- De Miñaur wore out the British Dan Evans
- He will now face his fellow Australian in the fourth round.
- It comes after Popyrin’s victory over Djokovic
Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson will battle for a place in the US Open quarter-finals as Australia’s extraordinary assault on the final grand slam of the season continues.
De Minaur defeated veteran British marathoner Dan Evans 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0, 6-0 to book a place in the last 16 for a fifth consecutive Grand Slam after Thompson, who upset the favourite, claimed another big win on day six in New York.
After defeating world No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, Thompson eliminated No. 30 Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second time.
Thompson was quick to call the high-stakes showdown with his Sydney teammate “unreal.”
“I’m sure there’s an Australian in the quarter-finals. I hope it’s me,” he smiled.
Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson will battle for a place in the US Open quarter-finals as Australia’s extraordinary assault on the final grand slam of the season continues.
De Minaur defeated veteran British marathoner Dan Evans 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0, 6-0 to book a place in the last 16 for a fifth consecutive Grand Slam after Thompson, who upset the favourite, claimed another big win on day six in New York.
Alex de Minaur has reached the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows for the fifth consecutive time
Jordan Thompson has also made it to the last 16 and will face De Minaur for a place in the quarter-finals.
After defeating world No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, Thompson eliminated No. 30 Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second time.
Thompson was quick to call the high-stakes showdown with his Sydney teammate “unreal.”
“I’m sure there’s an Australian in the quarter-finals. I hope it’s me,” he smiled.
However, Thompson will need stopping power when the Aussies meet on Monday (Tuesday AEST).
As well as playing the tennis of his life, having won his first ATP title this year in Los Cabos and reached the final in Atlanta, the proud Paris Olympian has now equalled his best Grand Slam streak at the 2020 US Open.
De Minaur has been in ominous form as the Australian men enjoy their best campaign since 1997.
Thompson, who has yet to drop a set this campaign, fell 4-2 behind in the third against Arnaldi, the 2023 Italian Davis Cup winner and widely considered one of tennis’ brightest young stars.
But, as usual, Thompson immediately went back to work, breaking Arnaldi’s serve in the seventh game and recovering from a 3-0 deficit in the third-set tiebreak to seal victory after two hours and 33 minutes.
“It was a great match for me. The third round is pressure. I haven’t been there too much in my career,” he said.
“I was getting a little nervous, but I handled it really well and came away victorious. It’s really a pleasure to win under the lights of New York on a Saturday night.”
The 30-year-old is set to reach a new career-high ranking inside the world top 30 and believes he is only now beginning to reach his full potential.
“It’s hard to argue with that. I feel like I’m getting better as I get older,” Thompson said.
“It is without a doubt the best tournament I have played in my career and my results and my ranking confirm this.”
Chris O’Connell could not keep his US Open dream alive against Jannik Sinner
But Chris O’Connell’s Open is over after Australia’s fourth representative in the third round received a lesson from world number one Jannik Sinner on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“The best tennis player I’ve ever played with, without a doubt,” O’Connell said after coming away with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.
O’Connell can take solace in a career-best payday of US$215,000 ($A315,000) for reaching the last 32.
Popyrin, seeded 28th, will face world No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round on Sunday night (9am Monday AEST) in a prime-time showdown.
