The Philippine Star
August 31, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic edged nearer to a semifinal showdown on the US Open on Friday as Aryna Sabalenka avenged the reminiscence of a bitter defeat to energy into the Final 16.
Spanish second seed Alcaraz and Serbian legend Djokovic each booked their passage into the Final 16 with comfy victories and now stand simply two wins away from assembly within the semis.
Alcaraz breezed previous Italian thirty second seed Luciano Darderi in emphatic style, profitable 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium whereas Djokovic, who’s chasing a document twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title, took care of Britain’s Cam Norrie 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-3.
Alcaraz’s one hour 44-minute victory sends the 2022 US Open champion into a gathering on Sunday towards France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated compatriot Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
Alcaraz wanted a medical timeout whereas main 5-4 within the second set for therapy on his proper knee, however later stated he had no harm issues.
Djokovic, 38, shook off a again drawback to beat Norrie and grow to be the oldest man to achieve the US Open Final 16 since Jimmy Connors in 1991.
“When it comes to how I’m feeling, it actually goes up and down, to be sincere,” stated Djokovic.
Djokovic’s fourth spherical opponent Jan-Lennard Struff dealt a blow to American hopes of a primary house US Open champion since 2003 with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) defeat of common seventeenth seed Frances Tiafoe.
Within the girls’s draw, in the meantime, world No. 1 and defending champion Sabalenka avenged her 2021 US Open semifinal defeat to Leylah Fernandez with a straight-sets 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) victory over the Canadian thirty first seed.
