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It’s so good to see Badosa back and hitting it so hard – she’s had so much ill luck with injuries. Townsend had a little purple patch in the middle of set two but there was never really any doubt who would win and Badosa moves on to face either Krejcikova or Ruse.
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She faces Keys or Joint next, Keys up 6-4.
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Hey there Dudes and welcome to the US Open 2024 – day three!
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And again, there’s so much ridiculous tennis it’s hard to know where to begin. We’ve got Madison Keys and Francis Tiafoe on Ashe while, on Armstrong, it’s Paula Badosa – her match against Taylor Townsend could be a goodun – followed by Alexander Zverev, yet again seeking a first Grand Slam title, and Aryna Sabalenka, this blog’s favourite for the women’s crown.
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But as we reminded ourselves yesterday, at this stage of a tournament the best matches are likely to come away from the two main show courts, and we’ve got quite the selection. We’ll see Barbora Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champ; Ben Shelton v Roberto Bautista Agut; Casper Ruud v Gael Monfils; and Elina Svitolina v Anhelina Kalinina.
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Is that it? Nope! There’s also Griggzy Dimitrov, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrey Rublev, Daria Kasatkina and the surging Alexei Popyrin; Harriet Dart v Marta Kostyuk, a potential belter between Brandon Nakashima and Arthur Cazaux, a Facundo Cerundolo v Tomas Etcheverry Argentinian derby and Donna Vekic v Geet Minnen. Awesome!
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Play: 11am local, 4pm BST
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Zverev and Muller are away and this is the match we’re being shown; I’ve got Keys v Joint on my other screen, keys up match point at 6-4 5-0 40-30.
Hmmm. Lehecka down two sets to Krueger, breaks for 5-4 in the third and will shortly serve for the third set. If he gets on a roll, he’ll be difficult to stop.
Keys breaks again then consolidates to lead Joint 6-4 4-0; she’ll soon be back in the locker room. Meantime on telly, they’re discussing 1987, when Martina won the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – she played the first tow finals on the Saturday then three matches – last eight, last four and final of the mixed – on the Sunday. What a human being.
Next on Armstrong: Alexandre Müller v Alexander Zverev (4).
Back on Ashe, Keys now leads joint 6-4 2-0, and let’s do a full roundup while we’re at it: Dimitrov leads Hijikata 6-1 6-1 5-4 on serve; Krueger leads Lehecka 7-6 6-0 4-3 on serve; and Cerundolo leads Etcheverry 3-6 6-4 1-0 on serve;
“Oh my God, I have no words,” says Ruse, who doesn’t know how she managed to beat the Wimbledon champ. She says her partner is her lucky charm – he’s there today – and thanks her coach following some tough months during which she was injured. This is the best Grand Slam run of her career and she doesn’t care who’s up next, she’s just going to enjoy. New York is her favourite city and she wants to enjoy every moment she has there.
Elena-Gabriela Ruse beats Barbora Krejcikova (8) 6-4 7-5
A fantastic win for Ruse, who hit it hard, especially to Krejcikova’s forehand, and stayed calm when under pressure, breaking once to save the set then again to clinch the match. That is the biggest win of her career, seeing off the Wimbledon champ, and next for her is Paula Badosa.
Badosa is really happy, making round three for the first time; she says it doesn’t sound like much but she was thinking about it on match point, also noting that she was born in New York City so winning here means a little extra. Oh and she confirms that she’ll be playing mixed doubles with Stefanos Tsitsipas, her boyfriend, saying he’s a champion and will always be a champion, though he lost yesterday.
Talking of whom, Ruse smokes a backhand return for 0-15, breaks back to 15, holds, and now Krejcikova must serve to stay in the match.
Paula Badosa (26) beats Taylor Townsend 6-3 7-5
It’s so good to see Badosa back and hitting it so hard – she’s had so much ill luck with injuries. Townsend had a little purple patch in the middle of set two but there was never really any doubt who would win and Badosa moves on to face either Krejcikova or Ruse.
Badosa races to 0-40 and has three match points; can Townsend save herself?
Elise Mertens (33) beats Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-2
She faces Keys or Joint next, Keys up 6-4.
Might Townsend have missed her chance? Badosa holds, forcing her to serve to stay in the match at 3-6 5-6, while Krejcikova will, as soon as we’ve heard 90 seconds of Don’t stop Till You Get Enough, serve to take her match with Ruse to a decider.
Krejcikova sees out a marathon hold for 5-3 in set two, then Badosa rushes through a break-back, levelling set two against a disappointed Townsend at 5-5.
Longtime readers will know that Maddy Keys is a favourite of this blog thanks to the fragile power that allows her to blow anyone away or lose to anyone. She has, though, been a little more consistent lately, and leads joint 4-3 with a break; Krejcikova is serving down 4-6 4-3 to Ruse; Dimitrov leads Hijikata 6-1 6-1 2-1; Krueger leads Lehecka 7-6 6-0; Niemeier leads Uchijima 6-4 4-0; Etcheverry leads Cerundolo 6-3 4-4, his second-set break retrieved; and Mertens is serving for the match leading Tomljanovic 6-3 5-2.
Badosa punishes a fine forehand down the line but as she comes in, Townsend powers a forehand on to her tootsies and punches the air when the riposte is netted. From there, she closes out, and at 3-5 the Spaniard will now serve to stay in the second set.
Krejcikova is just so tough, and she breaks Ruse to trail 4-6 4-3, while Badosa punishes a forehand to earn deuce as Townsend attempts to consolidate. Then, caught at the net, a backhand is walloped at her and she can’t control her volley, so faces break-back point at 3-6 4-3…
Oh, Taylor; oh maaaate! An overhead takes her to 15-30 on the Badosa serve but then, after a murderous backhand, she sticks another into the net. No matter: she’s reading the second serves now and a forehand winner raises break point and a backhand winner secures it! Townsend is into this and the crowd respond to her! Badosa leads 6-3 3-4!
Niemeier takes the first set against Uchijima 6-4 while Dimitrov takes the second to lead Hijikata 6-1 6-1. Oh, and have a look: Kruger has broken Lehecka immediately in set two to lead 7-6 2-0, while we’re away on Ashe – without coverage on a nor