Italy’s Matteo Berrettini reached a fourth successive US Open last 16 on Saturday (AEST) with a marathon four-sets win over 2012 champion Andy Murray.
World number 14 Berrettini came through 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, crunching 18 aces and 55 winners in total on Arthur Ashe Court.
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A semi-finalist in 2019 and quarter-finalist last year, the 26-year-old goes on to face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a last-eight spot.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough in the third set but I was feeling better in the fourth. I had my chances and took them, finally,” said the Italian.
Berrettini had defeated Murray in the Stuttgart final in June and was in control from the start on Friday.
Murray double-faulted to hand the Italian the only break of the opening set in the seventh game and was a break to the good in the first game of the second set.
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Murray hit back immediately but Berrettini’s powerful hitting kept the Briton on the back foot as he sealed a two-set lead courtesy of another break in the ninth game.
The British star roared back in the third set with a dominant tie-break and was even a break up in the fourth before the 26-year-old Italian steaded himself to race to victory after three hours and 47 minutes.
Defeat leaves Murray without a fourth round spot at the Slams since Wimbledon in 2017.
FIFTH SEED’S EPIC US OPEN FIRST
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur reached the last 16 of the US Open for the first time on Friday after defeating Shelby Rogers of the United States.
Fifth seed Jabeur, who made history at Wimbledon in July after becoming the first African woman to reach the final at the All England Club, came from behind to advance 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The 28-year-old will face Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the fourth round. Friday’s victory saw Jabeur book a place in the fourth round of the US Open at the 10th time of asking.
In nine previous appearances in New York she had not got beyond the third round. “Crazy, crazy match,” Jabeur said after her win. “Shelby plays really well. “I’m glad I got the win. It was difficult to adapt to how well she was playing. I was happy that I kept fighting to the end and got the win.” Rogers, the 31st seed, reached the quarter-finals in New York two years ago, her best performance at the tournament.
The right-hander from South Carolina flirted with a remarkable comeback in the third set after saving four match points before holding serve for 5-2.
She then broke Jabeur to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but lost her next service game to love as the Tunisian advanced.
