Fifth seed Ons Jabeur produced another gutsy display to reach the US Open last 16 with a three-set win over Marie Bouzkova that took almost three hours.
Jabeur, last year’s runner-up, won 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Czech 31st seed Bouzkova, who was hampered by a thigh injury.
Tunisia’s Jabeur, 29, has been struggling with illness in New York.
“Hopefully I’ll continue with this warrior symbol,” she said after winning in two hours and 56 minutes.
“I love fighting. I trust my body. I know I can go all the way playing three sets, no problem.
“It’s not fun starting being sick. I feel like this tournament is testing me and showing me that I have a lot of strength, that I can go really far.”
Jabeur’s next match at Flushing Meadows as she hunts a first major title will be against Chinese 23rd seed Zheng Qinwen.
In the night session on Louis Armstrong Stadium, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova needed only 56 minutes to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Czech ninth seed Vondrousova quickly wrapped up a 6-2 6-1 win against the Russian 22nd seed in a match which started at about 23:30 local time.
She goes on to play American world number 59 Peyton Stearns, who ended British number one Katie Boulter’s run.
Sabalenka and Pegula continue progress
Aryna Sabalenka is chasing her second Grand Slam title after winning this year’s Australian Open
Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka also breezed through with a 6-1 6-1 victory over France’s Clara Burel.
Since winning the Australian Open earlier this year, Sabalenka has enjoyed runs to the semi-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
If she beats the result of defending champion Iga Swiatek in New York then she will replace the Pole as world number one.
Sabalenka has cruised through her opening-round matches without dropping a set and will face 13th seed Daria Kasatkina next after the Russian beat Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-3 6-4.
Third seed Jessica Pegula fought off a comeback from Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, maintaining her bid to become the first home singles champion since Sloane Stephens in 2017.
The 29-year-old American has reached the quarter-finals of six Grand Slam tournaments without going beyond the last eight.
Pegula will face compatriot Madison Keys in the fourth round after a 6-4 4-6 6-2 win against 26th seed Svitolina.
Keys, who lost to Stephens in the 2017 final, came from behind to win 5-7 6-2 6-2 victory against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova.
Svitolina to take a break after successful year
Having reached the quarter-finals of the French Open on her return to Grand Slam tennis after having daughter Skai in October, Svitolina went one better at Wimbledon by reaching the last four.
While she was unable to replicate that success on the hard courts in New York, the former world number three’s comeback has gone better than she had hoped.
The 27-year-old had targeted getting back in the top 100 when she returned to the court in March and she managed that in just a few months.
“I didn’t expect for myself such a high level at Wimbledon. At Roland Garros, as well, I played really solid,” she said.
“In general, I’m very happy with the tournaments that I played, and with the season, I’m close to the top 20.”
While Svitolina said she was “disappointed” with the third-round loss at Flushing Meadows, she added she would use the early exit as an opportunity to take some time off and spend time with her daughter.
“I just want to take some time off right now to recover physically and go again,” said the Ukrainian, who had strapping on her right ankle.
“I don’t know how much time off I will take but I’m going to see what the doctors are going to suggest
“I didn’t see my daughter for long time now, so I’m really looking forward to going back home.”
Wozniacki ‘inspiration’ to Sabalenka
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki will continue her dream run at the US Open on Sunday against American sixth seed Gauff (not before 19:00 BST) and 25-year-old Sabalenka says the Dane’s return has been an “inspiration”.
Wozniacki, 33, retired in 2020 and had two children before returning to the court in August, reaching the second week at Flushing Meadows in her first Grand Slam back.
“I think it’s amazing,” Sabalenka said. “She was out for three-and-a-half years, having two kids, and came back and [is] still playing her best.
“I feel like if you have this level you will never lose it. It gives so much belief to me if one day I would like to go for a baby, I’ll have some chances to come back. She’s just such an inspiration and I’m really happy for her.”
American 17th seed Keys agreed, saying Wozniacki has “bounced back really quickly” and that her return is “incredibly impressive”.
