US news | The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-06 · by Katy Murrells and Niall McVeigh
US Open tennis: Fritz, Cobolli, Keys tumble out; Gauff, Swiatek, Andreeva advance – as it happened
Taylor Fritz and Flavio Cobolli lost from winning positions, Madison Keys collapsed from 5-0 up in the final set, but Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva reached the last 16
But that’s it for our live coverage today, on a see-sawing Saturday when Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova all lost (Keys head-scratchingly from 5-0 up and having also held a match point, and Fritz from two sets ahead), but Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva reached the last 16.
asserted
Gauff → tumble → 16
In the doubles, there have been wins for Britain’s Arthur Fery and Jonathan Paris, the British-American duo Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison, who won the Australian Open title this year, and also the top seeds in the women’s event, Taylor Towsend and Katerina Siniakova, the runners-up in 2025.
asserted
who → win → 2025
Michael Zheng’s fans are, unsurprisingly, out in force on Grandstand, cheering on the Columbia University graduate, and they’re screaming “LET’S GO MICHAEL” when the 22-year-old moves to set point at 6-5 in the first-set tie-break.
asserted
old → cheer → break
Even though he can’t take it, his supporters are in full voice as the pair change ends at 6-6 … and now Arthur Gea has his second set point.
asserted
Gea → take → point
Gea biffs a backhand wide, but soon gets a third SP .. and he takes the breaker 9-7 with a stinging forehand winner down the line, leaping into the air in celebration.
asserted
he → biff → celebration
Zheng’s fans still aren’t silenced.
asserted
fans → silence → ?
The results keep on coming: the resurgent Russian Karen Khachanov, the former semi-finalist, is playing like it’s 2022 again, having backed up his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over France’s Benjamin Bonzi.
asserted
it → keep → Bonzi
And Australian hopes in the singles are over, with Dane Sweeny unable to follow up his success against Lorenzo Musetti, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to Luciano Darderi.
asserted
Sweeny → follow → Darderi
Khachanov will meet the winner of Learner Tien v Jakub Mensik in the last 16, while Darderi will play Alexander Zverev or Alejandro Tabilo.
asserted
Darderi → meet → Zverev
Both those matches take place in the night session.
asserted
matches → take → session
So – Gauff is asked about her ability to adapt how she plays during matches.
asserted
she → ask → matches
“It’s all about how I’m feeling, if I feel good I’ll play offensive,” she replies.
asserted
she → ’ → ?
“When I feel I’m not playing the ball well I play defensive.
asserted
I → feel → ball
Once I got into my rhythm, I could hit through more.
uncertain
I → get → more
I had to sacrifice some points to get going again.”
asserted
I → have → points
On reaching the second week, she says: “I feel like I’m used to getting to the second week now.
asserted
I → reach → week
I woke up today and I was like: ‘Oh we’re already in round three.’
asserted
we → wake → round
I’m enjoying the experience, there’s expectations being American and I want to do well in front of the fans.
asserted
I → enjoy → fans
Last year I put too much pressure on myself.”
asserted
I → put → myself
“It was way different playing in the day session than the night, but I was happy with the way I fought through, even when I wasn’t playing my best,” is Gauff’s assessment, before my wifi checks out temporarily.
asserted
wifi → play → best
While I wait for it to sort itself out, I can tell you that Gauff will face the winner of tonight’s potential blockbuster between Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala.
asserted
Gauff → wait → Jovic
… and it does!
asserted
it → do → ?
Finally, there’s an American winner on day seven, after the exits of Fritz, Keys and Anisimova, and Gauff maintains her status as one of the frontrunners for the title.
asserted
Gauff → ’ → title
She’s yet to drop a set as she punches her ticket into the second week for the fifth straight year, and she’s still only 22.
asserted
she → ’ → year
It feels as if she’s been around for at least a decade.
asserted
she → feel → decade
Gauff is edging closer to the last 16 herself, breaking Bucsa to 15 for 4-3 … but then is given a dose of her own medicine as she’s broken straight back to love.
asserted
she → edge → love
She comes out in the next game with the memory of a goldfish (Ted Lasso would be proud), as she charges to 0-40 … before securing another love break.
asserted
she → come → break
It’s not often you see 11 successive points go against the server.
asserted
points → ’ → server
Gauff will desperately hope that streak ends now, because she’s serving for the match at 6-3, 5-4 …
asserted
she → hope → 6
“Alexander Blockx was on the Changeover podcast and spoke about a superstition he picked up after his breakthrough tournament,” writesKerrith Britland.
asserted
he → speak → Britland
“He apparently doesn’t change his racket throughout a match, which is pretty unheard of in professional tennis.
asserted
which → change → tennis
Seems like a nice chap, humble etc and a proper talent, and anything that makes us rec players feel closer to the pros gets two thumbs up from me.”
asserted
players → seem → me
Yes, he came across really well in his on-court interview after conquering Cobolli, but I was only able to dip in and out of the match what with everything else that’s been going on today.
asserted
that → come → everything
I’ll be interested to see what he can do in the fourth round against Cerundolo – it’s a huge opportunity for both, that’s for sure.
asserted
that → see → both
Swiatek’s victory means that Michael Zheng is now under way on Grandstand, against France’s Arthur Gea.
asserted
Zheng → mean → Gea
Zheng, the 22-year-old wildcard from nearby Columbia University, who missed his own graduation a few months ago because he was qualifying for the French Open, is one of two Americans left in this half of the draw after Taylor Fritz’s defeat from two sets up earlier – the other is Learner Tien, who plays Jakub Mensik in the night session.
asserted
who → miss → session
Zheng trails 3-1 in the opening set.
asserted
Zheng → trail → set
An entertaining drop-shot face-off between Gauff and Bucsa ends in the former’s favour and draws plenty of oooohs and aaaaaahs, but Bucsa, undeterred, still manages to move to 40-15 … before Gauff, ever the ultimate competitor – she’s Serena-like in that respect – drags herself to deuce.
asserted
she → end → deuce
But Gauff gets a little over-excited and puts too much on her backhand, which drops long.
asserted
which → get → backhand
So it’s advantage Bucsa … and the Spaniard holds when Gauff’s return bashes the net.
asserted
return → ’ → net
…and 125 more, not listed.
