US Open: Ruud survives Monfils and lightning to make third round

Norwegian Casper Ruud, the No 8 seed, edged out Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3) to move into the third round of the US Open in New York on Wednesday night.

After dominating the first two sets, Ruud will count himself lucky that lightning intervened in New York to halt a relentless Monfils comeback in the second half of this match.

Monfils tore his way through the third set to force a fourth, and had all the momentum behind him before the match was suspended for the better part of two hours due to lightning in the area.

While the Frenchman still managed to push Ruud to a tiebreaker in the fourth set, his earlier momentum was lost, and Ruud claimed it easily to book his place in the third round.

Overall, it was the errors of Monfils and serve of Ruud that dominated their encounter. Monfils plundered 50 winners but made 57 unforced errors, while Ruud was strong on serve making 67 percent of first serves and doing well behind his second serve as well, winning 60 percent of points.

Ruud, ranked No 8, will face Chinese Juncheng Shang next.

Ahead of his victory, the Norwegian beat Chinese qualifier Yunchaokete Bu (7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2).

Monfils, ranked No 45, won against Argentinian qualifier Diego Schwartzman (6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1) in the previous round of the US Open.

New York (Grand Slam), other second-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 75.000.000, most recent results first):

• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
• Fabian Marozsan vs. Daniil Medvedev
• Max Purcell vs. Tommy Paul
• Mariano Navone vs. Daniel Evans
• David Goffin vs. Adrian Mannarino
• Tristan Schoolkate vs. Jakub Mensik
• Arthur Fils vs. Gabriel Diallo
• Alex De Minaur vs. Otto Virtanen
• Facundo Diaz Acosta vs. Jack Draper
• Flavio Cobolli vs. Zizou Bergs
• Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. Nuno Borges
• Jannik Sinner vs. Alex Michelsen
• Jordan Thompson vs. Hubert Hurkacz
• Matteo Arnaldi vs. Roman Safiullin
• Tomas Machac vs. Sebastian Korda
• Mattia Bellucci vs. Christopher O’Connell
• Novak Djokovic (2) beat Laslo Djere: 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 ret.
• Taylor Fritz (12) beat Matteo Berrettini: 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-1
• Lorenzo Musetti (18) beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
• Ben Shelton (13) beat Roberto Bautista Agut: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Alexei Popyrin (28) beat Pedro Martinez Portero: 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
• Juncheng Shang beat Roberto Carballes Baena: 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (2)
• Francisco Comesana beat Ugo Humbert (17): 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Andrey Rublev (6) beat Arthur Rinderknech: 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
• Frances Tiafoe (20) beat Alexander Shevchenko: 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 ret.
• Alexander Zverev (4) beat Alexandre Muller (WC): 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1
• Brandon Nakashima beat Arthur Cazaux: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Tallon Griekspoor beat Sebastian Baez (21): 6-1, 2-0 ret.
• Grigor Dimitrov (9) beat Rinky Hijikata: 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
• Jiri Lehecka (32) beat Mitchell Krueger (Q): 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Francisco Cerundolo (29): 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3