NEW YORK, Sept 4: Top-seeded Novak Djokovic puts his undefeated record in 2020 on the line in a third-round match on Day 5 against No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff.
It�s a rematch as Djokovic beat Struff 6-3, 6-1 last week at the Western & Southern Open, part of the 17-time Grand Slam champion�s 25-0 start to the season.
In other men�s play on Friday, No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas faces No. 27 Borna Coric, and No. 5 Alexander Zverev faces No. 32 Adrian Mannarino.
In a matchup between players who won 2015 junior titles at Flushing Meadows, No. 19 Taylor Fritz, a 22-year-old American, will play No. 12 Dennis Shapovalov, a 21-year-old Canadian.
Five years ago, Fritz was the boys champ in singles, Shapovalov in doubles. On the women�s side, 2018 champion Naomi Osaka plays Marta Kostyuk, while 63rd-ranked Jessica Pegula�s debut in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament comes against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. �Honestly, I don�t even think I�m playing that great. I�m figuring it out,� Pegula said.
�Maybe before, I would have gotten more easily frustrated or not played as smart. I�m staying tough in the really tough moments.�
Serena wins: Serena Williams won in straight sets again. And yes, she moved into an all-American showdown at the US Open against Sloane Stephens. Still, this victory did not quite go according to plan.
Her serve only so-so at times, her footwork a bit off, Williams got by and got through Thursday night against an opponent ranked just 117th, beating Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4 and letting out a cry of �Yes!� at the end that reverberated in a nearly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.
KEY RESULTS
Men�s second round: No. 2 Dominic Thiem beat Sumit Nagal 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; No. 3 Daniil Medvedev beat Christopher O�Connell 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; No. 6 Matteo Berrettini beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (6); No. 21 Alex de Minaur beat Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5; Vasek Pospisil beat No. 25 Milos Raonic 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3; No. 31 Marin Cilic beat Norbert Gombos 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5. Women�s second round: No. 2 Sofia Kenin beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4; No. 3 Serena Williams beat Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4; Sorana Cirstea beat No. 9 Johanna Konta 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova beat No. 10 Garbie Muguruza 7-5, 6-3, No. 22 Amanda Anisimova beat Katrina Scott 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. � AP
