US Open Lookahead: Osaka takes Slam win streak to 3rd round

Posted September 02, 2021 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, acknowledges the crowd during her match with Marie Bouzkova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Friday, Aug. 30, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - LOOKAHEAD TO FRIDAY

Naomi Osaka has won 16 straight Grand Slam matches as she takes on 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the U.S. Open. Osaka caught a break when her last opponent withdrew from their scheduled match and she rolled into the third round. Fernandez was one of five teenagers to reach the second round. Osaka, the defending champion, is in pursuit of her fifth career Grand Slam. Women's No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka also is in action, and the three-time U.S. Open finalist Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013, 2020) takes on ninth-seeded Garbine Muguruza. Men's No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 runner-up, faces Pablo AndÃºjar. Medvedev is trying to take the next step and win his first Grand Slam title. He's yet to drop a set. It's a battle of the qualifiers when Henri Laaksonen plays Peter Gojowczyk. They are part of a group of five qualifiers to reach the third round. It's the most in the U.S. Open since 1984 and most to reach any Grand Slam third round since the 2011 French Open had six.

FRIDAY'S FORECAST

Mostly Sunny. High of 75 (23 Celsius)

THURSDAY'S WEATHER

Sunny. High of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius).

THURSDAY'S KEY RESULTS

Women's Second Round: No. 1 Ash Barty beat Clara Tauson 6-1, 7-5; No. 7 Iga Swiatek beat Fiona Fero 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-0; No. 10 Petra Kvitova beat Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (7), 6-2 ; No. 11 Belinda Bencic defeated Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1.

Men's Second Round: No. 4 Alexander Zverev beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3; No. 17 Gael Monfils beat Steve Johnson 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 22 Reilly Opelka beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (1), 7-5, 6-4.

STAT OF THE DAY

5 -- Number of qualifiers to reach the third round. Oscar Otte, Peter Gojowczyk, Henri Laaksonen, Alex Molcan and Botic van de Zandschulp are still in the longshot hunt for a U.S. Open title. It's the most qualifiers to reach any Grand Slam third round since the 2011 French Open had six.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

'œI was the first man in 785 years to lose a U.S. Open final from two sets to love up.'ť - Alexander Zverev, after his second-round win, reflecting on his loss in last year's final against Dominic Thiem.

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Naomi Osaka, of Japan, speaks to the crowd after beating Marie Bouzkova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) The Associated Press

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