition, she might’ve just found her mislaid mojo, but Qinwen Zheng will be full of confidence having come back from 0-5 down in the third set to get rid of Madison Keys.
Our likeliest match of the day comes in the second wave of singles contests, with Naomi Osaka, twice a winner of this competition, meeting the Aussie Open champ and potential world no 1, Elena Rybakina. It’s been a while since Osaka threatened to add to her four majors, but her ability is such that, at some point, she’ll surely go deep and, even if she doesn’t, remains more than capable of beating anyone at any time.
As for the men’s competition, I can’t wait to see how Alexander Blockx, the 21-year-old Belgian, gets on in the biggest match of his career so far. He dealt harshly with Flavio Cobolli in round three, coming from a set down to power home 3, 0 and 3, and will view Francisco Cerundolo as a very beatable opponent.
Then, later in the day, Arthur Gea – also 21 – who first caught our attention by beating Jiri Lehecka in Melbourne, meets Botic van der Zandschulp, whose giant serve has already helped him sort two seeds in Zizou Bergs and Alex de Minaur. That one’s on Grandstand while, on Armstrong, Karen Khachanov, powerful but lacking hands and agility, faces his inverse, Learner Tien, lacking power but with touch and speed. It is not at all easy to pick winners, but luckily we don’t have to – we can simply immerse and enjoy.
Let’s go!