US Open Day 6: Serena Williams fights her way into second week

Serena Williams had the most adorable fan in the stands cheering on her highly anticipated match against Sloane Stephens.

The exciting third round showdown between compatriots Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens—two former U.S. Open champs—went the distance to three sets and did not disappoint, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. The 23-time slam champion came back after losing the first set to 27-year-old Stephens, Serena finding her dominant form to clinch the win that gets her that much closer to a record 24th grand slam.

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Cheering her on for the match was her absolutely adorable daughter Olympia, who looked very happy to watch her mom play.

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Next up for third seed Serena Williams will be a tough opponent, Maria Sakkari (with the most impressive shoulder and arm muscles in the game!), who took out USA’s Amanda Anisimova—who lost her father to a heart attack at last year’s U.S. Open—on Saturday, 6-3, 6-1. The last time the two played each other was last week, at the Cincinnati Masters, where the Greek player took out Serena in three sets. The six-time U.S. Open champ will be looking to avenge that loss.

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Sloane Stephen’s American opponent for her 2017 U.S. Open title, Madison Keys, suffered a neck injury in her match against Alizé Cornet, halting her excellent momentum in the tournament and forcing the 25-year-old to retire after losing the first set to the Frenchwoman, 6-7(4), 2-3(ret).

This year’s Australian Open winner, 21-year-old Sofia (“Sonya) Kenin continues her another excellent showing in a slam, booking her second week spot with a win over Ons Jabeur, 7-6(4), 6-3. The young American tennis star is certainly one of the top contenders for the title.

Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka—who has had her share of challenges since giving birth in 2016—has progressed to the fourth round, her best showing since 2015, beating Iga Świątek, 6-4, 6-2. Considering that she just won her first title since 2016 just last week at the Western and Southern Open, the Belarussian player is certainly on a roll.

Another player on a roll, Vasek Pospisil followed up his surprise victory with another thrilling upset, this time going the distance in five grueling sets to defeat Roberto Bautista Agut, 7-5, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Canada is well represented at this year’s U.S. Open, including compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime displaying some mad shot-making skills to collect his third round victory over Corentin Moutet, 6-1, 6-0, 6-4.

Denis Shapovalov is the third Canadian man left in the draw.

Besides Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev is the other top contender to take the title, continuing to show no signs of weakness with his dominant win over American Jeffrey John Wolf, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Last year’s U.S. Open finalist, the Russian player is yet to drop a set at the tournament.

Another exciting player, Italy’s Matteo Berrittini, hasn’t lost a set at Flushing Meadows this year either, winning over Casper Ruud, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Quarantine rules have the players isolated to the tournament hotel, which meant that the world No. 8 cannot frequent his favorite New York City Italian restaurant, but that didn’t stop the restaurant owner, Giovanni Bartocci, from watching him practice and passionately cheer him on. Bartocci has fallen on hard times, first due to a fire pre-COVID, and then difficulty opening back up because of the pandemic. However, Berrittini expressed a desire to help him recover after his match win.

We’re heading into the home stretch as the Round of 16 begins on Sunday, including marquee matchups between Djokovic and Pablo Carreño Busta, Shapovalov and David Goffin, American Shelby Rogers and Petra Kvitová, and 2018 U.S. Open winner Naomi Osaka and Estonian Anett Kontaveit, viewable on ESPN and ESPN2. Stay tuned here for all your U.S. Open coverage.