Quarter-final matchup set between brilliant Zverev and underdog Coric

Germany’s Alexander Zverev had needed four sets in each of his first three rounds but he was in top form on Sunday as he beat Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in just one hour, 34 minutes, without doubt his best performance of the week.

World No 99 Davidovich Fokina, who is still set to rise to the top 70 off the back of his run at Flushing Meadows, had no answer to the play of Zverev, who hit 18 aces and just two double faults, the serving problems that have bugged him at times this year nowhere to be seen.

“Definitely in the third set I saw he slowed down a little but I think the first two sets were pretty good quality by me, to be honest,” Zverev said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for six months, everybody has been waiting. We’re playing, we’re happy to be competing.”

The Spaniard, making superb progress after an exceptional junior career, had beaten some good players to get to the last 16 but from the start, Zverev was in the mood and the German stormed through the first two sets.

Davidovich Fokina had a medical timeout at the start of the third set for an Achilles heel issue and though he tried his best, he never looked like getting back into the match and Zverev ran out a convincing winner to set up a meeting with Borna Coric.

Brilliant Coric

Coric routed Thompson for the straight set victory 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final matchup against Sascha Zverev.

The first set was closely contested, with Coric seizing his third break point to go up 2-1. However, Thompson was able to clutch out a break with the Croatian serving for the set at 5-4. Coric answered right away, though, breaking Thompson with a love game and subsequently serving out the set.

The world No 32 turned on the style in the second set to stake his claim in the match. After Thompson held his first game, Coric won six straight games to take the 6-1 victory that included three consecutive breaks.

The third set started with a series of holds, but the crucial one came in the sixth game, where the Croat came up with another love-game break. He rode the break of serve to the end, finishing out with a 6-3 set.

On the other side of the draw, No 5 seed Zverev will serve as another huge challenge against Coric after Stefanos Tsitsipas in round 3. The German knocked off Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to advance in the wide-open men’s singles draw.

• Also read: Full US Open draws
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