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US Open PIX: Pliskova survives scare, Thiem eases through

September 03, 2017 00:17 IST

Images from Day 6 of US Open in New York on Saturday.

Top seed Pliskova survives scare to advance

Karolina Pliskova

IMAGE: Karolina Pliskova celebrates her third round match win over Saisai Zheng. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Karolina Pliskova showed the steel of a world number one as she fought off a match point to claim a riveting 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 comeback win over Zhang Shuai in the US Open third round on Saturday.

Pliskova, runner-up at Flushing Meadows last year, would have lost her world number one ranking had she been beaten on Arthur Ashe Stadium but moved another step closer to a first career Grand Slam title.

 

Chinese Zhang was aggressive throughout the match but was ultimately worn down by the tall, big-serving Czech.

Pliskova needed an injury time out to attend to a sore arm in the second set, which she hopes will not bother her when she faces either American Jennifer Brady or Monica Niculescu of Romania.

"I will have to improve in the next one," the 25-year-old said in a courtside interview.

"Hopefully, it's nothing serious and I'll be ready for my next match."

The match was 25-year-old Zhang's best showing against the tournament's top seed but she came up short and is now winless in five matches against Pliskova.

Thiem cruises into fourth round

Dominic Thiem

IMAGE: Dominic Thiem celebrates winning his third round match. Photograph: Al Bello/Getty Images

Sixth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem beat Adrian Mannarino of France 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to seal a fourth-round spot.

The 23-year-old has progressed to the fourth round in his last five Grand Slams, starting with the 2016 US Open, but has progressed past that stage only once, reaching the semi-finals of the French Open.

Dolgopolov eases past Troicki

Alexandr Dolgopolov

IMAGE: Alexandr Dolgopolov serves. Photograph: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov beat Serbian Victor Troicki 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round.

This will be Dolgopolov's first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam since 2011, when he reached the last 32 at the US Open and the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Source: REUTERS
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