World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 after recovering from three early service breaks
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz swept past Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to extend his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches
Sabalenka advanced to set up a quarterfinal showdown against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova
Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sunday with straight-set wins. Sabalenka, the world No. 1, solved early serving trouble to beat Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3. Alcaraz then beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sabalenka had to recover after Townsend broke her three times in her first four service games. Alcaraz, the defending men's champion, advanced without dropping a set and kept building on his comeback from injury.
Sabalenka will face Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova next. Alcaraz will meet American No. 8 seed Ben Shelton on Tuesday. The U.S. also had a strong day, with 10 Americans in the men’s and women’s round of 16.
Sabalenka Survives Townsend
Townsend made life difficult early. In their first meeting, she broke Sabalenka three times in the first four service games and briefly looked ready for the upset.
Sabalenka found her rhythm and took control. After she fell behind 3-1 in the second set, she did not lose another point and closed out the 6-4, 6-3 win.
“I love matches like that because it was really challenging," Sabalenka said. “Going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.”
“This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world,” Townsend said. “From the beginning, I felt like I belonged. From the beginning, I felt like I was right where I needed to be. I still feel that way.”
Noskova is next. The Wimbledon winner needed six match points to get past Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 and set up the match-up.
“I played a couple of matches against her in the past, which also wasn’t the easiest matches," Sabalenka said of Noskova. “Really aggressive style of the game. Serving really well, playing super fast. You’ve got to stay really low to be able to handle that power and energy.”
Alcaraz Keeps Rolling
Alcaraz is close to his old level again. The 23-year-old Spaniard is playing his first tournament after a four-month break caused by a right wrist injury and last week said he would not return unless he could play like himself.
So far, that has held up. Through four rounds, he has dropped only one set and stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 with the win over Paul.
He controlled most of the contest. When Paul pushed in the third set, Alcaraz produced a shot to set up match point so precisely inside the lines that it drew an incredulous reaction from actor Matthew McConaughey and plenty of others in the stands.
Asked whether he felt back to form, Alcaraz said, “I think so.” He added: “I'm happy with that performance," Alcaraz said. “I played my game. I tried to play my style. Tommy’s such a talented player. His shots are pretty dangerous and it's sometimes pretty difficult to control the ball when it comes to you, so I just tried to be ready.”
He said he is trying to enjoy the tournament. “I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” Alcaraz said. “It doesn't matter that I was out four months and a half. Every time that I come here, I play my best.”
Shelton awaits on Tuesday. The American, seeded No. 8, swept Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday night in his strongest showing of the tournament.
“We're happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays," Shelton said of Alcaraz. "I think it's going to be fireworks on Tuesday night.”
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American Runs Continue
The U.S. presence remains sizeable. Townsend and Paul were two of 10 Americans to reach the round of 16 in both draws, the most at the fourth-round stage of any Grand Slam in nearly 25 years, dating to the 2002 U.S. Open, which had 11.
The five U.S. men left — Paul, Shelton, Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen — are the most at a major since eight reached that round at Flushing Meadows in 1995.
“American tennis has been on the up and up for many years now,” Townsend said. “There have been a really consistent chunk of players — Jess, Coco — (who) have been at the top and inside the top five for the last, I don’t know how many years. Ben, Frances, Tommy, Taylor: It’s just such a great group of men, as well.”
Tien has also made a breakthrough. At 20, he is the youngest American man to make the U.S. Open fourth round since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Tiafoe added another notable result on Sunday. He beat seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) and improved to 10-0 in his career at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which he called “the people's court.”
Michelsen followed by beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4. Michelsen and Tiafoe will meet Tuesday in the quarterfinals, guaranteeing an American man a spot in the semifinals. No U.S. men's player has won a Grand Slam since Roddick in New York in '03.
There will also be an all-American quarterfinal in the women's draw. No. 3 Jessica Pegula advanced by beating No. 16 Sorana Cirstea and will play 26th-seeded Emma Navarro, who eliminated No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.
