Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani secured their spot in the Round of 16 for women’s doubles at the U.S. Open, triumphing over Italy’s Sara Errani and Austria’s Lilli Tagger with a score of 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday in New York.
Second-seeded Dabrowski, hailing from Ottawa, and Stefani capitalized on five out of their eight break point opportunities. Additionally, they managed to fend off four of Errani and Tagger’s six break points.
The duration of the match was one hour and 27 minutes.
Dabrowski, a two-time U.S. Open doubles champion (2023, 2025), and Stefani will face Japan’s Eri Hozumi and Slovenia’s Andreja Klepac next, who progressed after defeating American Asia Muhammad and Hungary’s Fanny Stoller.
Earlier on Saturday, Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen were eliminated, losing 6-4, 6-4 to New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi in the second round.
Fernandez and Tjen converted only one out of their six break point chances, while Routliffe and Sutjiadi, the ninth seeds, broke three times out of their five opportunities.
Fernandez also faced an exit in the third round of women’s singles on Friday, where she was defeated by the third-seeded American Jessica Pegula.
Zverev keeps title hopes alive
Alexander Zverev maintained his pursuit of a second Grand Slam title with a straightforward victory over Alejandro Tabilo, while Coco Gauff continued her strong performance, advancing to the fourth round of the U.S. Open as many of her fellow American competitors faced elimination on Saturday.
Naomi Osaka navigated both mental and physical challenges to prevail against Belgium’s Elise Mertens in a three-set match on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Two of the most promising young talents in the women’s draw and close friends off the court put on an exciting display, with American Iva Jovic narrowly defeating Filipina Alexandra Eala in a thrilling match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After two consecutive five-set matches, top seed Zverev experienced a more relaxed evening, overcoming a slight mid-match slump to defeat Chile’s Tabilo 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-2.
“I think today was certainly an improvement compared to the last few days. I feel like I made great progress from the baseline,” Zverev remarked.
“I wasn’t satisfied with the second set. I lost focus a bit, especially towards the end of that set. My movement and play weren’t as solid. However, the first and third sets showed a significant improvement from previous days. I’ll focus on that.”
Osaka tops Mertens
Japanese 13th seed Osaka, a two-time U.S. Open champion, faced a challenge after losing a set and a break advantage, but managed to overcome an Achilles issue to defeat Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
The match tested Osaka’s composure as much as her tennis skills, with the 28-year-old visibly frustrated at times before regaining control in the final set.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel like I played exceptionally well, and that was really affecting me, making me very negative about myself, so I apologize for my behavior,” an emotional Osaka stated.
The contest between Jovic, 18, and Eala, 21, saw both players exchanging momentum throughout a match that lasted over three hours, ultimately concluding with Jovic winning 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Jovic, seeded 14th, will next take on fellow American and fan favorite Gauff.
Fourth seed Gauff provided a bright moment for local fans earlier in the day by defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4, as the 2023 champion aims for her third Grand Slam title.
Second seed Elena Rybakina continued her journey towards a third major title and the top position in the WTA rankings, advancing with a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over Yuliia Starodubtseva.
The Australian Open champion Rybakina avenged her earlier second-round loss to the Ukrainian at the French Open and will face Osaka for a chance to enter the quarterfinals.
Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, defeated Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3), while French Open champion Mirra Andreeva progressed by overcoming Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5).
Americans take a hit
The day commenced with a series of disappointing exits for American players.
Former U.S. Open finalists Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys, and Amanda Anisimova all fell in the third round, delivering a tough blow to local fans at Flushing Meadows.
Ninth seed Fritz, who hadn’t lost a set in New York, appeared on track for another easy victory before Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo turned the match around, winning 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
This marked Fritz’s earliest exit in four years, while Cerundolo will face Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, who stunned fifth seed Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.
The American women faced similar outcomes, as China’s Zheng Qinwen rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the deciding set to defeat 2017 runner-up Keys 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 on the Grandstand, collapsing in joy as she battles back from a career slump.
The Olympic champion had reached the quarter-finals two years ago but was forced to qualify this time due to a chronic right elbow injury that hindered her career advancement.
Last year’s runner-up and 10th seed Anisimova could not alter her fortunes during a frustrating major season, losing 6-2, 7-5 to Anastasia Potapova.
Young American wildcard Michael Zheng also faced defeat, unable to complete his comeback against Frenchman Arthur Gea in a 7-6(7), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss. Gea became the second lucky loser to reach the fourth round, following fellow compatriot Corentin Moutet in 2022.
The day concluded positively for the home crowd, who cheered Learner Tien to a determined 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Czech Jakub Mensik.