US Open tennis: Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Pegula and Medvedev advance on day six – as it happened

Key events

20h ago

Linda Noskova (6) beats Ann Li (29) 6-2 6-7 6-2

21h ago

Sabalenka halts US Open match due to cannabis smell

22h ago

Emma Navarro (26) beats Karolina Muchova (7) 6-3 7-5

22h ago

Carlos Alcaraz (2) beats Wu Yibing 6-3 6-4 6-1

22h ago

Tommy Paul (20) beats Alexander Bublik (15) 6-4 3-6 6-7 6-1 6-3

23h ago

Taylor Townsend beats Diana Shnaider (15) 6-2 6-7 6-3

24h ago

Daniil Medvedev (7) beats Arthur Rinderknech (26) 6-4 6-4 6-4

1d ago

Jessica Pegula (3) beats Leylah Fernandez (31) 1-6 6-4 6-3

1d ago

Aryna Sabalenka beats Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4

1d ago

Marta Kostyuk beats Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2

1d ago

Sorana Cirstea beats Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3

1d ago

Preamble

That’s it from our live coverage of day six of the US Open. Keep an eye out for Tumaini Carayol’s report as Serena and Venus Williams team up once more in the women’s doubles later on. Thanks for reading.

Linda Noskova (6) beats Ann Li (29) 6-2 6-7 6-2

The Wimbledon champion reaches the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in her career, where she will face Marta Kostyuk. Boy, did she make it difficult for herself.

In the final game, Li clubs a backhand long at game point and cracks a shot against the net to bring up match point for Noskova, which passes her by. The second one, when it comes, does not – Li is denied by the net again.

And just like that, Li finds herself on the brink … again. A shaky service game is followed by a gutsy attempt to break straight back but Noskova struggles through three deuces to take a 5-2 lead in the decider. Li will serve to stay in it.

We’re still on serve between Noskova and Li in the deciding set, with Noskova leading 3-2. Li saved break point in her service point with an ace before sealing game point with a whipped forehand across court. Noskova is still contending with a rowdy American crowd and had to ask the umpire for quiet during her service game.

Noskova holds her first two service games despite plenty of unforced errors. She has faced this sort of situation before – being so close to victory but having to go the distance – deploying the same fingers-in-the-ears tactics during the Wimbledon final against Karolina Muchova. She leads Li 2-1 on serve in the deciding set.

Sabalenka halts US Open match due to cannabis smell

Tumaini Carayol

Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match at the US Open to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on her court as she comfortably reached the fourth round in New York.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, continued her attempts to rebuild her form as she overcame a challenging test from Kamilla Rakhimova before winning 6-3, 6-4.

Early in the match, a smiling Sabalenka approached the chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore while leading 3-0, stating: “Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it’s so strong.”

Afterwards, Sabalenka laughed as she described her interaction with the umpire: “I was, like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, do not do it around the tennis courts. It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”

Read more …

Li wins the tie-break 8-6 and the second set with a stunning forehand down the line on the run! Noskova had the lead in the second set and the tie-break itself but Li has harnessed the energy coming from the crowd. This will go to a decider.

Stadium 17 goes wild as Li saves match point at 5-6 in the tie-break with a arrow of a forehand. Noskova has to plug her fingers in her ears again as the American crowd raises the volume at the changeover.

Noskova keeps her cool at 30-30 with a lasered forehand across court. Her serve sees her through to a tie-break – she’ll want to get this done sharpish.

There isn’t much room out on Stadium 17 now as Li holds serve to put the pressure back on Noskova at 5-6. The music being pumped over the speakers during the changeover is deafening and the rowdy atmosphere certainly suits Li.

Li breaks to stay in the match! It’s loud on a partisan Stadium 17 and Noskova has to put her fingers in her ears when the pressure comes at 30-40 on her serve. She approaches what should be a backhand winner but drills it into the net. It’s 5-5 in the second.

Noskova and Li each hold serve, meaning the Czech now serves for her first place in the fourth round at the US Open … She leads 6-2, 5-4.

Li holds serve after a little wobble when 30-0 up and she’s making a bit of a fist of this against the Wimbledon champion. Noskova is still a set and a break up after an hour and four minutes. The Czech player leads 4-3 on serve in the second.

As Muchova departs, her conqueror in the Wimbledon final, her “ex-friend”, Linda Noskova is on course to reach the fourth round. She won the first set against Ann Li 6-2 on Stadium 17 and is now a break up at 3-2 in the second.

Emma Navarro (26) beats Karolina Muchova (7) 6-3 7-5

This year’s Wimbledon runner-up fails to make it into the second week at Flushing Meadows. Muchova had reached the quarter-finals at the last three US Opens, including two runs to the semis.

But Navarro is a semi-finalist from 2024 and is rising back up the rankings after a spell off the tour. The American wins the second match point on her serve with a couple of stinging forehands into the corner.

Muchova won the mixed doubles with Jakub Mensik last week, so it’s not all bad.

“Could be better? Yeah,” admits Carlos Alcaraz. “But overall I’m really proud and happy with the performance.”

Today was a really high rhythm. The way he plays is unbelievable, he has really good rhythm. I played aggressive, I played smart – in the toughest moments.

I’m better than I thought. Physically, I thought I was going to be bad after the first match but I’m recovering really well. My level is really good. I’ve got that rhythm of competition.

I just try to improve and be better after every match. Hopefully in the next round, I’m going to be just a bit better than today.

On playing American Tommy Paul in the next round …

He’s going to play at home, which is going to be a little bit of advantage for him. Hopefully he’s going to be a bit tired after today’s match.

Paul, who beat Alexander Bublik in five sets not long ago, has beaten Alcaraz on a hard court a couple of times before.

Carlos Alcaraz (2) beats Wu Yibing 6-3 6-4 6-1

It is still not vintage Alcaraz but he had more than enough to see off the world No 113 in straight sets. The defending champion will play Tommy Paul in the fourth round.

Wu was impressive for most of this match until he was outclassed in the third set. He took a 0-30 lead in the final game against Alcaraz’s serve and missed an overhead on break point. It was Alcaraz’s consistency that won out.

Alcaraz* 6-3 6-4 5-1 Wu (*next server): Alcaraz gets lucky with the net cord again as the ball springs up off the net in front of the Chinese player and his volley goes wide for 30-30. A fizzing crosscourt forehand from Alcaraz brings break point and now he will serve for the match.

Alcaraz 6-3 6-4 4-1 Wu* (*next server): Alcaraz moves to 30-0 with a delightful drop shot that a stooping Wu butts into the net. At 40-15, Wu sends a crosscourt backhand wide and he looks out of ideas.

Alcaraz* 6-3 6-4 3-1 Wu (*next server): Alcaraz breaks! Wu had set up game point at 40-30 with a superb backhand powered into the corner but some wayward hitting into the same corner gives Alcaraz break point. Wu tries the other corner this time and can’t find that either.

Alcaraz 6-3 6-4 2-1 Wu* (*next server): Alcaraz is starting to find his groove again and that is bad news for Wu. It’s a comfortable hold this time that includes some devastating play from the back of the court.

Alcaraz* 6-3 6-4 1-1 Wu (*next server): Alcaraz has to save a couple of break points in the first game of the third set but manages to hold. At 40-15 in his service game, Wu sends Alcaraz scampering across to a serve out wide that he cannot return.

Tommy Paul (20) beats Alexander Bublik (15) 6-4 3-6 6-7 6-1 6-3

Louis Armstrong lauds the latest American through to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows as Paul comes through a (fairly quick) five-setter against Bublik. The pair exchange some sort of pinky swear at the net and it’s all good natured. Paul awaits the winner of Alcaraz v Wu in round four.

Alcaraz wins the second set 6-4 against Wu

Alcaraz brings up two set points with a marvellous bit of entertainment that involves a net cord, an overhead backhand volley from Wu and a thumping winner from the Spaniard. A wayward forehand passes up the first opportunity but Wu goes wide with a forehand to give Alcaraz a two-set lead.

Emma Navarro wins the first set 6-3 against Karolina Muchova, the seventh seed, over on Grandstand. In other good news for Americans, Tommy Paul is two breaks up in the fifth set against Alexander Bublik.

Alcaraz 6-3 5-4 Wu* (*denotes server): Alcaraz steps it up on his serve and Wu, admirably, tries to fight fire with fire. Alcaraz holds to love for what seems like the first time in ages.

Alcaraz* 6-3 4-4 Wu (*denotes server): Alcaraz balloons a forehand on the first point that bounces past the baseline and into the expensive front-row seats, where a woman pops the ball into her handbag. The Spaniard then loses his rag with a shot into the net at 30-30, screaming “hostia” (er, bloody hell) into the abyss. Wu holds serve and the pressure is on Alcaraz now.

Alcaraz 6-3 4-3 Wu* (*next server): Wu gets a bit too excited on break point at 30-40 and sprays a forehand long in the corner. An inconsistent Alcaraz then cracks a backhand winner down the line to bring up game point – which he takes. That was a bit of a wobble, though.

Tommy Pauls wins the fourth set 6-1 against Alexander Bublik to send that one to a deciding fifth on Louis Armstrong. That will go over three hours.

Taylor Townsend beats Diana Shnaider (15) 6-2 6-7 6-3

The American equals her best run at the US Open by reaching the fourth round for the second successive year. She was made to wait for the victory after initially serving for the match in the second set. But Stadium 17 goes wild as she wins the decider to set up a meeting with Aryna Sabalenka in round four.

Alcaraz* 6-3 3-3 Wu (*next server): Alcaraz saves two game points, the second with a fine forehand that Wu sends sailing over the baseline. A punched volley at deuce from Alcaraz brings up a first break point which passes him by. Wu lets out the loudest noise he’s made all afternoon as Alcaraz goes long at deuce. He powers a forehand crosscourt to hold serve.

Alcaraz 6-3 3-2 Wu* (*next server): At 40-15, the net cord taunts Alcaraz on his serve and a double-fault opens the door a touch for Wu. The world No 113 then forces a teetering Alcaraz backwards and he scuffs a forehand into the crowd. At deuce, Alcaraz’s luck is in this time as Wu throws his arms up in the air in frustration after a net cord derails his point. Alcaraz then closes out the hold.

Alcaraz* 6-3 2-2 Wu (*next server): Alcaraz’s sprays a shot wide down the line at 30-30 but Wu does the same on game point. Five deuces later, Wu pins Alcaraz down with a serve out wide but the Spaniard unleashes a forehand down the line to rescue game point. Wu seals a well earned hold with another impressive serve that Alcaraz can’t get back over the net.

During the break in play, Wu’s attention was on his player box – he was apparently unhappy with someone who shouldn’t be in there. Who could it be? An Alcaraz spy? An ex? Who knows.

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in action. Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA