05 September,2021 06:53 AM IST | New York | AFP
Naomi Osaka throws her racquet in frustration after her defeat to Leylah Fernandez on Friday. Pic/Getty Images
Defending champion Naomi Osaka of Japan and Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas were both ousted from the US Open by 18-year-olds in epic stunners on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was shocked by Canadian left-hander Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 after Spain's Carlos Alcaraz upset French Open runner-up Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 0-6, 7-6 (7/5).
"Honestly, the Alcaraz match gave me motivation and the energy to do the same," Fernandez said. "I saw his match and I saw the way he won and I'm like, âI'm going to do that next now.' "
Shock followed shock as defending champion Osaka, in a tearful news conference after the loss, announced she was taking a break from playing tennis. "I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match," Osaka said, wiping away tears.
"I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while." Osaka, who had won her prior 16 Grand Slam matches, was foiled in a bid for her third US Open crown in four years and the first back-to-back titles since Serena Williams in 2014.
Alcaraz is the youngest man in the US Open fourth round since 17-year-old American Michael Chang in 1989 and at any Slam since Ukraine's Andrei Medvedev in the 1992 French Open.
"Incredible. Incredible feeling for me," Alcaraz said. "This victory means a lot to me. It's the best match of my career, the best win. "To beat Stefanos Tsitsipas is a dream come true and to win here is even more special for me."
Osaka had a major meltdown on court during the final moments of the second set after she was unable to hold serve for the victory.
Osaka took the first set in 37 minutes on her sixth ace. But Osaka was broken in the 12th game of the second set, an errant forehand sending her to a tie-breaker. That began a sequence of repeated racquet smashing by Osaka as she was humbled in the tie-break to force a third set.
Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open runner-up, beat Spain's 74th-ranked Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4, 6-3. He's next face British 24th seed Daniel Evans.
Meanwhile, the Indo-American pair of Sania Mirza and Rajeev Ram made a first round exit from the mixed doubles event after losing 3-6, 6-3, 7-10 to Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine and Australia's Max Purcell.
Spanish ninth seed Garbine Muguruza outlasted 18th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Romanian 12th seed Simona Halep, ousted 19th seed Elena
Rybakina of Kazakhstan 7-6 (13/11), 4-6, 6-3 after two hours and 25 minutes.
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