NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to reach the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka prepared to step up her title bid.
Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered from going a set down against American qualifier Zachary Svajda to complete a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.
The 38-year-old Serbian legend had not played since his semifinal exit at Wimbledon in July before arriving in New York, skipping most of the North American hardcourt swing.
Djokovic said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses.
“That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game,” he said.
“Obviously a bit different for me the last couple of years body-wise. I get the wear and tear quicker than I used to do.”
Djokovic’s victory sees him into the third round at the US Open for a record-equalling 19th time, where he will face either Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Argentina’s Francisco Comesana.
Norrie is one of only two British men left in the draw after fifth-seeded compatriot Jack Draper withdrew due to injury earlier Wednesday.
Draper reached the semifinals in New York last year but missed warm-up events in Cincinnati and Toronto this year while nursing a bone bruise in his left arm.
“I tried my very best to be here and give myself every chance to play but the discomfort in my arm has become too much and I have to do what is right and look after myself,” Draper wrote on social media.
Draper’s second round opponent, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, was given a walkover into the third round.
The withdrawal of Draper clears Jannik Sinner’s path toward defending his title. Sinner was due to face Draper in the quarter-finals.
In other men’s action on Wednesday, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz looks to keep his campaign rolling with a night game against Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.
In the women’s draw meanwhile, world number one Sabalenka also faces a night game, taking on Russia’s Polina Kudermetova on Arthur Ashe.
In other games on Wednesday, Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her solid start to the tournament after dispatching Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1.
Tjen had become the first Indonesian player to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam in 21 years and followed that up with a first round upset of 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
But she was beaten comfortably by Raducanu, who is aiming to recapture the US Open title she won as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021.
Raducanu will face either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or Tereza Valentova in the next round.
The unseeded Britain, who is back to full fitness after a series of injury problems in recent seasons, is relishing the prospect of facing a player of the caliber of 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina.
“She’s a top opponent. She’s won Wimbledon. She’s been at the top of the game for so long and very dominant and has big weapons, has a huge serve and big groundstrokes,” she said. “So I do want to see how my game suits and fits against the top.”
While Tjen headed for the exit, another player from Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, also saw her tournament come to an end.
Eala, the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with her defeat of 14th seed Clara Tauson on Sunday, was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Djokovic advances at US Open as Sabalenka, Alcaraz step up title bids
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Djokovic advances at US Open as Sabalenka, Alcaraz step up title bids
- Djokovic said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses
Freddy Schott wins maiden title after 3-way Bahrain Championship playoff
- The German beat Calum Hill and Patrick Reed after they all finished on 17-under after 72 holes
BAHRAIN: Freddy Schott won his first DP World Tour title after beating Calum Hill and Patrick Reed in a playoff at the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on Sunday.
The trio were locked together at 17-under par after 72 holes. This was after Reed shot 67 on Sunday to make up a four-shot overnight deficit to Hill, who began day two clear but had to settle for a 71 after a bogey. Schott carded 69 to join the pair.
Reed bogeyed the first playoff hole to drop out of contention and after Hill went out of bounds second time round, before sending his fourth shot into the water, he sportingly conceded without making Schott putt for the win.
Schott, who was presented with the trophy by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, said: “I have no idea. It’s just amazing, I’m just extremely happy, surprised ... I don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just so happy.
“I could have done it the regular way, that would have also been fine. But to do it this way feels even more special so I’m just glad it happened this way.”
Hill, who equaled the course record of 61 in Friday’s second round, added to his two-shot overnight lead with an opening birdie after a superb approach, with Schott responding at the second before both players birdied the next.
The Scot was four clear after another gain at the fifth but bogeyed the sixth while Schott made birdie, cutting the lead to one before drawing level with a birdie at the next.
Schott bogeyed the eighth but led anyway as Hill made a double, and a birdie at the 10th took the German two ahead, only for a double-bogey of his own at the 11th to leave the pair all square again.
“It was tough, especially towards the end,” said Schott.
“The start was okay, because I was playing alright. It had good flow to it. Obviously, nerves kicked in from the back nine onwards. I was happy that I managed it okay, not perfect, but okay, and you guys saw what happened, so I’m very happy now.
Sergio Garcia had joined the leaders by that point after responding to an opening bogey with three birdies in four holes from the third and another three in succession from the ninth, as had Reed after his fifth gain of the day at the 12th.
Daniel Hillier carded six birdies in a blemish-free 66, his second six-under-par round of the week, to set the clubhouse target at 16-under as the leaders still on the course battled for supremacy.
Schott, Hill and Reed all reached 18-under with back-to-back birdies, Reed at the 13th and 14th with his rivals a hole behind.
Garcia’s challenge was left hanging by a thread after a double-bogey at the par-five 14th, as he eventually finished alongside Hillier on 16-under, and Reed dropped a shot at the 16th.
Schott and Hill missed the 17th green to the left before escaping with good chips, but while Hill holed his par putt, Schott made bogey.
Reed set a new clubhouse target of 17-under but when his birdie putt at the last agonizingly stayed up on the short side, Hill had a one-shot lead down the last.
But he sent his approach to the extreme left of the green, leaving a nasty putt up the slope by the side of the green which he was unable to get close. Schott was in similar territory but closer in, allowing him to save par while Hill made bogey to set up the playoff.
Reed found the bunker with his 73rd tee shot and went from there to the edge of another, with Schott and Hill both hitting the fairway and then the heart of the green.
Schott holed for par and despite a superb effort at his up-and-down, Reed was unable to respond and dropped out of contention. Hill held his nerve as he and Schott went back to the tee.
The Scot sent his next tee-shot out of bounds to the left, with Schott only just avoiding the water in response. He sent his approach right of the green but Hill found the water with his fourth and conceded after Schott chipped on.
Hill and Reed shared second with Garcia and Hillier fourth and France’s Ugo Coussaud a shot further back in sixth.
The championship provided invaluable experience for emerging golfers, with local players gaining exposure competing alongside Major champions and multiple DP World Tour winners.
Ahmed Alzayed, Ali Alkowari and Khalifa Almaraisi all teed it up at Royal Golf Club this week, with former Masters champions Garcia and Reed, and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington.
While the cut proved elusive, the experience of competing at the highest level of professional golf will prove invaluable.
“The competition comes to an end, but it’s not the end for me, I think it’s just the beginning,” said Alkowari.
“I’m happy with the result this year. I played 20 shots better than last year, so there are improvements. Hopefully, if I’m playing next year, it will be even better. Who knows, maybe even making the cut.”
A record crowd of 13,186, a 30 percent increase on last year’s attendance, watched the action across the four days.
