Venus Williams Announces She Won't Participate in 2021 U.S. Open Because of Injury
Aug 25, 2021
US player Venus Williams reacts while playing Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during their women's singles second round match on the third day of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. Open will be without both Williams sisters this year.
On the same day that Serena Williams announced she was withdrawing from the grand slam as she recovers from a torn hamstring, Venus Williams also pulled out of the event:
Not the best news everyone. I am joining @serenawilliams@RafaelNadal and @rogerfederer on the injured list. It’s still going to be a great US Open & many thanks to the @usta for the wild card. I was so looking forward to it, but it was not meant to be this year. I will be back! pic.twitter.com/s0PRgdSSx2
Venus Williams withdraws from the US Open because of a leg injury
This will be the first Grand Slam event in the main singles draw without Venus, Serena Williams, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal since 1997 pic.twitter.com/hLbPZtEKm4
"Having some issues with my leg all this summer," Williams said in her Twitter post. "And just couldn't work through it. Tried my best here in Chicago but I just was unable to figure out the equation."
She added that she didn't currently have a timetable for her return to the court.
"I am really disappointed," she said of missing the U.S. Open. "It's a tough time right now, but like all tough times, they don't last forever. ... Regardless, I'm wishing all players the best of luck this year. Be well—don't get hurt like I did. Stay safe, and everybody enjoy the U.S. Open, I know I'll be watching from home."
Williams, 41, was ousted in her first match at the Chicago Women's Open this past week, losing to Hsieh Su-wei in straight sets. The long-time star is currently ranked No. 147 in the WTA. Her low ranking also meant she didn't qualify to play at the Tokyo Olympics
If Williams' career is winding down, it has been an incredible one. She has won seven grand slam singles titles (five at Wimbledon, two at the U.S. Open), 14 grand slam doubles titles, four Olympic gold medals and a silver.
While her sister Serena will go down as the greatest player in the history of the women's game, Venus Williams was undoubtedly a force in her prime and one of the most decorated players in history. Before Serena dominated the sport, it was Venus who won four grand slam titles between 2000-01.
Injuries and Sjogren's syndrome shortened her prime, and she's largely struggled in recent years. But the story of women's tennis cannot be told without Venus Williams.
Serena Williams Withdraws from 2021 US Open to Recover from Torn Hamstring Injury
Aug 25, 2021
Serena Williams of the US plays a return to Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus for the women's singles first round match on day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams announced Wednesday that she will not play in the 2021 U.S. Open while recovering from a torn hamstring.
Williams made the announcement on Instagram, and Ben Rothenberg of the Racquet tweeted a screenshot of the post:
Serena, who will turn 40 on Sept. 26, has not won a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open, which was her final tournament before going on maternity leave.
Williams has not played in a tournament since June, when she competed at Wimbledon. Serena retired from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich because of an ankle injury.
The next major tournament after Wimbledon was the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but Williams removed herself from consideration for Team USA. She also skipped the recent Western & Southern Open.
Serena has a long history of success at the U.S. Open, having won it six times, although she has not won the tournament since 2014.
In five U.S. Open appearances since her last title, however, she has made it to at least the semifinals each time, including finals appearances in 2018 and 2019.
Williams has been stuck on 23 career Grand Slam singles titles since 2017. That is a professional era record in women's tennis, which began in 1968, although she remains one title short of the 24 won by Margaret Court.
Since winning her last major, Williams has reached four Grand Slam finals, losing each time.
Williams made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year, but she fell in the fourth round of the French Open and withdrew during the first round of Wimbledon.
Serena is the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the U.S. Open, as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and defending champion Dominic Thiem are all out on the men's side.
Rothenberg noted that it has been nearly a quarter-century since the last time a Grand Slam event didn't have one of Serena, Nadal or Federer playing in it:
The 2021 US Open will be the first Grand Slam event without Serena Williams, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal in the main singles draw since the 1997 US Open.
The 2021 U.S. Open will begin Monday and run through Sept. 12 in New York City.
US Open Tennis 2021: Odds and Predictions for Year's Final Major
Aug 25, 2021
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 24: Novak Djokovic of Serbia practices with Casper Rudd of Norway before the start of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic will have one eye on history when he takes to the court in Flushing Meadows, New York for this year's U.S. Open.
The 34-year-old will be looking to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four men's grand slams in a calendar year.
Djokovic has defeated Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final, Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open and Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon to leave himself on the verge of this major achievement.
N O L E
Novak Djokovic's quest for the calendar-year Grand Slam begins with a practice on Ashe. pic.twitter.com/wwg9QWjGpr
Furthermore, a win would catapult the Serb past rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most major titles in men's tennis history (21).
Djokovic enters the tournament as the favorite to win, and it is not hard to understand why. His run this year has been one of sheer dominance. A victory in New York would cap off an unbelievable year.
Zverev has had the most recent success against the world No. 1.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the German came back from a 6-1 first-set loss, and being down 3-2 in the second set, to win 10 of 11 games and eventually the match.
The 24-year-old has shown flashes of talent that reflect a player capable of assuming the top spot in the sport one day, and he can further entrench himself in that conversation by preventing Djokovic from capturing his fourth major of the year.
Still, with history within his grasp and his level of play never as high as it is now, the Serb should (and will) win this year's U.S. Open.
The lack of a definitive favorite in the women's singles this year is indicative of just how tight the competition is.
Naomi Osaka is the breakout star of women's tennis, but she hasn't made it past the semifinals in any tournament since her Australian Open victory in February. Of those six events, she hasn't made it out of the second round in three of them.
Tournament favorite Ashleigh Barty is fresh off a bronze medal in the Olympics and a Wimbledon title before that. She has momentum on her side entering New York and understandably has the oddsmakers behind her.
No.1 Ash Barty since returning to the tour after being sidelined for 8 months last year:
Yarra Valley Classic 🏆 Miami Open 🏆 Stuttgart 🏆 Madrid Final Wimbledon 🏆 Cincinnati 🏆
Serena Williams is a threat to win any tournament she enters, even though her era of dominance appears to have passed by. Unfortunately, her withdrawal from the competition (h/t Ben Rothenberg on Twitter), creates a hole for another player to fill. Keep an eye on American Jessica Pegula, whose play in Australia against Jennifer Brady in the quarterfinals and upset over Osaka in Italy, drew attention.
A tenacious and resilient player, she is more than capable of upsetting more celebrated competitors.
Under the bright lights and on one of tennis' grandest stages, though, expect Osaka to erase the disappointment of her recent form and retain the U.S. title for the fifth major of her career.
Prediction: Osaka
Serena Williams Targeting US Open Return From Knee Injury, Agent Says
Jul 16, 2021
US player Serena Williams waves to the fans after withdrawing from her women's singles first round match against Belarus's Aliaksandra Sasnovich on the second day of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 29, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Jill Smoller, the agent for tennis
superstar Serena Williams, said the 23-time Grand Slam champion is
hoping to recover from a leg injury in time to play in the 2021 U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 30.
"She's doing great," Smoller
told TMZ Sports in an interview released Friday, adding Williams is
"just doing rehab" after she was forced to withdraw from
the Wimbledon Championships in late June.
Williams, who previously announced
she'd skip the Tokyo Olympics, is one major title away from tying
Margaret Court for the all-time women's record of 24 Grand Slam
singles titles. She's also captured 14 doubles and two mixed doubles
titles at majors.
The 39-year-old American has come close
in recent years, reaching four Grand Slam finals and two semifinals
since 2018, but she last captured a major title at the 2017
Australian Open.
She's won the U.S. Open six times and,
while her last triumph in New York came in 2014, she's reached at
least the semifinals in her last five appearances at the season's
final major tournament.
In February, Williams confirmed the
pursuit of Court's record was a key focus.
"It's definitely on my shoulders and
on my mind," she told reporters. "I think it's good to be on my
mind...I'm used to it now."
Injuries have become a factor for the
longtime fan favorite, however, as she's also dealt with Achilles and
shoulder ailments in recent years.
Williams is still a threat to capture
any tournament she enters, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see her
take on a lighter schedule in future years with most of the focus on
the Grand Slam events in order to maximize her chances of staying
healthy for the two-week majors.
In the short term, it's unclear whether
she'll recover in time to play in any of the U.S. Open Series warm-up
tournaments before the Grand Slam gets underway in six weeks.
Serena Williams' Coach: Star Still Awaiting Test Results on Leg Injury, Is Walking
Jul 2, 2021
Serena Williams of the US falls to the ground during the women's singles first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, provided an update Friday on the leg injury that forced her to withdraw during her first-round match at Wimbledon.
In an interview with Cedric Rouquette of TennisMajors.com, Mouratoglou couldn't provide many specifics other than to say that Williams is able to walk:
"We don't know for the moment; we are expecting the result of the clinical assessment. The manual test gave us an idea of the nature of the injury, not how serious it is. We're waiting to see how long she's supposed to be resting and, obviously, the consequences in terms of preparation for the next one [the US Open]. Time will fly. She's walking, which is a good sign, and it excludes very bad possibilities."
Williams slipped and fell during the opening set of her first-round Wimbledon match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, forcing her to retire from the match and the tournament with the score tied at 3-3.
The 39-year-old Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, but she hasn't added a Grand Slam title to her resume since the 2017 Australian Open, which was prior to the birth of her daughter in September 2017.
Serena has reached four Grand Slam finals and two additional semifinals since her last major title, but she has been unable to seal the deal.
Williams already has the most career Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era, but she is one short of tying Margaret Court for the all-time record with 24.
Serena was in tears as she left the court after retiring from her match against Sasnovich, and Mouratoglou suggested it was because she doesn't know how many more times she will have the opportunity to compete at Wimbledon: "She'll be 40 soon; she doesn't know how many Wimbledons she will play in the future. Probably not that many, you can't be sure there will be another one. So many feelings going on in her head in a small amount of time."
Mouratoglou also expressed his belief that the emotions stemmed from Serena believing she was emotionally and physically ready to go on a deep run and potentially win the tournament this year:
"What she missed is what leads her to be Serena. I mean, refusing to lose and suddenly playing at another level in the crucial moments. For a couple of years now, my quest [has been] to understand why she couldn't rely on that anymore.
"Now I found it, and it was the day before the first round. Serena was ready to show it at Wimbledon. I know her by heart, she was that strong at the beginning of the match and she was ready to use what I consider as a superpower when needed."
Williams never got the opportunity to showcase that "superpower," and now her status for the upcoming U.S. Open is in doubt.
Serena already removed herself from Olympic consideration before Wimbledon started, meaning she will have some time to rest up and potentially get herself ready for the U.S. Open, which starts on Aug. 30.
Williams is a six-time U.S. Open champion, and if she is healthy enough to play in this year's tournament and win it, she will finally equal Court for the most all-time Grand Slam singles titles.
All England Board Member Defends Wimbledon Court Prep After Serena Williams' Injury
Jun 30, 2021
Serena Williams of the US falls to the ground during the women's singles first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Former tennis star Tim Henman downplayed concerns about the state of the playing surface this year at Wimbledon after multiple players, including Serena Williams, have lost their footing in matches.
"Wimbledon will leave no stone unturned and we hope there will be no more injuries," said Henman, who's now a member of the All England club board, to the BBC. "The courts are as good as they have always been."
He added that Wimbledon officials "have all that data" regarding the court surfaces.
Williams is the most notable player to slip on the grass at Wimbledon. She attempted to play on but was forced to retire from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Serena Williams receives a standing ovation from the crowd at #Wimbledon
Williams was forced to retire in the first round of after sustaining an apparent injury. pic.twitter.com/exFZxJJZGh
Falls aren't uncommon during a tennis match, especially on grass and clay since they don't offer the same kind of grip as a hard court. But multiple players have expressed critical opinions of the surface at the All England Club.
"I didn't slip just once; I slipped like six times," Bianca Andreescu said. "The courts are super slippery. I have only played here once before, but they weren't like this at all. I spoke to a couple other players, and they said it's not that normal. But this is something we can't really control."
Federer expressed a similar sentiment.
"I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof," the eight-time champion said. "I don't know if it's just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down."
While expressing his disappointment for Williams, Murray also referenced the state of the court on Twitter:
Brutal for @serenawilliams but centre court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there.
Henman said maintaining the grass has been a little more difficult this year because of the weather in London, which has hindered the extent to which the courts are able to dry.
The All England Club also said the courts "will continue to firm up" with each match that is played.
That's unlikely to provide much comfort to Williams or Mannarino, though.
Serena Williams of the US is greeted by Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, left, at the net after retiring from the women's singles first round match against on day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Injury retirements marred two of the matches on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Serena Williams had the more notable exit, as she failed to complete the first set against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after slipping on the grass surface.
In the prior match, Adrian Mannarino was forced to retire after a four-set battle with Roger Federer.
Mannarino got the best of the legendary champion for parts of the match, but he was unable to put the Swiss to the test in a deciding fifth set.
In the first match on Centre Court, women's singles No. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty was pushed to three sets by Carla Suarez Navarro.
Barty prevailed in three sets, but it was far from the easy first-round match that most top seeds have at Grand Slams.
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev lost a combined one set over in the men's singles draw to kick off their respective tournaments. Both players will pay close attention to Federer over the next week-and-a-half since they all reside in the bottom half of the men's draw.
The first round will continue Wednesday after a handful of matches on Tuesday were suspended because of darkness. Some players still have not made it on the court because of the delays caused by Monday's inclement weather.
Federer and Mannarino went back and forth over four sets, but unfortunately the thrilling finale was taken away from them after the Frenchman was forced to retire.
Mannarino suffered the injury during the fourth set. Despite his best attempts to continue, he was unable to move on to the fifth set.
The Frenchman had the eight-time Wimbledon winner on the ropes after the third set, but a slip on the damp grass, which took on rain during Monday's play, cost him a run at the No. 6 seed.
Federer, who himself had to withdraw from the French Open on his road back from a knee injury, can use Tuesday's match as a motivator despite the final result.
Federer did not play up to his typical high standard in the second and third sets, and he has a potentially difficult matchup with another French veteran, Richard Gasquet, coming up in the second round.
The sixth-seeded Swiss did catch a break thanks to the weather, as most of the other first-round matches in his section of the draw have not been played yet.
If Federer reaches the second week, he would run into Medvedev in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Russian fought through his own battle against Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday.
Medvedev narrowly avoided a fifth set, as he took down Struff in a fourth-set tiebreak after falling in the third set.
Zverev looked like the best player of the three top seeds in action Tuesday. He blew past Dutch qualifier Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets.
Zverev may end up with the biggest advantage in the bottom half of the draw since six seeds in the two sections of his quarter have not played yet in London.
American Sebastian Korda produced Tuesday's biggest upset. He eliminated No. 15 Alex De Minaur in four sets. He won the first two sets and finished off the Australian in a fourth-set tiebreak.
Korda's win extended an incredible week for his family. His sister, Nelly, won the Women's PGA Championship over the weekend. His other sister, Jessica, took 15th in that tournament.
Shortly after Mannarino suffered his injury on Centre Court, Williams was forced out of the first set of her match because of a similar slip.
Williams left the court to a standing ovation at 3-3 in the first set after the pain increased from a slip on the baseline.
Williams became the second top-10 seed to exit the women's draw in the first two days of the tournament. No. 10 seed Petra Kvitova was upset Monday.
Barty almost joined them, but she rallied back from a second-set tiebreak loss to win the third set 6-1 over Suarez Navarro.
With Williams out and Simona Halep dealing with an injury that forced her out before the tournament started, this could be Barty's best-ever chance to win on the grass.
Barty has not advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon in her singles career. She has a French Open win and three straight quarterfinal berths at the Australian Open on her resume.
The 2019 French Open champion could be in line for a fourth-round showdown with the recent winner in Paris. No. 14 Barbora Krejcikova continued her fantastic form with a straight-set win over Clara Tauson.
A potential Barty-Krejcikova match was made more likely by Kiki Bertens' first-round exit at the hands of Marta Kostyuk.
Those three seeded women should be at an advantage over other players in the top half of the draw. Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic and Bianca Andreescu are among the women still waiting to play their first-round matches.
Serena Williams Withdraws From 1st-Round Match at 2021 Wimbledon Due to Injury
Jun 29, 2021
Serena Williams of the US walks onto Centre Court for the women's singles first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams was forced to retire from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon because of an apparent ankle injury.
While up 3-1 in the first set, Williams slipped along the baseline and her ankle turned awkwardly. She attempted to continue playing following a medical timeout but was unable to carry on.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was still noticeably limping as she walked out of the locker room. It quickly became apparent the injury was too severe to overcome when she couldn't get much lift off her left leg while serving.
Williams was fighting back tears, illustrating how much pain she was experiencing while trying to soldier on. She then slumped to the court after Sasnovich hit a groundstroke to her backhand side, removing any doubt about whether she could continue.
In lieu of speaking with reporters during the traditional post-match press conference, Williams issued a statement:
Serena Williams statement below. She did not hold a press conference this evening at Wimbledon. pic.twitter.com/9F7yicOlL5
The injury on its own is a heartbreaking way for the 39-year-old's Wimbledon run to end. The possible implications of the injury only magnify the feelings of anguish.
Williams hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open, and she isn't getting any younger. Her window to match Margaret Court's record 24 Grand Slams continues to close little by little.
Serena Williams Won't Play in 2021 Tokyo Olympics; Doesn't Want to Discuss Reasons
Jun 27, 2021
USA's Serena Williams attends a press conference, ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Sunday, June 27, 2021. (Florian Eisele/Pool Photo via AP)
Serena Williams announced Sunday that she will not compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics beginning next month in Tokyo.
Williams told reporters at Wimbledon that she had reasons for pulling out of Olympic consideration but didn't want to discuss them:
"There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don't really want to—I don't feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.
"I have not thought about it. In the past [the Olympics] has been a wonderful place for me. I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it."
The 39-year-old veteran is one of the most successful Olympic tennis players of all time, winning singles gold in 2012 and doubles gold with her sister, Venus Williams, in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
Only Venus and Great Britain's Kathleen McKane Godfree have more Olympic tennis medals than Serena with five each.
Serena last competed in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but she surprisingly left without a medal, as she was upset by Elina Svitolina in the third round of women's singles, while she and Venus lost in the first round of the women's doubles tournament.
Williams' 23 career Grand Slam singles titles are the most of any player in the Open Era, although she hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open.
Serena has reached four Grand Slam finals since then, losing each time. This year, she reached the semifinals of the Aussie Open and the fourth round of the French Open.
Williams is still the No. 8-ranked women's tennis player in the world and the second-ranked American player behind only No. 6 Sofia Kenin.
French Open 2021: Serena Williams' Shocking Upset Highlights Sunday Results
Jun 6, 2021
United States Serena Williams reacts after missing a shot as she plays against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during their fourth round match on day 8, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Sunday, June 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The French Open quarterfinals will be played without two of the tennis world's biggest stars, with Roger Federer and Serena Williams both out of contention.
Federer, who was seeded eighth, was slated to play No. 9 Matteo Berrettini on Monday, but he pulled out of the competition after defeating Dominik Koepfer in the third round Saturday.
The 39-year-old said he wanted to ensure he didn't "push myself too quickly on my road to recovery" after spending more than a year on the sidelines after two knee surgeries.
Williams, on the other hand, appeared on the court Sunday, but the No. 7 seed was defeated in straight sets by No. 21 Elena Rybakina.
Here's a closer look at what went down at Roland Garros on Sunday:
In the most shocking victory of the afternoon, Rybakina cruised past Williams in just one hour, 17 minutes. For Williams, the elimination means that she hasn't played in a French Open quarterfinal bout since she lost in the final in 2016.
Rybakina hasn't conceded a match at Roland Garros thus far.
On Sunday, a pair of break-point wins early gave her the advantage through the first set victory, but Williams fought back in the second set. She led 3-2 and 5-4 but couldn't hold on to the lead to force a third set. She finished with 19 unforced errors, while Rybakina won 69 percent of her first serves and finished with five of seven break points.
Pavlyuchenkova won a whopping 71 percent of her first serves and eight of 15 break points, winning 17 games to overcome Victoria Azarenka.
Elsewhere, Tamara Zidansek made history at Roland Garros on Sunday, becoming the first woman from Slovenia to be among the last eight standing at a Grand Slam. The 23-year-old had never advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam.
"I'm getting a lot of messages that everyone is watching," Zidansek said, per WTATennis.com. "It means a lot to me that I'm able to get across to the message to young people and everyone in Slovenia that we can do it. We're a small country, we don't have that many players, but we have good players."
There's a new Zizou in France 😏
With a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over Cirstea, 🇸🇮 @tamara_zidansek becomes the first woman representing Slovenia to reach the last eight at a major 👏
She'll get Badosa Gibert in the next round, who battled back after dropping the second set to Marketa Vondrousova. The unseeded Spaniard won 69 percent of first serves and five break points in a tight match that saw neither player win more than three games in a row.
🗣 PAULA 🗣 BADOSA 🗣
🇪🇸 @paulabadosa reaches her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal, taking down 2019 finalist Vondrousova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2!
On the men's side of the bracket, the action was largely predictable with the higher-seeded competitors moving on in every match.
In the battle of unseededs, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina played Federico Delbonis to four sets after needing all five in his second- and third-round matches to reach the fourth round. With the win, he reached his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
He won 70 percent of his first serves with seven break points, though he never quite had a comfortable lead, as he never won more than nine points in a row, matching the total of Delbonis, who had more service point winners.
He'll take on No. 6 Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinal after the German upended Kei Nishikori in fourth-round play Sunday.
Zverev dominated the competition, winning 68 percent of first serves and 68 percent of second serves, claiming eight break points while limiting Nishikori to a maximum of three games won in a row. That, of course, came during the first set, since Nishikori only won one game in the second and third sets.
Zverev went on a seven-game streak during the match, winning 50 receiving points.
Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev will battle in the quarterfinals yet again after both won their respective matches. Medvedev, who finished with 14 aces and 46 winners Sunday, holds the 6-1 advantage head-to-head with Tsitsipas and more recently defeated him in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals.
Tsitsipas upended Pablo Carreno Busta in three sets, though Carreno Busta hung on to force a seven-game victory in the last set. Tsitsipas had five break-point victories in the match.
