US Open day eight wrap: Frances Tiafoe shocks the world and World No 1 race hots up

US Open
US Open Frances Tiafoe Rafael Nadal

British interest in the singles at the US Open ended with a straight-sets defeat for Cameron Norrie at the hands of Andrey Rublev.

The result of the fourth round came on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where American Frances Tiafoe stunned Rafael Nadal, meaning there will be a new men’s champion.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Marin Cilic at nearly 2.30am while Iga Swiatek battled back from a set down to see off Jule Niemeier and maintain her status as the women’s title favourite.

Picture of the day

US Open
Frances Tiafoe reacts to beating Rafael Nadal (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP)

Quotes of the day

Frances Tiafoe reacting to basketball star LeBron James’ tweeting ‘CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it! @FTiafoe’ after his win over Rafael Nadal: “Man, I was losing it in the locker room. Bro, I was going crazy. Yeah, I mean, that’s my guy. So to see him post that, I was like, Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it? I was like, You know what, I’m going to be cool and act like I didn’t see it and then retweet it three hours later.”

“The times they are a changing,” John McEnroe quoting Bob Dylan on ESPN after seeing Tiafoe defeat Nadal.

“I was not able to push him back. Tennis is a sport of position a lot of times. If not, you need to be very, very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore,” Nadal feeling his age at 36

“I saw on Twitter some say that is called like ‘Iga Swiatek Bakery’. That’s pretty funny,” Iga Swiatek after her 19th ‘bagel’ set of 2022 handed out to Jule Niemeier in her last 16 win.

“I just mean like going to dinner, going to see a show. We went to a Mets game, we went to a Yankees game. Just try to not sit in my room and order Uber Eats,” Jessica Pegula on how she spends her downtime in Manhattan.

“I feel like I have a second chance at this tournament. I’m still here, I’m still competing,” Aryna Sabalenka who has made the quarter-finals despite having been a set, 5-1 and two match points down in her second round tie against Kaia Kanepi.

Serena taking it easy

Fallen seeds

Women: Danielle Collins (19), Petra Kvitova (21), Victoria Azarenka (26)
Men: Rafael Nadal (2), Cameron Norrie (7), Marin Cilic (15)

US Open day eight results

US Open results on Monday (x denotes seed; players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries):

Men

4th rd

Jannik Sinner (ITA x11) bt Ilya Ivashka 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x3) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x15) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Andrey Rublev (x9) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR x7) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Frances Tiafoe (USA x22) bt Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Women

4th rd

Iga Swiatek (POL x1) bt Jule Niemeier (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0

Jessica Pegula (USA x8) bt Petra Kvitova (CZE x21) 6-3, 6-2

Karolína Pliskova (CZE x22) bt Victoria Azarenka (x26) 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2

Aryna Sabalenka (x6) bt Danielle Collins (USA x19) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Who’s up next?

The Nick Kyrgios show rolls back into town as the Australian takes on Karen Khachanov in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.

The big women’s match of the day sees American hope Coco Gauff meet in-form Caroline Garcia while fifth seed Casper Ruud takes on former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.

In the men’s doubles, Joe Salisbury, Neal Skupski and Lloyd Glasspool will all be looking to reach the semi-finals with their respective partners.

Frances Tiafoe Rafael Nadal

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