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Make that 3-0 Alcaraz. He’s looking as sharp as his haircut. And Rybakina.
Rybakina rips a few more winners and it’s 6-1, 3-1. Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz is doing what Carlos Alcaraz does, and the 2022 champion (was it really three years ago?!) has broken for a 2-0 lead in the opening set.
Raducanu duly listens to our Tim, and has a little spring in her step as she heads back to her chair having held courtesy of a couple of winners. Can she build on it? The problem is, this match is still very much on Rybakina’s racket. For all the inconsistency Rybakina has shown during her career, when she’s playing at her best, few can live with her; she’s up there with Sabalenka and Swiatek.
Ach. Raducanu, from 40-0 up on serve at the start of the second set, makes a flurry of errors and that’s another break. She desperately needed to steady herself in this match, but Rybakina consolidates the break and is 6-1, 2-0 ahead. “Only 37 minutes on the clock but you think the next game is must-win for Raducanu,” says Henman, as Raducanu’s latest coach Francisco Roig offers some encouragement from the sidelines.
Rybakina is seeing the ball like a football out there. She’s barely missing. But Raducanu is playing a lot into the centre of the court; perhaps she’ll have more success if she gets Rybakina on the move. She needs to try something different, that’s for sure. Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz and that buzzcut have arrived on Arthur Ashe. His victim opponent today is the Italian 32nd seed Luciano Darderi.
This game follows the first-set script as Rybakina moves to 40-30, set point. But then she throws in a double! A glimmer, perhaps, for Raducanu. But Raducanu can’t make the most of the reprieve. She bashes a backhand return into the net on the second set point and it’s been a near-rout for Rybakina, who leads 6-1.
Raducanu gets on the board as a forehand winner seals a hold to 15. That’ll have felt good. But Rybakina, undeterred, swiftly holds to 15 herself amid a flurry of errant forehands from Raducanu. Rybakina has this way of looking so calm, composed and effortless, while also being so powerful and destructive. And that’s exactly how she gets herself a double break. It’s 5-1. After just 22 minutes, the ninth seed will serve for the opening set.
And we’ve also got these two pieces on US Open stoners and dating shows. Not a sentence I thought I’d ever type.
As usual, please do get in touch with your predictions/predilections. Or with anything I’ve missed. I’ve been on holiday the past couple of weeks (the west coast of Scotland – so beautiful!), so I’m playing a bit of catch-up. And talking of playing catch-up, here’s what happened on day five:
Raducanu dropped only six games in her first two matches. But both were against qualifiers; Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champ, represents a huge step up in quality. Raducanu has tended to struggle against the biggest hitters – and is letting Rybakina dictate early on here – but the way in which she stood up to Aryna Sabalenka in two tight defeats at Wimbledon and Cincinnati this summer will give her hope. But Rybakina backs up the break and it’s 3-0.
Rybakina underlines why she’s the best server in the women’s game with some pinpoint deliveries to get to 40-15 in the opening game. The Russia-born Kazakhstani then misfires from the baseline, but holds to 30 when Raducanu rattles her return long. Rybakina bosses the next game too, charging to 0-40 and three break points. Raducanu repels the first, Rybakina blinks on the second but makes no mistake on the third. Raducanu drops serve for the first time at this US Open and it’s 2-0.
Also getting going: Jiri Lehecka, the Czech 20th seed, against Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, the conqueror of Casper Ruud; and the all-French affair between Benjamin Bonzi and Arthur Rinderknech.
On Sky, Tim Henman is backing the Brit, but reckons it’ll go to three sets. Marion Bartoli is also going with Raducanu. Big call. The head-to-head doesn’t help us much: ER has met ER only once before, back in 2022, though Rybakina did thrash Raducanu 6-0, 6-1. The pair have plenty of respect for each other and played doubles together last month in Washington DC.
Raducanu, all smiles, steps on to court, just ahead of Rybakina. The British No 1 has looked so happy and relaxed this week, having finally won her first matches at the US Open since that unlikely 2021 triumph. Rybakina, surprisingly given her pedigree as a former Wimbledon champion, has never been beyond the third round in New York. The pair are warming up, which should give you just about enough time to read Tumaini’s preview:
Preamble
Good afternoon/morning/evening depending on your worldly whereabouts and welcome to our day six coverage of the US Open as the third round begins. Now the pre-match pleasantries are out of the way, we better cut straight to the chase, because Emma Raducanu is about to get going against Elena Rybakina on Louis Armstrong. Carlos Alcaraz will make his entrance on Arthur Ashe in about half an hour. The American contingent of Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe and Emma Navarro are also in action in the day session as the Labor Day weekend gets under way, along with Jasmine Paolini and the former finalist Victoria Azarenka. Let’s do this!
