Australia’s Alex de Minaur has progressed to the third round of the US Open, going through in four sets after a wobble in the third.
Chilean Cristian Garin offered little resistance as the 18th seed from Sydney asserted his dominance in the first two sets.
Australian Alex de Minaur in action at Flushing Meadows.Credit:Getty Images
However, the world No.78 took full advantage when De Minaur stumbled in the third, a series of poor shots and a double fault at 5-4 down gifting the Chilean a set point.
De Minaur settled in the fourth, breaking immediately in the first game to eventually go on and close the match out 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 on court 5.
He was the first of several Aussies on court on day 3 of the Open – Nick Kyrgios, Jason Kubler and Ajla Tomljanovic were also scheduled to play.
A win for Tomljanovic would set up a mouth-watering clash with the winner of Serena Williams and second seed Anett Kontaveit.
In the women’s draw, third seed and world No.3 Maria Sakkari, of Greece, tumbled out 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 to Chinese Wang Xiyu after two hours and 43 minutes of gruelling tennis.
Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur, a Wimbledon finalist this year, had no such problems, defeating American Elisabeth Mandlik 7-5, 6-2 to move into the third round.
Mandlik’s compatriot Shelby Rogers, the tournament’s 31st seed, also progressed, beating Slovakian Viktoria Kuzmova 7-5, 6-1.
