Key events
Wong has taken it to a decider! The qualifier and grand slam debutant has won the fourth set 6-4 against Rublev. De Minaur v Altmaier is going on serve early on, with Altmaier 4-3 ahead.
A very relieved-looking Sinner speaks:
Very tough match today. The last time we played was some years ago, we’ve both improved so much, I knew I’d have to play at a very high level. I tried to stay there mentally. Let’s see what’s coming, but obviously I’m very happy to be in the second week.
Sinner defeats Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Sinner, serving for the match, stumbles on the opening point at Shapovalov smacks a winner. Sinner comes back for 15-all, but a draining duel ends in Shapovalov’s favour and it’s 15-30! He hasn’t won a rally like that in a while. He cheaply concedes the next point, though, and it’s 30-all. Then Sinner shanks a forehand and it’s break point! Sinner saves it with an unreturned serve, wins the next point too, and from break point it’s now match point. Sinner gets over the line when Shapovalov chops long. It’s been anything but comfortable today, but perhaps it’ll sharpen him up for the challenges ahead. The numero uno is into the last 16, where he’ll meet the winner of the night match between Tommy Paul and Alexander Bublik.
15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. At least Shapovalov gives Sinner something to think about.
Shapovalov saves a break point at 4-1 down but is probably just delaying the inevitable. Sinner is now smacking the ball with his relentlessly metronomic power and precision, and he holds to love for 5-2. So Shapovalov must now hold to inconvenience the defending champ any longer.
Munar’s straight-sets victory over Bergs has set up a last-16 contest with Musetti, and it means his near-namesake, De Minaur, is now on court against Daniel Altmaier, the German who so enraged Stefanos Tsitsipas with his underarm serves in the last round. De Minaur is the last Australian standing in the singles after Kasatkina’s loss to Osaka.
Shapovalov’s chance appears to have gone. He’s already 3-0 down in the fourth set. That’s nine games in a row against him. Though he does give himself something to build on when he holds for 3-1. Keeping up his level from the first and second sets was always going to be tough, especially with his brand of high-risk tennis, but his body language now is not good. He doesn’t look as if he believes he can turn this around. And he’s sarcastically giving the thumbs up to his box. Sinner holds to 15 for 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 4-1.
Osaka’s win means that Venus Williams’s doubles match has moved on to a rowdy Louis Armstrong. The 45-year-old, playing with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, is up against Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Japan’s Eri Hozumi. It’s a second-round meeting, after Williams won her first women’s doubles match at the US Open in more than a decade on Thursday.
Jelena Ostapenko has apologised after her row with Taylor Townsend:
On Grandstand, Rublev is now two sets to one up against Wong, leading 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. And if you haven’t already seen it, this documentary on the Russian’s search for a new outlook on life and tennis is well worth watching.
Sinner pulls off the great escape, holding and breaking once more to take six games on the spin – and the third set 6-3. Sinner set up the break with a superb backhand winner around the net post. And Shapovalov has left the court. Which his team are probably quite relieved about, because it means they’ll get a brief respite from him chuntering at them.
Sinner holds, before Shapovalov coughs up consecutive double faults to give Sinner three break points! Sinner can’t take a single one, but then shows ridiculous powers of retrieval to stay in the point and get himself a fourth break point. Shapovalov surrenders with another double. And then screams at his coach. I think he has only himself to blame there. Sinner, from 3-0 down, leads 4-3 with the break.
A word on Osaka’s landmark win. It’s been quite a journey for her to get back into the second week of a slam, you could see what it meant to her in her post-match celebrations and interview, and she’ll be so relieved to pull off a tight victory having had some gut-wrenching three-set defeats at slams. Next up is a box-office meeting with Coco Gauff, whom she says she views as a “younger sister” in her on-court interview. She’s also asked about the latest Labubu attached to her bag. After Billie Jean Bling and Arthur Flashe, this one is also a tribute to BJK and is apparently called la-billie-bu (geddit?). It’s good to see her having fun out there.
Sinner, after replacing his shoe lace, gets himself a break point. He can’t take it, but soon he has another at his advantage. Shapovalov pulls off a classic one-two punch, striking deep to Sinner’s forehand, and Sinner nets. Deuce. But here’s a third break point. And this time Shapovalov misfires! Somehow Sinner has dragged himself back on to serve, despite appearing all out of sorts, and he trails 3-2.
One piece of housekeeping: Kostyuk has come through against Parry after two and a half hours, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, and will play Muchova next.
After breaking a string, Sinner now breaks a shoelace and has to stop mid-game. It’s all going against him. Shapovalov still leads 7-5, 4-6, 3-1.
Thanks Tom. This is head-scratching from Sinner. He’s probably hit more unforced errors in this match than he has the rest of the year. Credit to Shapovalov, though, who isn’t letting up with his high-risk game. The 26-year-old hasn’t quite hit the heights in his career that were once predicted for him – injuries certainly haven’t helped – but the 2020 quarter-finalist is showing what he’s capable of here.
Katy is back from her break and will see things through until the conclusion of the day seven live blog. Night all.
At 0-30 down Sinner breaks a run of seven straight points won in a row by Shapovalov and manages to get it to 30-all, but then a backhand goes wide to cough up another break point. A backhand into the net offers Sinner a reprieve and a big forehand on the next point allows the number one seed to come in to seal it at the net. Sinner holds on the back of a well-placed serve. He needed that, Shapovalov leads 3-1 in the third.
After taking the second, Sinner is already in a battle for the third. Shapovalov won the first two games and goes 3-0 up with an easy forehand winner into the open court. On Grandstand, Rublev has a secured a break in the second and Wong is currently serving to stay in the set, with the score at 5-3 to the Russian.
Osaka beats Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3!
Osaka is now on her deepest run at a major since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
Kasatkina has to battle through her service but despite dropping two double-faults she manages to hold. Osaka is now serving for the match, with a 5-3 lead in the third.
After the shock of losing the first set, Sinner has quickly got himself on terms. He sews up the second set with a rapid-fire hold to love. We’re all square after two sets, Sinner 5-7, 6-4 Shapovalov.
Sinner is serving for the set against Shapovalov…
Osaka looks confident as she twice works her way up the court to hit forehand winners. She earns a swift service hold when a powerful serve can only be returned high and wide. Kasatkina will now serve to stay in the match, Osaka leads 5-2.
No issues for Kasatkina this time on serve. She holds to love and it’s 4-2 to Osaka.
This time it’s Osaka’s turn to serve an ill-timed double-fault to cough up a break point. The error doesn’t last long in the memory and the next two points are of the highest quality as Osaka wears down Kasatkina to set up two piercing backhand winners, one cross-court, the other down the line. Osaka goes 4-1 up with another winner cross-court. Sinner was able to hold serve to go up 5-3 and Shapovalov is serving to stay in the set at 3-5 down.
Kasatkina has picked the wrong time to serve a double fault and when she dumps a forehand into the net Osaka had two break points. A baseline rally ends with Kasatkina going long, it’s advantage Osaka in the third she leads 3-1. Sinner has broken Shapovalov in the second set of their match and is serving to consolidate a 4-3 advantage.
Hello, first update from me: Wong has won the first set against Rublev 6-2. Osaka and Kasatkina remains on serve in the third set, the Japanese player leads 2-1.
Another hold apiece and Shapovalov is 7-5, 3-2 up on serve. Sinner’s body language doesn’t look great. Tom is here to guide you through the next stages – I’ll be back in a bit …
Osaka shakes off the disappointment of losing that second set as she bosses a hold to love at the start of the third. She’s often too hard on herself, which can cause her to lose clarity during points, so she needs to go easy on herself here. Elsewhere, Parry and Kostyuk are also into a decider, Munar is two sets to love up on Bergs and Coleman Wong, the 21-year-old qualifier from Hong Kong who’s making his slam debut, has a surprise 5-2 lead against Andrey Rublev.
There’s no let-up from Shapovalov at the start of the second set. He’s still taking it to Sinner, who’s looking rather rattled with a couple of mis-timed shots. Sinner slumped two sets to love down against Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon fourth round, before being rescued by Dimitrov’s injury retirement – could he be in danger of dropping two sets behind here too? Shapovalov leads 2-1 on serve.
Kasatkina has set points at 0-6, 5-4, 40-15. A lengthy rally plays out … Osaka eventually pulls the trigger … and Kasatkina thwacks into the tramlines. And the Australian then goes long! Deuce. Which is followed by set point No 3. Kasatkina’s first serve is well wide, but she makes her second, and Osaska nets the return! After the most topsy-turvy of sets (and matches), Kasatkina has taken this third-round match to a decider.
But just as Osaka has the victory line in her sights, Kasatkina breaks, and will serve for the second set at 5-4! Though the rate at which these two have been breaking each other in this set, there are no guarantees she’ll see the next game through. Osaka tosses her racket at her bench in disgust.
Osaka is riding the wave now, holding and then getting to 0-30 on Kasatkina’s serve with her 20th winner of the day. And a 10th double fault from Kasatkina makes it 0-40! Osaka breaks to love and from 4-1 down she’s level at 4-4. And possibly two games away from her first last-16 slam appearance since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
Sinner, once again serving to stay in the opener, starts inauspiciously with a double fault. He draws level at 30-all, but an inside-out forehand winner from Shapovalov, set up by an excellent backhand return, means the 27th seed has a set point! And 24,000 spectators gasp as the defending champion and world No 1 doubles again! Shapovalov has snatched the first set 7-5!
Osaka stops the rot, breaking to 30. But, at 4-2 down, she’s still got to get another break back.
Sinner, now very much in the ascendancy, gets a break point at 30-40. Shapovalov may be wondering if his chance has gone in this first set. But he gamely holds from there and seals the game with an ace. He’s got himself at least a tie-break. And there’s been a crazy turnaround on Louis Armstrong, where Osaka, having zipped through the first set 6-0, is 4-1 down to Kasatkina in the second.
Shapovalov isn’t happy at the changeover, telling the umpire he’s never been called for a foot fault in his life. Sinner swiftly holds. It’s 5-5. And Shapovalov needs to quickly regroup.
Shapovalov does actually have a winning head-to-head against Sinner. But his one victory came back in 2021, before Sinner turned into a cyborg, so we shouldn’t read too much into that. He gives Sinner a glimmer at 0-30, but a punchy serve down the T makes it 15-30. He’d love a few more of those. The pair go at each other cross-court in a lung-busting point, Sinner’s backhand to the lefty Shapovalov’s forehand … Sinner draws Shapovalov in with the drop shot … and then finishes his opponent off with the lob! 15-40, two break points. Shapovalov is called for a foot fault … before Sinner wins the rally from the second serve. They’re back on serve. As if it was ever going to go another way.
Sinner is serving to stay in the first set. Not something I was expecting to write before this match started. He’s 5-2 down against Shapovalov, and he then gives the Canadian a head start by dropping 0-30 down. Shapovalov errs on the next two points, so it’s 30-all. Then, off-balance, Shapovalov hits his overhead well long. Sinner holds from there, after a point of real quality, but Shapovalov will now serve for the opening set.
A flick of the wrist from Osaka and a perfect lob lands right on the baseline. She leads 5-0, 15-30 on Kasatkina’s serve. And that becomes 15-40, two set points. And Osaka nails a forehand return winner down the line! They do make a good bagel in New York and Osaka has just served one up to her befuddled opponent.
Muchova bests Noskova 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
Shapovalov backs up the break for 4-1. Sinner settles a bit for 4-2. And Karolina Muchova has finally got the better of her fellow Czech Linda Noskova, coming from a set down to prevail 6-2 in the third. The 2023 and 2024 semi-finalist will next play Parry or Kostyuk, with Parry 6-3 up in that one.
Kasatkina is still flailing on serve. The double fault count is already at seven. Her problem is she likes to use a kick serve on her second serve, but that would sit up into Osaka’s strike zone, so she’s trying something different and it isn’t working. Osaka breaks again, this time from deuce, and it’s now 4-zip.
And look here, a break point for Shapovalov! He leads 2-1 and 30-40 on Sinner’s serve. Shapovalov smacks a forehand down the line and Sinner surrenders his serve for the first time this tournament.
Just nine minutes played and Osaka leads 3-0. It’s good to see the 2018 and 2020 champion playing with freedom again; she’s won eight of her past nine matches since linking up with Tomasz Wiktorowski, the former coach of Iga Swiatek, with the only blip being her Montreal final defeat by Victoria Mboko. Victory today would put her into the second week of a slam for the first time since the birth of her daughter in 2023.
It’s a love hold apiece for Sinner and Shapovalov. And a love hold for Osaka, before she’s handed the break when Kasatkina hits b2b double faults. Osaka leads 2-0.
