30/08/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | AUG 30, 2025

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Merciless Sinner Defending champion mows down Popyrin and marches on at US Open D EFENDING US Open champion Jannik Sinner effortlessly took out Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to make the third round of the

IGA SWIATEK (pictured below) survived a surprise US Open second-round test yesterday and Japan’s four times major winner Naomi Osaka cruised through. Second seed Swiatek, who arrived in New York after collecting her sixth major at Wimbledon and winning the Cincinnati tune-up tournament, had to battle hard to beat unseeded Suzan Lamens 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium. “It got a bit complicated in the second set, but I’m happy that I could reset and start playing better in the third set,”said the 2022 tournament winner who closed out the match with an ace to set up a meeting with 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya. Osaka, seeded 23rd, beat American Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 in the first match at Louis Armstrong Stadium, reaching the third round of the tournament she has won twice for the first time since 2021. “I was just really trying to focus and not give her any free points and just be positive,” Osaka said. “I’m really excited to be moving better.” Seven-times major winner Williams, who lost in the mixed doubles and women’s singles first rounds, found inspiration from Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez as they beat sixth seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 7-6(4), 6-3. “This is the best partner I’ve ever played with outside Serena,” said Williams, who this summer became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004. “We’re a great team.” Coco Gauff, the 2023 champion, will again be in the spotlight when she kicks off the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium against Croatian Donna Vekic, who knocked her out of last year’s Paris Games en route to the Olympic silver medal. The American third seed will hope for an easier time after needing nearly three hours to get past Ajla Tomljanovic in the opening round. A flurry of errors and persistent serving struggles left the third seed on the brink of dropping the opening set, as she wept into her towel after surrendering her serve in the ninth game. Swiatek survives surprise test, Osaka advance

four restaurants that we switch between. New York provides great restaurants and the people are very nice. “Thank you again for the support and we’ll see how it goes in the next round.” Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam experi ence proved decisive as the German third seed defeated Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6 4, 6-4, weathering a spirited comeback after asserting his dominance at Flushing Meadows. The 2020 finalist’s tactical superiority was evident from the opening game, as he secured early breaks in the first two sets before Fearnley mounted an impressive resurgence. After trailing two sets, the Briton, who appeared hampered by an arm injury, staved off five match points across three thrilling games in the final set before Zverev finally prevailed.

the surface at the majors. “Obviously, I try to play the best tennis I can,” said Sinner, who plays Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the next round. “The first round matches are always dif ferent compared to the further you go (in the tournament). I’m very happy that I man aged these matches as good as I could, when you are up two sets and a break, you try to serve as best as you can. “Today it felt like neither of us served well but I was returning well, especially on the second serve. I’m happy about today, I’m aiming to improve on the serve but the rest (of my game), I’m quite comfortable with.” The usually understated Sinner, who is aiming to go level on five Grand Slam

Grand Slam yesterday and send out an omi nous warning to his title rivals in New York. The metronomic world No. 1, looking to become the first man to retain the trophy at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer won the last of his five crowns in 2008, was expected to face a tricky test against a tena cious opponent but romped to victory. Sinner’s 23rd consecutive match victory at the hardcourt Grand Slams improved his overall record to 41-9, matching the mark of Swiss great Federer in his first 50 matches on

trophies with his charismatic title rival Carlos Alcaraz, will now have a day to recover and said he had a number of Italian res taurants in mind to indulge his appetite. “I’m not supersti tious,” Sinner said. “I know some good Italian

“Credit to him,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “He started playing unbelievable tennis. There wasn’t much I did

wrong but he played some fantastic points. He made it interesting in the end, but I’m happy to be through.” Up next for the German is Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, a familiar but unpre dictable foe. “I think we played

places here and I have three or

quite a few times,” Zverev said. “You know, he’s somebody who, when he plays well, he plays really well. When he doesn’t play well, he really doesn’t play well. “He’s in the third round. That means he’s playing well. It’s a dif

The 21-year-old later spoke about the moment, describing it not as embarrassment but as a reminder of her humanity under the sport’s brightest spotlight. “It feels human. Being an athlete, people kind of

ficult match.” Meanwhile, a frustrated Stefanos Tsitsipas took excep

tion to his opponent’s tactics after blowing a match point and exiting the US Open in the second round courtesy of a five-set loss to Daniel Altmaier yesterday. The 7-6(5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

disregard that side of us, the human side of things,” she told reporters. “I have bad days, but I think it’s more about how you get up after those bad moments and how you show up after that. “I think today I showed that I can get up after

defeat means former world No. 3 Tsitsipas will end the season without playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017. It was the second of two lop-sided matches on Armstrong, after Italy’s 10th-ranked Lorenzo

feeling the worst I’ve ever felt on the court.” – Reuters

Musetti saved nine of the 11 break points he faced to beat unseeded Belgian David Goffin 6 4, 6-0, 6-2. – Reuters World No. 24 condemns Ostapenko ‘no education’ remark to Townsend Jannik Sinner in action against Alexei Popyrin (not pictured). – REUTERSPIC

NAOMI OSAKA said using words like “no education” and “no class” to criticise a Black tennis player were among the worst things to say as the debate over a heated row between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko raged on at the US Open yesterday. Townsend, who is Black, overcame 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in a tough second-round battle a day earlier. But the real tension came shortly after match point, when the pair verbally duelled at the net, with the Latvian repeatedly wagging her finger at the American.

American Coco Gauff waded into the debate, saying although Ostapenko should not have said what she said, it was a “heat of the moment” thing. “I know what was said after the match,” said Gauff, another vocal advocate for social issues including racial justice. “It was a heat of the moment thing. Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost. “I do think that shouldn’t have been said regardless of how you’re feeling … Knowing Taylor personally, she’s the opposite of that.” – Reuters

most players adhere to it, but they are not obliged to do so. The Latvian added in another statement that she had never been racist in her life, but Osaka said the words Ostapenko chose during the altercation were in bad taste. “It’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport,” four-times Grand Slam winner Osaka said. “I know Taylor and I know how hard she’s worked and I know how smart she is, so she’s the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.”

Townsend revealed a part of the exchange during her on-court interview, after which she said during her press conference that Ostapenko would have to answer if there were “racial undertones” to the altercation. Ostapenko said on Instagram later that her anger stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise after winning a point at a pivotal moment when her ball clipped the net and stayed in play, as she accused the American of being “disrespectful”. Apologising for winning a point with assistance from the net cord is a tradition that