US Open 2023: Tiafoe, Gauff, Muchová and Fritz in action on day seven – live updates – The Guardian

Hold on tight, Tommy Paul! While I’m still looking for Cirstea against Bencic, he comes back in the third round and is now down 2-0 and 3-4.

Cirstea and Bencic are away, the former keeping it 1-0 while I try to find cover; For some reason Sky has Jamie Murray in doubles on the channel that doesn’t show Paul vs. Shelton.

Oh wow. Shelton serves two aces, two of them at 149 mph, he’s the fastest in the competition in my opinion, stays on track and is only two gamea away from a storming victory! Add to this the progress of Dominic Stricker – he plays later – and the new generation comes.

Updated at 19.10 BST

I’m really into Ben Shelton. A strong forehand takes him to the net, whereupon he finds two beautiful volleys, one from either cross, to bring Paul’s serve to 15:30. Then Paul goes wide, misses his first serve, and can Shelton win two sets and a break? Yes he can! Paul completes his double and is now behind 4-6, 3-6, 1-4!

Shelton and Paul are tied 1-1 in the third round, Shelton won the first two and I don’t doubt his ability to pull it off; I don’t think Paul has the weapons to win three sets on the spin, so he’ll probably have to hope for a choke.

Continue to Armstrong: Sorana Cirstea [30] against Belinda Bencic [15].

Wang gave a decent performance there, but Muchova was just a bit too good. She tells us it was hot outside and she’s glad the game was over. She had never played Wang before and it was a tough match, but she believes she came back well in the third game and got back to her game with lots of slices. Apparently she did a bit of yoga in Central Park and also plays guitar – she has interests other than tennis – and if she were to play a song now, Phshed says, it would be “some AC/DC song, probably Highway to Hell!” “

Karolina Muchova [10] beats Wang Xinyu 6-3, 5-7, 6-1

Muchova succeeds in the end, her class and temperament are ultimately convincing. Next she will play Sorana Cirstea or Belinda Bencic.

Updated 19.06 BST

A serve winner in the middle gives Muchova 40-15 and the match point…

Is Wang gone? At 0:30 she comes into the game with a poor approach, Muchova lets her pass on the line and although she finds an ace next, a huge lob effectively ends the game. Muchova leads 5-1 in the third round and will now serve for the match, while Shelton maintains his lead over Paul 6-4, 6-3!

Muchova breaks Wang, as we expected and leads 3:1; can it consolidate? Yes, she can if she stays at 15, and Wang is in big trouble. Shelton Paul now leads by a set and a break at 6-4, 4-3 and has a chance to do something really interesting with Tiafoe or Hijikata next.

Shelton roars into his penalty area and makes it 3-3. and Paul doesn’t seem to have enough to really worry him if he can stay solid. However, Cash/Patten lost a breaker in the third set 10:6 against Bopanna/Ebden and went home after a promising run.

Updated at 18:32 BST

A brilliant forehand winr perhaps encourages Muchova to send a double, meaning she goes from 40-15 to deuce. But she holds on and leads 2-1 in the third round.

Back on Ashe we are still on serve in the second, Shelton trailed 3-2 after blocking Paul’s first goal. I always thought Paul would be one of those players who makes a lot of money without ever doing anything of note in a major, but he managed it in Australia and in the last four games. The 26-year-old will still be hoping that he is doing better.

Muchova and Wang take a break, then return and the former makes it 1-0 in the third round. Wang then begins her service game with a double before Muchova is able to extend a go-go gadget arm after a poor shot over the line and guide a winner into the vacated space to make it 0-30. However, Wang holds on hard to gain an advantage, then Muchova plays a great point, only to end up missing her forehand volley. 1-1 in the third half and it could go either way.

Cash/Patten by the way, are 4-4 with Bopanna/Ebden in the decider, and Paul has just hit a forehand to break point at 4-6, 1-0… quickly undone by Shelton, who finishes beautifully and with his wet vest sticking to him , looks like some kind of superhero.

I’m really surprised how Muchova played in the second set. I know we see that a lot – a player thinks she’s broken her back from the game and relaxes – but I didn’t think we’d see that from her at this stage of this competition.

A nice swing volley from Wang gives her the advantage But Muchova uses a backhand winner down the line and stays in the set. But then she nets a forehand, Wang hits a tame, nervous second serve… and Muchova can’t answer! At 6-3 5-7 we have a decisive goal ahead of us!

Shelton holds 6-4 But Muchova came back from 40-0 to two and Wang has to pull himself together.

Meanwhile, Shelton breaks Paul and he too will now serve for a set. 5:4 ahead of Paul, who had lost the first three games and was one point away from being 0:4 behind. He absolutely loves it out there.

Updated 18.07 BST

A double gives Wang the appearance of a break at deuce, and a forehand shot from distance means she has the advantage… Then Muchova tries a drop that doesn’t land, a rare mistake in shot selection, so Wang runs in, flips past her and will now serve for the deciding shot at 3-6, 6-5!

Wang manages to stay in the game but is behind 0:30. but four points in a row, the last of which is an ace, makes 5-5. This is more of a normal set now, where players forego getting broken and so on.

Updated at 17:48 BST

E-mail! “Interesting linguistic observation about Muchova,” says James W. “‘Mucha’ means ‘fly’ in all Slavic languages, so Muchova means ‘of the fly.'” Here’s a radical prediction: Djokovich won’t reach the final. Carlos Escape From (etc. and so on) – does.”

Wang’s forehand gets her into trouble again, it’s broken and Paul wastes two break points – also with a loose forehand. But then a careless throw-in gives him an advantage – and Shelton stretches for another volley… and this time he makes it. He plays like a classic youngster – and how miserable it is to legitimately call someone that – mixing great shots with nonsensical ones. He finishes 3:3; Muchova finds a love handle from somewhere to make it 6-3 5-4; and Cash/Patten break out in the second set and now play in the decider against Bopanna/Ebden.

Wang fights on the forehand and Muchova on the back, but when the latter needs to save a point for the double break, he is there for her all the way. They go to the deuce and she holds 6-3 3-4 while Shelton is in the game against Ashe, making a break-back point and securing the game when a double comes; he is behind 2-3. His father likes what he sees in his box.

My goodness, Wang breaks Muchova again as Paul consolidates and misses a lob to make it 4-0… and then when Muchova nets a backhand, Wang consolidates himself! In doubles they are currently starting with a breaker in the second set.

Paul immediately breaks Shelton to make it 2-0 and Wang will get fed up and let Muchova break her back again.

Paul holds on the first play of the game, while Wang Muchova breaks again to 3:6, 2:1; can it finally consolidate? In doubles, Bopanna and Ebden have now defeated Cash and Patten in the second set and are now leading 6:4, 4:4.

Ben Shelton may only be 20 but he made it to the last eight in Australia and to get here he beat Cachin, Thiem and Karatsev, a pretty good achievement. He’s also left-handed, which won’t hurt him, and you may remember his father, Bryan, who was also a player. He and Paul are out on Ashe.

Updated at 17:21 BST

With Wang at the net, Muchova takes a backhand well outside the court and delivers a winner into space that gives her the breakback point… which she quickly converts. Wang just can’t play better than them long enough to get anywhere and is down 3-6, 1-1.

And now they are, while Muchova and Wang are still twosomes… but then Wang hits a return, backs it up with a booming backhand, and after a long game she has the break and is down 3-6, 1-0.

Updated 11/17 BST

On Ashe, Paul and Shelton will be with us soon.

With the score at 6-40 and 0-0, Muchova knocks out a volley at 40-30 just to score the last bit. Then Wang gains an advantage on the deuce, but a big serve gets Muchova out of trouble, then Wang forces another chance and misses. This continues as Cash and Patten broke through on doubles in the second set after losing the first.

At 30-40, Wang finds the first serve and Muchova can’t come back, but a forehand gives her the advantage and this time she secures the set, hitting a short ball to crack a backhand winner to make it 6-3. Ultimately, there is a big class difference in the duel, and we also see that on the pitch.

Updated 11/17 BST

With Muchova on set, Wang makes it 30-all, a double makes it 30-40… and Wang steps in with a second serve and hits another backhand to grab one of her breaks to make it 3-5. Your problem is what to do in all other situations.

A great attacking change from Muchova, A forehand cross as Wang awaits the line gives her two break points… and she only needs one, a forehand winner that gives her her third break on spin and a 5-2 lead.

Now in doubles, Cash and Patten were broken and are now down 3-5.

Muchova makes 40-0 but two weak points, and Wang sniffs at 40-30, even more so as she faces a second serve… which completes a two-inducing double. From then on, however, an excellently executed overhead from behind is followed by a backhand winner cross-court straight onto the line, and that’s 4-2.

Wang can’t commit to a net change with a player with hands like Muchova, but she does, trailing 15-30; A forehand winner follows, which is hit down the line. And Wang couldn’t withstand the pressure and netted tamely at the break point, leaving the score 3-2 behind. I expect Muchova to exercise greater care in her consolidation attempt this time.

Muchova can’t beat everyone – That’s one of the reasons why her performance against Saba was so good, even though no one can perform as well as her – but she beats Wang, which means big problems. But as I type, Wang punishes a second serve with a big forehand to make it 15-30. Muchova responds with a beautifully disguised backhand drop, but a double hands over break-back point… which is quickly brought back by a return that flies wide. However, Muchova fails to close the ball through a tackle as it gives her the advantage, and when Wang offers a second serve to her favored backhand, she hits a too-hot return across the court and the return ends up in the net. It’s 2:2.

I’m double now. It’s 2:2.

While I’m trying to get the doubles, Muchova breaks Wang to make it 2-1 and she looks in the nod. I really like her clever use of spins and angles – more than Wang, I think.

Updated at 16:26 BST

Muchova and Wang are also gone Cash/Patten and Bopanna/Ebden.

I didn’t mention that this is the preamble, but regular readers of this blog will be familiar with it Calv Betton, the trainer who provides us with insights and analysis. Well, his protégé Henry Patten is playing first in the men’s doubles round of 16 today together with his partner Julian Cash. Their opponents, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, are seeded six, but let’s hope they get talking.

Here come Muchova and Wang!

Also going:

preamble

Yo guys! And welcome to the 2023 US Open – day seven! It’s getting real, isn’t it? Ooooh yes!

We start today with one of this blog’s favorites, Karolína Muchová, whose brilliant performance in defeating Aryna Sabalenka at Roland-Garros suggests a player ready to take the next step. She may have lost in the final, but there’s no shame in being beaten by Iga Swiatek, especially on clay, and it’s hard to imagine her not finding a way past the unseeded Wang Xiyu.

Meanwhile, Ashe takes on No. 14 Tommy Paul against Ben Shelton, a serious young talent. But it’s our second match that really catches the eye: Caroline Wozniacki returns from retirement with all the moxie that marked her first appearance… to take on Coco Gauff, the veteran prodigy now improving at an invigorating pace.

And there is much more! After Muchová against Wang, we meet Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Elena Rybakina, and Belinda Bencic, the Olympic champion who may finally be getting the hang of Grand Slam promotion. Francis Tiafoe – another who is beginning to get his talent under control – will then face Rinky Hijikata, the unseeded young Australian – before the day’s session ends with the brilliant Swiss teenager Dominic Stricker, who qualified and then beat Stefanos Tsitsipas , who takes over the number nine seed, Taylor Fritz. Let’s go boys!

Updated 19.01 BST