She felt like a zombie this week in New York due to a bad virus, but Anas Jaber recovered in time on Saturday to defeat Czech Marie Bouzkova in three sets: 5-7, 7-6 (5) 6-3.
Jabeur may be known as a “lucky one” in the ring, but the favorite among American tennis fans had no reason to laugh Saturday. And made mistakes that Bouzkova took advantage of in the first set.
But Bouzkova himself was not fit at all. The Czech player was given medical time off the court in the seventh game, after breaking his serve in the second set. Despite her leg injury, she continued to fight, although she occasionally limped across the court and lost the second set in a tiebreaker. And after nearly three hours of playing, I just gave up. In the third set, she made the decisive break in the sixth game by double-faulting and smashing the ball into the net at match point.
Every match here is now a reward for me. I am rediscovering myself
Our Jaber
“It was a very tough match for us,” said Jabeur, who lost last year’s final. “She just kept going. I did the best I could. She’s a great player.” Jaber is waiting for a tough competition in the fourth round: Chinese Zeng Kenwen, who in turn defeated Italian Lucia Bronzetti in three sets: 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
And in the last encounter with Cheng in Toronto in 2022, she was forced to stop fighting. You beat me really well there. I learned a lot from that. She has a very good forehand. “It will definitely be difficult,” Jaber said. “Every game here is a reward for me now. I’m reinventing myself.”
Medvedev easily to the fourth round at the US Open
Daniil Medvedev is also in the fourth round of the US Open. After just over two and a half hours and in three sets, he finished in front of his Argentine rival Sebastian Paez, who won twelve matches in a row: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (6).
The third seed in the rankings has dropped just one set at the US Open this edition, in the previous round. In the first round, Medvedev gave up only two games. Now Alex de Minaur awaits, 13th in the ATP ranking. Medvedev does not have much time to prepare for this match. He left the tennis court around five o’clock Dutch time and barely twelve hours later the Australian was waiting for him again. The Russian won the championship in 2021. It was tough. He said, “I just want to go to sleep now.”
Alexander Zverev through Grigor Dimitrov into the fourth round
Alexander Zverev also reached the fourth round of the US Open after a grueling match against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. After more than three and a half years, the German came off the track victorious: (2)6-7, 7-6(8), 6-1, 6-1. In the next round, he will meet Italian talent Yannick Siner, who defeated Stan Wawrinka.
Zverev faced Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final, losing to him. Last year, he faced Germany’s Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The Serb won after a grueling five-set match.
