NEW YORK (AP) — LOOKAHEAD TO SATURDAY
Men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic continues his pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam when he faces Kei Nishikori. Djokovic has won all 23 matches he’s played at the four most important tournaments in tennis in 2021. That means he is five victories away from a 28-0 mark that would make him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four major tennis singles championships in one season. Djokovic is 17-2 against Nishikori, including 16 consecutive wins. Djokovic would become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam and break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men if he wins the tournament. He tied them with 20 after winning this year’s Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. Americans Reilly Opelka and Jack Sock also try and advance in the men’s draw. Women’s No. 1 Ash Barty tries to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in her U.S. Open career when she plays Shelby Rogers. Barty has a 5-0 career mark against Rogers, with four wins against her over a three-month span this year. Barty skipped the tournament last year, when it was played without fans.
SATURDAY’S FORECAST
Sunny. High of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius)
FRIDAY’S WEATHER
Partly cloudy. High of 75 Fahrenheit (24 Celsius)
FRIDAY’S KEY RESULTS
Women’s Third Round: Leylah Fernandez beat No. 3 Naomi Osaka 5-7, 6-7 (2), 6-4; No. 5 Elina Svitolina beat No. 25 Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-2; No. 8 Barbora Krejcíkova beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-2; No. 9 Garbiñe Muguruza beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-2; No. 11 Elise Mertens beat Ons Jabeur 6-3, 7-5; No. 16 Angelique Kerber beat Sloane Stephens 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Men’s Third Round: No. 2 Daniil Medvedev beat Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4, 6-3; Carlos Alcaraz beat No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 0-6, 7-6 (5) ; No. 24 Dan Evans beat Alexi Popyrin 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (1).
STAT OF THE DAY
4 1/2 minutes - Minutes it took Stefanos Tsitsipas, accused of lollygagging during lengthy breaks in the action, to use the bathroom after he dropped the third set to Carlos Alcaraz.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I guess I wanted to stay on the court a little bit longer. I wanted to put on a show for everybody here.” — Leylah Fernandez, an 18-year-old from Canada who is ranked 73rd, after she beat defending champion Naomi Osaka.
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