Reigning champion Daniil Medvedev sailed into the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 rout of China’s Yibing Wu that ended early Saturday morning in New York.
The late-night match was over in less than two hours, with the top-seeded Russian posting a 12-1 edge in aces and saving seven of the eight break points he faced.
Next up for Medvedev will be a matchup against 23rd-seeded Nick Kyrgios of Australia, who cruised past the United States’ J.J. Wolf 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
Kyrgios, who reached the Wimbledon final this summer, owns a 3-1 career edge on Medvedev. The Aussie prevailed in their second-round matchup in Montreal last month, but the Russian won when they faced off in the second round of the Australian Open in January.
In earlier action Friday, No. 5 seed Casper Ruud of Norway took 4 hours, 23 minutes to defeat No. 29 seed Tommy Paul of the U.S. 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-0.
Ruud survived the marathon match, and Paul’s 12 aces, by winning 70 of his 98 first-service points (71.4 percent).
Paul saved 11 of 18 break points, converted five of his six break-point attempts and held a 61-37 edge in winners. But Paul also committed 82 unforced errors compared to Ruud’s 50.
“We both were playing well,” said Ruud, the first man from Norway to reach the Round of 16 at the U.S. Open. “Whenever someone broke, the other guy seemed to break back right away, so it was tough to get the lead and keep going with it.
“We were always close on the score line. It seemed like the only time I could break him was when I was broken first, so that’s not a good sign, but in the fifth set I played some of my best tennis this year and the best tennis I’ve played this tournament.”
Ruud will play Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the fourth round. Moutet — a lucky-loser entry into the draw — got by Argentina’s Pedro Cachin 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta beat Australian 18th sed Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) to advance. Carreno Busta will face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, the 27th seed, in the next round.
Khachanov advanced when third-round opponent Jack Draper of Great Britain retired with Khachanov leading 6-3, 4-6, 6-5. Draper was coming off an upset of Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the previous round.
Andy Murray of Great Britain also bowed out Friday, with No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy capturing a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-3 win in three hours and 47 minutes.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough with the break points (in the third set) but that is tennis,” Berrettini said. “I think Andy played a really good set in order to not get broken, but I was feeling better. I had more chances and I thought the same thing in the fourth set. I had my chance and I took it.”
Berrettini will play Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Round of 16. Davidovich Fokina took care of business against Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
–Field Level Media
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