NEW YORK, Sept 5 (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic brushed aside German Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets on Friday to move into the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
Djokovic cruised to a 6-3 6-3 6-1 win to improve to 26-0 for the year and set up a clash with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
Croatian Borna Coric saved six match points to stun fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4).
Coric, seeded 27, rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to force a decider, which he won in a tie-break, to set up a fourth-round clash with Australian Jordan Thompson.
Also advancing was fifth seed Alexander Zverev, who overcame a slow start to secure a 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino in a match delayed almost three hours due to talks between organizers and New York health officials.
Mannarino was one of 10 players who had contact with Benoit Paire and was placed under an "enhanced protocol plan" after his fellow Frenchman pulled out of the tournament having tested positive for COVID-19.
Former women's champion Naomi Osaka survived a scare before grinding out a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 victory over Ukrainian teenager Marta Kostyuk, while 2016 winner Angelique Kerber defeated 20-year-old American Ann Li 6-3 6-4.
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Coric comeback sends Tsitsipas tumbling out of U.S. Open brushes aside Struff to advance in New York through to last-16 with straight sets win over Li beats Mannarino after delay over health protocols at US Open wins battle of young guns to reach U.S. Open last 16 Shapovalov v Taylor Fritz - match stats match with Zverev delayed by health officials champion Osaka survives scare to reach last 16 in New York passes Krajinovic test to reach last-16 in New York reaches U.S. Open last-16 despite ragged performance masks of Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open Open order of play on Saturday wary of Stephens threat in third round Stephens v Serena Williams (NYSE:WMB) of the fifth day at the U.S. Open in New York on Friday. The Grand Slam is being played without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Times ET; GMT-4):
CORIC SAVES SIX MATCH POINTS TO DOWN TSITSIPAS
27th seed Borna Coric survived six match points to stun fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4) in a contest lasting over four and a half hours.
2243 KVITOVA DOWNS PEGULA
Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova breezed past local hope Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-3 to reach the fourth round, where she will take on another American in Shelby Rogers.
2110 DJOKOVIC EASES INTO FOURTH ROUND
World number one Novak Djokovic produced a dominant display to put away German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-3 6-1, extending his winning streak to 26 matches in 2020.
2030 ZVEREV CONTINUES STEADY PROGRESS
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev was made to work hard by Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in a 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory.
1840 SHAPOVALOV SURVIVES FRITZ SCARE
Canada's Denis Shapovalov rallied from 5-2 down in the fourth set to beat American Taylor Fritz 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2. Shapovalov will next face Belgian David Goffin for a place in the quarter-finals.
1815 KONTAVEIT BRUSHES LINETTE ASIDE TO ADVANCE
Estonia's 14th seed Anett Kontaveit booked a spot in the fourth round with an emphatic 6-3 6-2 victory over Poland's Magda Linette, breaking her four times and smashing 14 winners past the 24th seed.
1800 MANNARINO MATCH DELAYED BY HEALTH OFFICIALS
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev's third round match against France's Adrian Mannarino was delayed by health officials, the USTA said.
The match began 2-1/2 hours behind schedule while organisers conducted a "collaborative dialogue" with health officials, the governing body said in a statement.
Mannarino was one of 10 players who had contact with Benoit Paire before the Frenchman pulled out of the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. the sensitivity of the medical issues involved, the USTA is not able to provide further details," the statement added.
1530 EVANS LOSS ENDS BRITISH HOPES
Dan Evans became the final Briton to be knocked out of the singles draw after he suffered a 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) 7-6(1) defeat by Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
The result was followed by fellow Briton Cameron Norrie's 7-6(2) 4-6 6-2 6-1 loss to Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
1451 OSAKA OVERCOMES KOSTYUK TEST TO ADVANCE
Japan's former champion Naomi Osaka was pushed in her third-round encounter by teenager Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and needed over two-and-a-half hours before she prevailed 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Kostyuk, who is ranked 137 in the world, smashed 36 winners to Osaka's 30 but also tallied 51 unforced errors to fall to the fourth seed.
1445 GOFFIN THROUGH, GARCIA OUT
Belgian seventh seed David Goffin moved into the fourth round with a 6-1 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Filip Krajinovic, firing 36 winners and eight aces past the Serbian.
Caroline Garcia, who knocked out top seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round, was beaten in straight sets by American Jennifer Brady who won 6-3 6-3 without dropping serve while ocnverting three break points.
1420 KERBER MARCHES INTO LAST 16
Germany's Angelique Kerber was largely untroubled as she dispatched American Ann Li 6-3 6-4.
The 17th seed has booked a place in the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the first time since she won the title in 2016.
1400 MCNALLY BATTLES PAST ALEXANDROVA, MERTENS THROUGH
American teenager Caty McNally raced past 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the final set tiebreak to win 4-6 6-3 7-6(2) in a second round match that was interrupted by rain on Thursday.
The result means 11 American women have progressed to the third round of the tournament this week.
Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens also finished her second round match on Friday, beating Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3 7-5.
1240 MARTIC THROUGH TO LAST 16 IN STRAIGHT SETS
Eighth seed Petra Martic of Croatia beat Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3 6-3 to become the first player to move into the last 16 of the U.S. Open.
Martic, who beat Gracheva in Prague on clay last month, hit fewer winners but broke six times while the Russian made 33 unforced errors.
1110 PLAY UNDERWAY AT FLUSHING MEADOWS
Play began in bright sunshine with the temperature hovering around 26 degrees Celsius (87.8°F), with an expected high of 31 degrees.