Sinner on course for Alcaraz rematch, Murray out

Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner remained on course for a US Open quarter-final rematch with Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday as former champion Andy Murray tumbled out.
Sinner, who lost to Alcaraz in a five-hour five-set epic in the last eight at last year’s tournament, eased into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over compatriot Lorenzo Sonego. It means the talented 22-year-old is just two wins away from a potential meeting with defending champion Alcaraz, who was playing South Africa’s Lloyd Harris in a night game at the Arthur Ashe Stadium later.
Sinner overpowered Sonego with a dominant service game, conceding a meagre 10 points on serve and not giving his opponent a single break point throughout the 2hr 5min encounter.
“We work a lot, me and my team, trying to push myself forward and I feel like my game has improved,” Sinner said afterwards. “I’m more comfortable at the net and this is a new thing of mine. Hopefully I can show this in the future.”
Sinner will play either 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka or Tomas Etcheverry in the third round tomorrow, with Germany’s 12th seed Alex Zverev possibly lurking in the last 16 before any meeting with Alcaraz.
In other early round action on Thursday, Britain’s 2012 US Open champion Murray slumped to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 loss to Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Former world number three Dimitrov, who saved three match points in the opening round, meets 2020 runner-up Zverev for a place in the last 16.
While Murray slid out, fellow Britons Jack Draper and Katie Boulter both advanced to the third round in contrasting fashion in their second-round matches.
Draper upset Polish 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 to set up a third-round meeting with American wild card Michael Mmoh, who defeated John Isner 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 7-6 (10/7).
Boulter, who reached the third round of Wimbledon earlier this, matched that achievement after coming from behind to beat China’s Wang Yafan 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
“I’m super happy, I’m really proud of myself. I had to dig really deep,” Boulter said. “I had to battle and go for it at the same time. I got a bit tight in the first set and managed to loosen up in the second,” added the world number 61, who faces American Peyton Stearns in the last 32.
But another Briton, Jodie Burrage, saw her tournament come to an end after a one-sided defeat to second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion. Sabalenka prevailed 6-3, 6-2 in 1hr 14min.
Sabalenka, 25, has reached the semi-finals or better at the past four Grand Slams and can replace Iga Swiatek as the new world number one if she matches the Pole’s result in New York. “I’m not really focused on that, but it’s going to mean a lot to me,” said Sabalenka.
“It’s one of my goals, one of my dreams and I’ll do my best to reach my dream.”
While China’s Wang tumbled out, there was a happier result for compatriot Zheng Qinwen. The 23rd seed reached the third round with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.
Tearful Isner signs off with loss
Later, John Isner brought the curtain down on his tennis career on Thursday in a five-set loss to fellow American Michael Mmoh in the second round at the US Open. The 38-year-old Isner surrendered a two-set lead as world number 89 Mmoh saved a match point and came back to win 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 7-6 (10/7) in just under four hours.
“It’s tough,” said an emotional Isner, who buried his head in his towel while soaking up the adulation of the Grandstand crowd.
“This is why I’ve worked as hard as I have my whole life, to play in atmospheres like this. Of course I don’t win them all, as we know. Just like today, to play in front of this crowd, to have the support I have, is pretty special. So thank you.”
The big-serving Isner, who famously took part in the longest tennis match ever played at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, announced last week his plans to retire after the US Open. He was a quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2011 and 2018, the same year he also reached the last four at Wimbledon.
Isner departs as the ATP Tour’s all-time leader in aces with 14,470. He was the top-ranked American in the year-end rankings for nine straight years from 2012-2020 and finished inside the top 20 in the world rankings for a decade from 2010-2019. Isner won 16 ATP singles titles – including the 2018 Miami Masters – and eight doubles titles. He was a US Davis Cup regular, posting 15 singles victories and two doubles victories in 18 appearances.