NEW YORK: Rafael Nadal returned from an extended rest to cruise into the US Open last 16 on Saturday, while Alexander Zverev again battled through ahead of a blockbuster showdown featuring defending champion Naomi Osaka and teen phenom Coco Gauff.
Second seed Nadal, a three-time winner at Flushing Meadows, disposed of 170th-ranked South Korean qualifier Chung Hyeon 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, having benefited from three days off after a second-round walkover.
The Spaniard improved his record here against players outside the top 50 to 35-1 and will meet 2014 champion Marin Cilic for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I’m happy to be in the fourth round for one more time. It was a good match,” said Nadal, who quit with injury against Juan Martin del Potro during last year’s semifinal.
“I’m trying to play a little bit more aggressive and a little bit less than before.”
“It’s true last year I had some tough matches. You never know what’s better or worse,” he said of his serene progress this week.
Cilic, the 22nd seed and 2017 Wimbledon finalist, took out top US hope John Isner in four tight sets.
“I’ve played quite a few times with Rafa. When you play these top guys you have to come up with your great tennis,” said Cilic, who has won just twice in eight tries against Nadal.
Sixth seed Zverev, coming off back-to-back five-set matches, made it to the second week in New York for the first time after fighting past Aljaz Bedene 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in three hours and 36 minutes.
Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu, seeded 15th, brushed past two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 to extend her best Grand Slam run.
The 19-year-old, a winner at Toronto and Indian Wells this season, improved to 30-4 for the year despite missing much of the clay and grass portion with a shoulder injury.
“I think everything is just clicking with me,” said Andreescu, who had never gone beyond round two at a major prior to this tournament.
“I’ve been through a lot with injuries and have just taken everything I’ve learned from the past couple of years and brought it into this year.”
New tennis superstar
Saturday’s primetime clash on Ashe pits 15-year-old American Gauff, who made a fourth-round Wimbledon run in her Grand Slam debut, against 21-year-old Japanese star Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion.
“I definitely think it’s the future of women’s tennis,” 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said. “And I’m really excited to just be a fan girl and kind of watch.”
Even world number one and defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic can’t wait to see what Gauff and Osaka do.
“Coco is definitely a new superstar of tennis. It’s great to see her fighting spirit, her intensity,” Djokovic said. “She’s only 15. She brings so much maturity in her game for such a young age. It’s very impressive.”
American qualifier Taylor Townsend vowed to ride her surprise US Open run “all the way” after reaching the last 16 for the first time at a Slam.
Townsend, ranked 116th, followed up her shock win over reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep by beating another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea, 7-5, 6-2.
“I didn’t know that many people had my phone number,” Townsend said when asked how she coped in the wake of her Halep upset.
“I got a lot of messages. It was a lot of love. My phone started dialing 911 by itself, I dont know what that was about. I just tried to keep my head on straight.”
“I’m going to take it as far as I can,” she added. “We’re going to ride this thing all the way.”
Swiss 13th seed Belinda Bencic advanced via walkover as Anett Kontaveit retired with illness, while Belgian 25th seed Elize Mertens moved on with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.
US wildcard Kristie Ahn, winless in three previous Slam appearances, kept her fairytale run going by knocking out 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko.
Nick Kyrgios and Andrey Rublev do battle in the nightcap at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a quarter that is wide open following the early exits made by fourth seed Dominic Thiem and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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