Fritz, Pegula And Navarro Lead American Charge Into Us Open Third Round

Taylor Fritz overcame a jittery start, Jessica Pegula extended her tally of consistency and Emma Navarro continued to build connected past year’s breakout play arsenic each 3 Americans precocious to nan 3rd information of nan US Open pinch convincing victories connected Wednesday.

On a breezy day astatine Flushing Meadows, Fritz recovered from a sluggish opening group to conclusion South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4. The 4th seed, runner-up present past year, was forced to navigate a tricky trial against nan big-serving Harris, who has been rebuilding his profession aft injuries saw his ranking plummet extracurricular nan world’s apical 300.

Fritz dropped service early and ceded nan first group arsenic Harris’s forehand recovered its range. But nan American steadied down his ain delivery, pounding 17 aces successful all, and dominated nan second-set tiebreak to level nan match. From location he played pinch nan authority expected of a top-five seed, breaking doubly successful nan 3rd group and riding nan crowd’s power successful Louis Armstrong Stadium to decorativeness disconnected nan triumph successful conscionable nether 3 hours.

“It’s ever difficult erstwhile a feline for illustration Lloyd comes retired swinging freely,” Fritz said. “He was serving awesome and putting a batch of unit connected maine early. I conscionable had to bent tough, get done nan breaker, and past I felt for illustration I recovered my rhythm.”

If Fritz was made to sweat, Pegula’s transition was much straightforward. The world No 4, who reached her first expansive slam last present a twelvemonth ago, eased past Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3 connected nan Grandstand court. Showing nan patience and precision that person go her calling card, Pegula collapsed service six times and struck 30 winners to adjacent retired nan lucifer successful a scant 64 minutes.

The 31-year-old is now nan first American female since Madison Keys to scope nan 3rd information successful New York for six years running, underlining her reliability astatine nan majors. She will adjacent look two-time awesome champion Victoria Azarenka, who precocious pinch a triumph complete Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“I knew if Anna sewage into a groove she could beryllium really dangerous,” Pegula said afterwards. “I conscionable wanted to return power correct away, not fto her dictate. I’m pleased pinch really I kept my ft connected nan gas.”

Jessica Pegula returns a changeable to Anna Blinkova during Wednesday’s match. Photograph: Brian Hirschfeld/EPA

Pegula, who has already collected tour-high 20 wins connected US ungraded this season, admitted that nan situation of solving problems connected tribunal is what keeps her motivated heavy into her career. “You’ve sewage to beryllium fearless to play this sport, because 1 of you is going to suffer retired location successful beforehand of everyone. But erstwhile you activity your measurement done and win, that emotion is beautiful unmatched.”

The surge of homegrown players was further bolstered by Navarro, nan 23-year-old who backed up her semi-final tally present past twelvemonth pinch a commanding 6-2, 6-1 dismissal of Caty McNally. Navarro, who strugged successful Sunday’s first-round triumph complete Wang Yafan, was ruthless successful exploiting McNally’s inconsistency, converting 7 of 8 break points and sealing nan triumph successful conscionable complete an hour.

“It was decidedly quicker than I expected, but not easy,” Navarro said. “I consciousness for illustration there’s thing typical astir being here: nan energy, nan crowd, it really pushes me.”

Navarro’s adjacent duty is simply a daunting one: two-time awesome champion Barbora Krejcikova, a subordinate she hit earlier this summertime astatine Wimbledon. Should she beforehand again, a imaginable fourth-round conflict pinch 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva looms, while a quarter-final day pinch adjacent friend Pegula remains a possibility.

The victories for Fritz, Pegula and Navarro ensured a buoyant time for American tennis, offsetting nan disappointment No 30 seed Brandon Nakashima’s 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10) conclusion to Switzerland’s Jerome Kym connected Court 12.

For now, nan attraction remained connected nan trio of US contenders who underlined their title credentials. “It’s a agelong road,” Fritz said, “but days for illustration this, pinch nan support and nan atmosphere, it really feels for illustration home.”