Sept. 5 (UPI) — German Alexander Zverev fired 16 aces and broke Italian Jannik Sinner’s serve six times in a 4-hour, 41-minute thriller to reach the 2023 U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Zverev totaled 56 winners and 46 unforced errors in the 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 triumph, which started Monday and ended early Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y.
“This is what I live for,” Zverev, who missed last year’s tournament due to injury, said on the ESPN broadcast. “This is what I absolutely love to do. I would have loved to play a little bit shorter, that’s for sure.
“But last year, when I wasn’t able to play, this is what I missed, playing until 1:30 a.m. in front of a packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. There is nothing better.”
Sinner, the No. 6 player in the ATP Tour singles rankings, logged 12 aces, 50 winners and 67 unforced errors. He converted 4 of 12 break point opportunities.
Zverev, the No. 12 men’s player, will meet No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on Wednesday for a chance to advance to the semifinals.
Alcaraz picked up a straight-sets victory over No. 61 Matteo Arnaldi of Italy in another fourth-round match Monday in Flushing. He totaled 31 winners, 22 unforced errors and converted 5 of 12 break points in the 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 match, which lasted less than two hours.
Russians Daniil Medvedev (No. 3) and Andrey Rublev (No. 8) were the other men’s players who advanced Monday on the singles circuit. Medvedev beat No. 13 Alex de Minaur 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. He totaled 11 aces and converted 5 of 10 break point chances in that 2-hour, 40-minute match.
Rublev beat No. 123 Jack Draper of Great Britain 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. He will meet Medvedev in the quarterfinals Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka was the top women’s player to advance on Day 8. The Belarusian beat No. 14 Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-1, 6-3. The 2023 Australian Open champion and two-time U.S. Open semifinalist did not log an ace, but totaled 31 winners and converted 7 of 11 break point opportunities.
Sabalenka will meet No. 23 Zheng Qinwen of China in the quarterfinals. Zheng upset No. 5 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in straight sets. She totaled four aces, 21 winners and 17 unforced errors in the 6-2, 6-4 victory. Jabeur, the 2022 U.S. Open runner-up, logged three aces, 17 winners and 33 unforced errors.
No. 17 Madison Keys edged fellow American Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 player in the world, in another fourth round match. Keys totaled three aces, 21 winners and 19 unforced errors in the 6-1, 6-3 victory. She needed only 61 minutes to upset the top-ranked American.
Pegula totaled one ace and converted her lone break point opportunity. She fired six winners and logged 20 unforced errors.
Keys will face No. 9 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Vondrousova advanced on Day 8 with a 6(3)-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 59 Peyton Stearns of the United States. She totaled nine aces and converted 7 of 12 break points in that 2-hour, 10-minute match.
No. 6 Coco Gauff of the United States will face No. 21 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the first women’s quarterfinal at noon EDT Tuesday in Flushing. No. 10 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic will battle No. 30 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the other Day 9 women’s quarterfinal.
No. 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia will face No. 9 Taylor Fritz of the United States in the first men’s singles quarterfinal. That match will start at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Americans Frances Tiafoe (No. 10) and Ben Shelton (No. 47) will battle in the second men’s singles match of Day 9.
U.S. Open coverage will start at noon Tuesday on ESPN.
U.S. Open schedule
All times EDT
Tuesday
Mens and women’s quarterfinals from noon to 11 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday
Mens and women’s quarterfinals from noon to 11 p.m. on ESPN
Thursday
Women’s semifinals from 7 to 11 p.m. on ESPN
Friday
Men’s semifinals from 3 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
Women’s final at 4 p.m. on ESPN
Sunday
Men’s final at 4 p.m. on ESPN
