Fritz and Rybakina face tricky tests as US Open third round continues

NEW YORK, Sept 4 - The U.S. Open third round continues on Saturday with several leading contenders in action, including Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Alexander Zverev, while home hopes Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien bid to extend their runs at Flushing Meadows:

TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA V ELENA RYBAKINA

World number two Elena Rybakina has quickly put pre-tournament fitness concerns to rest, advancing to the third round with two commanding victories.

The Kazakh opened with a routine win over American Thea Frodin before defeating Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2 6-4.

Awaiting her is Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva, who pulled off a shock victory over Rybakina in the second round of the French Open in May.

Rybakina, who also exited Wimbledon in the third round, will be eager to avoid another upset against an opponent who has already shown she can disrupt the Kazakh's rhythm.

Starodubtseva arrives in confident mood after staging an impressive comeback against Maria Sakkari in the second round, recovering from a set down and saving match points before sealing a 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2 victory.

The Ukrainian's resilience could make her a dangerous opponent, but the quicker conditions in New York are expected to favour Rybakina's powerful serve and aggressive first-strike tennis.

TOP MEN'S MATCH: TAYLOR FRITZ V FRANCISCO CERUNDOLO

Taylor Fritz has made an emphatic start to his home Grand Slam campaign, following a straight-sets win over Darwin Blanch with a 6-0 6-1 6-1 demolition of Mattia Bellucci.

The ninth-seeded American now faces a sterner challenge against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, who battled through a five-set encounter against Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the third round.

Fritz has looked dominant behind his serve through the opening rounds and will draw confidence from his form on home soil, but Cerundolo's resilience and ability to adjust during matches could pose a significant test.

The pair are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head record, with Fritz winning their most recent meeting in Madrid in 2024.

Cerundolo will be seeking revenge for that defeat and a path to the fourth round, while Fritz, too, chases a place in the second week in New York.

YOUTH SHOWDOWN - JAKUB MENSIK v LEARNER TIEN

American Learner Tien and Czech 17th seed Jakub Mensik meet in one of the standout third-round contests of the tournament, with a place in the last 16 at stake.

Tien has enjoyed a breakthrough run at Flushing Meadows, reaching the third round for the first time after ending Gael Monfils's Grand Slam career in straight sets. The 20-year-old has yet to drop a set and arrives with momentum after a semi-final appearance in Canada.

Mensik has matched his best U.S. Open result and is bidding to reach the fourth round in New York for the first time.

The 21-year-old Czech has carried strong form from the North American hard-court swing into the season's final major and has lost just one set through two matches.

The pair have met once before, with Tien prevailing at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals.

Mensik's powerful serve and aggressive baseline game make him a formidable opponent but Tien's consistency and growing confidence on home soil could prove decisive in a clash between two of the game's brightest young talents.

U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON SATURDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):

ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1530 GMT/1130 ET)

9-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v 24-Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina)

Cristina Bucsa (Spain) v 4-Coco Gauff (U.S.)

14- Iva Jovic (U.S.) v 17-Alexandra Eala (Philippines)

1-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v 25-Alejandro Tabilo (Chile)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (1500 GMT/1100 ET)

24-Anastasia Potapova (Austria) v 10-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)

28-Alexander Blockx (Belgium) v 5-Flavio Cobolli (Italy)

13-Naomi Osaka (Japan) v 23-Elise Mertens (Belgium)

17-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) v 14-Learner Tien (U.S.)

GRANDSTAND

22-Madison Keys (U.S.) v Qinwen Zheng (China)

8-Iga Swiatek (Poland) v 25-Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic)

Michael Zheng (U.S.) v Arthur Gea (France)

Yuliia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) v 2-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) REUTERS