Rinky Hijikata knocked out of US Open by Frances Tiafoe, leaving Alex de Minaur as solely Australian left at US Open
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Australian Rinky Hijikata’s career-best main efficiency has come to an finish within the fourth spherical of the US Open by the hands of American tenth seed Frances Tiafoe.
Key factors:
- Rinky Hijikata will climb into the highest 100 for the primary time in his profession
- The final remaining Australian, Alex de Minaur, performs Daniil Medvedev within the fourth spherical
- Frances Tiafoe will meet fellow American Ben Shelton within the quarterfinals
Hijikata was enjoying in the principle draw of a serious for simply the third time, after reaching the second spherical at this yr’s Australian Open and shedding his opening match towards Rafael Nadal in New York final yr.
The 22-year-old made it to the spherical of 16 earlier than 2022 US Open semifinalist Tiafoe ended his run with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 win, leaving thirteenth seed Alex de Minaur as the one Australian nonetheless alive within the singles.
Hijikata will climb into the highest 100 for the primary time after his run in New York, which means he won’t should depend on wildcards to get into main attracts, as he has for his three slam appearances to this point.
However he was given a masterclass in how far more room he has for progress by Tiafoe, who had the gang on his aspect all through the two-hour match at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Tiafoe blasted 15 aces previous the Australian, who couldn’t handle any and received his first serve in play lower than half the time, permitting him to be damaged seven instances within the match.
Hijikata, who received the lads’s doubles with countryman Jason Kubler on the Australian Open this yr, tried to get to the online to vary issues up and received 17 of his 64 factors along with his volleying recreation, however Tiafoe confirmed off his energy with 27 clear winners.
Ranked a hundred and tenth, Hijikata was a relative unknown to many of the major draw and Tiafoe acknowledged he was unsure find out how to method him throughout a 50-minute opening set.
“I’ve by no means performed him earlier than so I used to be undoubtedly feeling him out,” he mentioned after the match.
The pair stayed on serve till 4-4 when Tiafoe broke for the primary time within the match and held to like to take the opening body.
Hijikata dropped his serve once more within the opening recreation of the second set and powered via the set in beneath half an hour, earlier than the third was extra of a contest over 51 minutes, though it didn’t appear to be it will be when Tiafoe held to like within the first recreation.
Tiafoe broke Hijikata for 4-2 and regarded set to run via the end line, however the Australian broke straight again.
Tiafoe saved the breaks coming within the subsequent recreation however once more missed out on an opportunity to serve out the match at 5-3 earlier than Hijikata dropped serve one final time, spraying his closing forehand huge to ship his American opponent into the quarters of his dwelling slam for the second straight time.
The New York crowd is assured to have somebody to cheer for within the semifinals of the lads’s draw but once more, with Tiafoe going through 20-year-old compatriot Ben Shelton within the final eight.
Shelton upset one other American to make the quarters, beating 14th seed Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 of their fourth-round conflict.
Gauff praises Wozniacki after ending her comeback slam
Girls’s sixth seed Coco Gauff was the third native favorite to succeed in the final eight within the singles when she took down two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on centre court docket.
The competition on Arthur Ashe Stadium lasted two hours, with 19-year-old Gauff turning into the primary American teenager since Serena Williams to succeed in successive US quarterfinals.
Wozniacki, in the meantime, was enjoying her first slam because the 2020 Australian Open, as she continues a comeback from a couple of years in retirement.
“Caroline’s again; it is like she by no means left,” Gauff mentioned after the match.
“She’s been an inspiration rising up. She undoubtedly will get to lots of balls. Generally I felt like I used to be enjoying myself.”
Gauff will face Jelena Ostapenko after the Latvian participant defeated reigning US Open champion and world primary Iga Świątek 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Taylor Fritz made it 4 Individuals within the quarters when he beat Swiss qualifier Dominick Stricker on the lads’s aspect of the draw 7-6(7/2), 6-4, 6-4, making him the one man left within the match but to drop a set.
Fritz will face 23-time main champion Novak Djokovic, who calmly took dorn Croatia’s Borna Gojo 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.
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