Francisco Cerundolo eliminates Taylor Fritz in thriller, Swiatek fights for Bouzkova

Francisco Cerundolo staged one of the greatest comebacks at the 2026 US Open, coming from two sets down to knock out ninth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a thrilling third-round thriller on Saturday.

Fritz, a 2024 US Open finalist, seemed firmly in control after the first two sets. However, Cerundolo refused to let the match slip away and gradually raised his level from the baseline while Fritz began to struggle with mistakes and frustration.

The Argentine continued to apply the pressure as the match wore on and eventually completed the biggest comeback of his Grand Slam career at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The win also sent Cerundolo into the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

For Fritz, the defeat brought a disappointing end to his campaign and marked his earliest exit from the US Open in four years. Cerundolo will face Belgian Alexander Blockx in the round of 16.

SWIATEK SURVIVES THE BOUZKOVA TEST

Iga Swiatek booked her place in the fourth round, but only after being pushed by Marie Bouzková. The eighth-ranked Pole defeated the Czech 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), winning both tiebreaks by the same score of 7-3.

Bouzková refused to allow Swiatek to settle into a rhythm, forcing the four-time Grand Slam champion to battle through two closely fought sets. However, Swiatek showed composure in the crucial moments and held her nerve in both tiebreaks to seal the win.

The result extended Swiatek’s perfect record against Bouzková to 4:0. She previously defeated the Czech at the 2026 Australian Open, 2025 Wuhan Open and 2024 French Open.

Swiatek entered the match after a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Nadia Podoroska in the second round. He will face Qinwen Zheng next, who came from a set down to beat Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

BLOCKX PUSHES COBOLLI

Alexander Blockx continued his breakthrough run in New York by causing another big upset by beating fifth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.

The Belgian impressed in his opening two matches, beating Tomáš Barrios Vera 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 before overcoming Marco Trungelliti in the second round.

Blockx saved his biggest performance for Cobolli, who reached the French Open final this year. After narrowly losing the opening set, Blockx took control of the match and won the next three sets comfortably.

They now face another surprising opponent in Cerundol, where the pair are fighting for a place in the quarter-finals.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

06 Sep 2026 02:08 IST