Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff Shine at US Open Third Round

Flushing Meadows, NY — Iga Swiatek overcame a challenging match on Thursday to advance to the third round of the US Open, while defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner showcased his skills in a dominating performance. Notably, Coco Gauff provided the day’s most emotional moments, overcoming tears to defeat Donna Vekic.

Swiatek, the second seed and fresh off wins at Wimbledon and Cincinnati, faced unseeded Suzan Lamens in a tightly contested match. After winning the first set 6-1, Swiatek struggled in the second, ultimately winning 6-4 in the third. “It got a bit complicated in the second set, but I’m happy that I could reset and start playing better in the third,” said Swiatek, who will meet 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya next.

In stark contrast, world number one Sinner had a smooth outing against Alexei Popyrin, winning decisively with scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Sinner will face 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the next round.

Naomi Osaka, seeded 23rd, also advanced with a strong performance against Hailey Baptiste, winning 6-3, 6-1. “I was just really trying to focus, and not give her any free points and just be positive,” Osaka said, expressing her excitement about her improved movement on the court.

Gauff’s match was filled with drama as she battled through emotional moments against Vekic. After shedding tears mid-match, Gauff found motivation from gymnastics star Simone Biles in the stands. “I saw her and … she helped me pull it out,” Gauff said. “I was thinking like: ‘If she can go on a six-inch beam and do that with all the pressures of the world, then I can hit the ball in the court.’”

The day also saw the unexpected exit of 26th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in a grueling five-set match lasting over four hours. German third seed Alexander Zverev defeated British qualifier Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, setting up a match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

In doubles action, 45-year-old Venus Williams, who had previously exited from singles and mixed doubles, teamed up with Canadian Leylah Fernandez to score a victory over sixth seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez. Williams praised her partner, saying, “This is the best partner I’ve ever played with outside Serena.”

Meanwhile, Australian Alex de Minaur secured a straight-sets victory against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, but compatriot Maya Joint fell to eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the final match of the day.