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Rinky Hijikata has been one of the breakthrough stars of the US Open, advancing to the fourth round at a major for the first time.

The former North Carolina Tarheel has enjoyed special moments at Flushing Meadows in the past, including his debut last year when he played Rafael Nadal and won a set against the Spaniard. The reigning Australian Open doubles champion (w/Jason Kubler) will try to make his maiden Slam singles quarter-final when he faces 2022 semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.

Having never previously cracked the world's Top 100, Hijikata is up to a career-high No. 81 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. ATPTour.com spoke to the 22-year-old earlier this North American summer to get to know him better off the court.

If you could have dinner with any three people who would they be and why?
Not too sure. Maybe Dan Carter, who is a New Zealand rugby player, and I really liked watching him play. He was probably one of my favourite athletes growing up. Maybe Barack Obama, I feel like he's a pretty cool guy, so get some politics in there. And then I'm not I'm not too sure, maybe stick to sport and Michael Jordan. UNC connection there.

How big is he still at school?
Obviously he's an absolute icon. He's probably one of if not the best athletes ever come out of UNC. We have a rich history of sport and a lot of people having success in their professional careers. Yeah, just having him as kind of a symbol of what you can achieve after you've left UNC is pretty cool. And I think he's a huge part of the culture there.

Tennis matches can turn on a single point, which was as evident as ever in Alexander Zverev’s four-set win over Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday evening at the US Open.

Dimitrov was playing tennis reminiscent of his days in the Top 5 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, showing jaw-dropping shotmaking, balletic movement and expert changes of pace with his knifing backhand slice. But the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion was unable to convert two set points to take a two-set lead and paid dearly.

Zverev rallied past the former World No. 3 6-7(2), 7-6(8), 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. The German, who has made it to the Round of 16 in four consecutive appearances at the event, will next play sixth seed Jannik Sinner, who defeated 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in four sets earlier in the day.

[ATP APP]

This encounter was a far cry from Zverev’s 6-2, 6-2 win against Dimitrov just two weeks ago in Cincinnati. The first two sets featured some of the highest-quality tennis that has been played in the tournament so far. But once the former World No. 2 levelled the match, he seized the momentum and Dimitrov also began to falter.

Frances Tiafoe earned a tough four-set victory in the third round of the US Open on Friday against Adrian Mannarino. But some fans were more focussed on what happened involving the American later in the day.

After fulfilling his media obligations, Tiafoe visited the suite level inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to meet Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber.

The Biebers were on site to watch WTA star Coco Gauff play Elise Mertens. Gauff won the match in three sets.

Tiafoe, still in his match kit, enjoyed speaking with the celebrities before returning inside the suite to take a photo with his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, Justin and Hailey.

Fourteen consecutive wins and counting for Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury at the US Open.

The American-British pair maintained its perfect start to the 2023 edition of the hard-court major with a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory against Ben McLachlan and Yoshihito Nishioka on Saturday. Ram and Salisbury held their nerve in the second-set tie-break to seal their second straight-sets win of the week and book a third-round clash with Mackenzie McDonald and Andreas Mies.

Ram and Salisbury are chasing their fourth major title this fortnight in New York, where they lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2022. A strong run at the final major of the year would also boost the pair’s position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Last year’s Nitto ATP Finals champions are currently 15th as they chase a fifth consecutive appearance at the season finale.

[ATP APP]

Second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek had a less straightforward passage to the third round. The Croatian-American duo let slip three match points in the second set before beating Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4. Grand Slam champions already this season at Roland Garros, Dodig and Krajicek will next take on home wild cards Denis Kudla and Vasil Kirkov, who beat Matwe Middelkoop and Mate Pavic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Jannik Sinner rose to the challenge of a former US Open champion Saturday in New York, where the sixth-seeded Italian overcame Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In a clash between two of the purest baseline strikers on Tour, Sinner stayed clutch at key moments to secure a two-hour, 58-minute triumph on Louis Armstrong Stadium. He converted five of 13 break points he earned, keeping his cool impressively after 2016 titlist Wawrinka had charged to the second set to level the pair’s sixth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

???tillating ?@janniksin battles past Wawrinka in four sets to reach the last 16 in New York and now awaits the winner of Zverev/Dimitrov ?@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/FTTk3HQZih

The first of those clashes between Sinner and Wawrinka also took place in New York in 2019, when Wawrinka ousted a then-18-year-old Sinner across four sets on the Italian’s Grand Slam main-draw debut. Fast forward four years and Sinner showed why he is now an established Top 10 star, as he shut down Wawrinka’s revival with some razor-sharp returning that earned him two breaks of serve in each of the third and fourth sets.

“Obviously in four years a couple of things have changed, but I’m happy about my performance today,” said Sinner in his on-court interview. “I feel I wasn’t playing at my best, as he wasn’t playing at his best, but in key moments I handled it in a better way than him and I’m happy to be in the next round.”

Many tennis players begin the sport from a young age. They might not fully commit to pursuing it as a profession until later, but they at least spend time on court early on.

Borna Gojo, however, began playing tennis aged 12 because he was upset with his football coach. On Sunday, he will compete in the biggest tennis-only stadium in the world, Arthur Ashe Stadium, against 23-time major winner Novak Djokovic for a place in the US Open quarter-finals.

“Anyone besides my family probably never thought that I was going to be any good,” Gojo told ATPTour.com. “But yeah, I just kind of stuck with it and just didn't want to quit.”

It might not have happened if Gojo’s family had not moved homes to a location that was near tennis courts.

“I started looking at tennis a little bit, but I was still doing football. And then at some point, I just got mad at my coach. I was a kid and I didn't really want to play anymore. I was like, 'No, I'll just play tennis.' So I just went and played both a little bit,” Gojo said. “Then I just liked that I was alone and I didn't have to take anyone's directions or whatever. I don't know how to say besides other people's sh**. So yeah, that kind of made me change sports really late.”

Andrey Rublev completed a first-week shutout of a trio of Frenchmen Saturday to charge into the fourth round of the US Open.

The World No. 8 rallied from a set down to defeat 28-year-old Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to reach the second week at Flushing Meadows for the fourth time in the past five years after earlier victories over French duo Arthur Cazaux and Gael Monfils.

“I hadn’t played Arthur before, we hadn’t even practised, so I didn’t know what to expect. I knew he had a huge serve and a really amazing forehand and he goes for the shots, so I knew it was going to be a really tough match and I was happy that I could turn it around and win the match," Rublev said.[ATP APP]

Rublev won a healthy 80 per cent of first-serve points and hit 35 winners to 23 unforced errors. He was efficient with his break point opportunities, converting five of his first seven chances before Rinderknech fought off three match points on serve to level at 5-all in the fourth set.

But it would prove to be a temporary reprieve only for the Frenchman, who could not withstand a fourth match point in his next service game.

Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open campaign hit its first speed bump Saturday in New York, but the Spaniard’s title defence nonetheless continues apace.

Faced with a seeded opponent for the first time this fortnight, the Spaniard moved past Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to book his spot in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the third straight year. Alcaraz needed to produce a high-class display to overcome Evans and his trademark box of tricks, but the Spaniard’s consistency and power was key as he held firm for a three-hour, 10-minute triumph.

“He’s a tricky opponent. He always wants to go to the net. Great slices, good touch,” said Alcaraz of Evans in his on-court interview. “I think this is my game as well, so we played a pretty good match. I think the people loved that. We made great points, great shots, a lot of different situations probably than in other matches. I’m really happy to get through and play the fourth round again in the US Open.”

[ATP APP]

Alcaraz and Evans produced a host of thrilling all-court exchanges to open the day’s play on Arthur Ashe Stadium in style. The 26th-seeded Evans dug deep in the third set to become the first player to take a set from Alcaraz this fortnight, but the World No. 1 was ultimately too consistent for the Briton. Alcaraz struck 60 winners to Evans’ 28 to improve to 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Novak Djokovic reacted to his five-set US Open win in the early hours of Saturday morning against fellow Serbian Laslo Djere with mixed emotions.

“Of course winning a match is always better than losing a match. It's as simple as that,” Djokovic said. “I think the message is sent to the rest of the field that obviously I'm still able to play five sets deep at night. Coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to the future opponents.

“At the same time I'm not really wanting to be in this position, to be honest. I prefer a straight-sets win. Hopefully I can get back on that track in the next match.”

There is good news for Djokovic, who will next play Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo. At four of the Grand Slam tournaments where he has rallied from two sets down, he has gone on to lift the trophy. He accomplished the feat at the 2011 US Open, 2015 Wimbledon, 2021 Roland Garros (two two-set comebacks) and 2022 Wimbledon.

His 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Djere was the eighth two-set comeback of his career. But despite all his experience, being that far down is never a nice feeling.

The US Open is becoming a happy hunting ground for Jack Draper.

One year after breaking through with a run to the third round at Flushing Meadows, the British lefty has gone one step further. Draper on Saturday defeated Michael Mmoh 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the fourth round at the season’s final major.

Not only has the 21-year-old advanced deeper at a Grand Slam tournament than he ever has before, but he has done so without finding himself in much difficulty. The No. 123 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has lost just one set in victories against Radu Albot, 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Mmoh.

[ATP APP]

After retiring in the first round at Roland Garros this year, Draper missed two and a half months due to a shoulder injury. The lefty returned in the third week of August at an ATP Challenger Tour event and then competed in Winston-Salem the week before the US Open.

Second seed Novak Djokovic scored a memorable comeback in the US Open third round Friday against Laslo Djere to keep his hopes alive for a record-extending 24th major title.

Djokovic recovered from two-sets-to-love down for the eighth time in his career, clawing past his countryman 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 after three hours, 45 minutes.

For the first 90 minutes of the match, Djere held the advantage in extended rallies as he produced fearless, heavy-hitting from the baseline and often hit behind Djokovic to put him off balance. The 95-time tour-level titlist regrouped, quickly raising his level in the third set as he drew errors from Djere's forehand to pull the match back within reach.

[ATP APP]

The turning point came when Djokovic broke serve for the first time at 1-0 in the third set by winning an exciting 26-shot rally. The Serbian then lifted his hands in the air as if he were asking the New York crowd for more support.

Thwack. Crack. Pop. Bweh.

Those sounds often make up the soundtrack of Andrey Rublev’s matches. The 25-year-old is one of the biggest ball-strikers in the sport, putting everything he has into nearly every shot. His powerful game has led to a lot of success, including 14 ATP Tour singles titles, a career-high No. 5 Pepperstone ATP Ranking, 22 Top 10 wins and three appearances in the Nitto ATP Finals.

When you think of watching Rublev play tennis, you think of intensity, for better or worse. When things are going well, the three-time US Open quarter-finalist overwhelms opponents with his fierce offensive game. Rublev wears his heart on his sleeve and in difficult moments, he is never afraid to show his emotions on court, sometimes agonising over his performance.

But in recent years, fans have come to know a different side of Rublev — call it a softer side. In social media videos, he often breaks out into fits of laughter, jokes with colleagues and shows sensitivity, whether to fans or otherwise. On an ATP Tour YouTube video titled “Andrey Rublev reacts to your YouTube comments ?”, the top comments are:

Petition for ATP Tour to do more of this!!

Taylor Fritz continued his bonecrushing run through the first week of the US Open Friday, gatecrashing the 18th birthday of Czech Jakub Mensik with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 win on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Fritz has reached the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the first time in eight appearances, dropping just 13 games en route. The World No. 9 will next play #NextGen ATP Swiss Dominic Stricker, who by contrast has played 14 sets to reach the second week of a major for the first time.

“It’s so important,” Fritz said of his comfortable passage to the fourth round. “My body is going to be feeling a lot better than someone who’s had a couple of five setters back-to-back, so it’s always something you’re looking for when you’re looking to make a deep run at a Slam, to get through these matches without too much fatigue."

World No. 206 Mensik is fast developing into a heavy-hitting force, but it was an assertive Fritz who stamped his authority on the match from the outset by dictating with his serve and forehand and giving his young rival a lesson in focus and intensity.

Fritz won 30 of 33 points on his first serve, did not face a break point and clipped 25 winners to Mensik's six. He has not dropped serve during the tournament.

Last year's semi-finalists Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer continued their US Open run on Friday when they defeated Matteo Arnaldi and Bart Stevens 6-2, 6-3.

The fourth seeds, who triumphed at Roland Garros together in 2022, dropped just one point on first serve to advance after 61 minutes. Arevalo and Rojer will next face Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara or Robert Galloway and Albano Olivetti in the third round.

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski overcame 2019 champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and 36 minutes. The Dutch-British team, who won the Wimbledon title in July, next play Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow.

The Americans, who won their third tour-level title of the season together in Winston-Salem last week, defeated Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 7-6(3), 6-4.

[ATP APP]

If you are left-handed, you best hope you don’t have to play Frances Tiafoe.

The 10th-seeded American extended his winning streak against lefties to 19 on Friday when he defeated Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the US Open third round. The last time Tiafoe lost to a lefty was in 2021, when he fell to Liam Broady in Eastbourne.

A semi-finalist last year at Flushing Meadows, Tiafoe was dialled-in on serve, firing 15 aces, to move past the 22nd seed Mannarino. After dropping the opening set, the 25-year-old found greater consistency from the baseline and attacked Mannarino’s flat backhand to improve to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the Frenchman.

“I played a loose game early in the first set and then after that, I thought I was a better player even though I lost the set, had a tonne of break points. I was definitely finding my rhythm, so I just used that as confidence and kept going,” Tiafoe said. “I was super mad that I gave back a break in the fourth [set] and made it real complicated for myself in the end. But I got it done and feels good to be in the fourth round.”

[ATP APP]

Jackson Withrow is into the third round of the men’s doubles event with partner Jackson Withrow. But no matter what happens on the court the rest of the fortnight, Withrow has already won.

On Monday, the former Texas A&M standout got engaged to his fiancée, Allie Sweeney. Fittingly, their story began at the US Open three years ago.

The 2020 tournament was played in a bubble because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Withrow met Sweeney when she was working at the player services desk.

“I wanted to focus on my tennis for a long time and had the goal coming here with a coach and ended up getting distracted a little bit by a girl at the player desk,” Withrow told ATPTour.com. “I was trying to figure out what her deal was... I got her number and ended up just texting a little bit here and there. But now that we're here three years later, full circle, engaged this past Monday, it’s a pretty beautiful story.”

Photo Credit: Olivia Wenzel Photography
Plans for Withrow’s engagement first began last November and in February, he asked Sweeney’s parents for their approval. But despite the urge to pop the question earlier, he held out until this week.

#NextGenATP American Ben Shelton continued to light up the US Open on Friday when he soared past Aslan Karatsev to reach the fourth round in New York for the first time.

The 20-year-old, who fell in the first round on debut at the hard-court major last year, fired his lefty serve with power and precision to overcome Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. He struck 26 aces, including one registered at 147mph, the fastest serve of the tournament, to advance after two hours and 20 minutes.

"I am really pleased with my performance today," said Shelton, who won 86 per cent of his first-serve points. "Happy with the way I served. I think it was one of my best serving days ever. I think I had the most aces I have had in a match and it was the day after John Isner played his last match, it is kind of weird. Maybe he left some of his serving magic out for me, so thanks Johnny."

[BREAK POINT]

Shelton will aim to reach his second major quarter-final when he meets countryman Tommy Paul in the fourth round. The 20-year-old advanced to the last eight at the Australian Open earlier this year when he lost to Paul in four sets.

American Tommy Paul advanced to the fourth round at the US Open for the first time on Friday when he overcame Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The home favourite, who rallied from two sets down against Roman Safiullin in the first round, produced a dominant display during the opening two sets to take control against an out-of-sorts Spaniard. The 14th seed then recovered from a brief mid-match dip, regaining his level in the fourth set to advance after two hours and 20 minutes.

Paul was consistent from the baseline off both wings against Davidovich Fokina, who struggled to find his usual dynamic game throughout the third-round clash. The Spaniard committed 44 unforced errors compared to 27 from Paul, while the American struck 12 more winners (39-27).

[ATP APP]

With his victory, Paul improved to 3-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against the 21st seed. The 26-year-old, who advanced to the semi-finals at the Australian Open earlier this year, will aim to continue his run against Ben Shelton or Aslan Karatsev.

Jack Sock’s career came to a close on Thursday at the US Open, where he lost his first-round men’s doubles match with John Isner and opening mixed doubles match with Coco Gauff.

It has been 13 years since Sock played his first US Open as a professional in 2010 and the American has accomplished plenty since. To honour Sock, ATPTour.com looks at five notable stats from his illustrious career.

Jack Reached The Top 10 Singles & Doubles
Sock cracked the Top 10 in both the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. In November 2017 he reached a career-high World No. 8 in singles and in September 2018 he ascended to World No. 2 in doubles.

The Nebraska-native spent several weeks in the Top 20 of both disciplines simultaneously. The American also earned the distinction of finishing the 2017 season as the No. 1 player from his country.

American Won An ATP Masters 1000 Title To Qualify For Nitto ATP Finals
The defining moment of Sock’s singles career came at the end of 2017. He entered the Rolex Paris Masters, the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 tournament, at 24th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To London (the Nitto ATP Finals was played in London at the time).