Svitolina ousts Halep, into QFs

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates her win over Simona Halep (not pictured) of Romania during their US Open round of 16 match in New York City yesterday. (AFP)

• Medvedev reaches last-eight with a straight sets win over Evans Ukraine’s fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina defeated two-time major winner Simona Halep at the US Open yesterday, advancing to her eighth Grand Slam quarter-final. Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Svitolina, coming off a WTA title in Chicago, stretched her win streak to nine matches by dispatching the Romanian 12th seed 6-3, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Definitely was a great match,” Svitolina said. “I was really excited. I know how big a fighter is Simona. I had to bring my best game. For sure I’m happy with the win.” Svitolina, who hasn’t dropped a set this week, made her deepest Slam runs to the 2019 US Open and Wimbledon semi-finals. Svitolina will next play either German 16th seed Angelique Kerber, whose three Grand Slam titles include the 2016 US Open, or 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who ousted 2020 champion Naomi Osaka. Seven of the top nine women’s seeds reached the last 16 with Osaka and top-ranked Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty exiting early. Second seed Daniil Medvedev had not dropped a set in New York and the Russian continued that run when he beat British 24th seed Daniel Evans for a quarter-final berth 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Argentine 11th seed Diego Schwartzman was shocked by 117th-ranked Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp in thrilling five-setter. Van De Zandschulp, a US Open debutante in his deepest Grand Slam run, won 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1. Van De Zandschulp is the first Dutchman in a Slam quarter-final since 2004 at Wimbledon and at the US Open since 2003. He would also match the best showing by any US Open qualifier, last-eight runs by Frenchman Nicolas Escude in 1999 and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in 2008. Djokovic moves on Late on Saturday, Novak Djokovic moved within four matches of completing the first men’s singles calendar-year Grand Slam in 52 years while Barty was eliminated by a stunning fightback from American Shelby Rogers. World number one Djokovic defeated Kei Nishikori 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, taking his 17th consecutive victory over the Japanese star and improving to 18-2 in their overall rivalry. “I was very pleased with the focus,” Djokovic said. “Maybe at some points I wasn’t my best, but I was determined and focused and that made the difference.” With a fourth career US Open trophy, Djokovic would complete the first men’s singles sweep of major titles in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969. Reigning Wimbledon champion Barty won 11 of 14 games after dropping the first set, only for Rogers to capture five of the last six games for a shocking 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5) triumph. “I didn’t want to leave,” Rogers said. “I just said make balls, try to stay in this match, it can’t get any worse, you’ve lost to her every time.” Rogers had dropped all five prior meetings with Barty but would not be denied, breaking the Aussie as she served for the match in the eighth and 10th games as the crowd went wild at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Rogers will next face 150th-ranked British qualifier Emma Raducanu, an 18-year-old who routed Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1 in 70 minutes. Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev defeated 184th-ranked Jack Sock 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 2-1 when the American retired with a right thigh injury. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates a point during his US Open third round match against Japan’s Kei Nishikori (not pictured) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Saturday. (AFP)