Category: Tennis

Novak Djokovic will finish the year as world number one for a record-extending eighth time after beating Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 in his opening match at the ATP Finals on Sunday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion needed just one win or a defeat for young rival Carlos Alcaraz in order to secure top spot in the ATP rankings for 2023 and prevailed in a three-hour Green Group clash with spirited debutant Rune.

Djokovic, on a run of 19 straight wins, has had an age-defying year, winning three Slams to become the all-time record winner of major titles.

The 36-year-old came into the Finals in Turin off the back of his seventh triumph at the Paris Masters, his 40th victory at a Masters 100 event.

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Those are two more records to add to a long and growing list for Djokovic, who is hunting a seventh Finals title which would take him one ahead of retired great Roger Federer.

“It means a lot. You could see that there were a lot of emotions on the court,” said Djokovic.

“I could feel it, I was very eager to win the match and get that monkey off my back… Obviously a big objective, a big goal has been achieved, everything else now is a bonus.”

Novak Djokovic looked on course for victory when he took a brutal opening set in decisive fashion, prevailing in the tie-break with a stunning cross-court return winner.

And the match looked to have turned decisively in the third game of the second set, when after Rune won the first two Djokovic broke back in a brilliant 11-point game eventually won at the third attempt.

Rune kept plugging away, however, and after the pair slugged each other with bigger and bigger hits Djokovic slipped in the tie-break, missing a simple volley to draw level on the second point and then collapsing to concede the set.

But after briefly losing it for allowing Rune to break back in game three of the third set, kicking his rackets in a rage, Djokovic composed himself and saw out a historic win.

“I found a way to win today against an opponent who played brilliantly… he had a lot of courage today,” added Novak Djokovic in Italian.

“If I want to keep up with these youngsters I’m going to have to work even harder!”

Home hope Jannik Sinner got off to a near-perfect start by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, delighting the crowd in Italy’s northwest.

Sinner has had the best season of his career to date, winning four tournaments and is set to become the first Italian ever to finish a season in the ATP top five.

The 22-year-old comfortably dealt with 2019 champion Tsitsipas in front of an enthusiastic crowd, not dropping a service game nor facing a break point in the whole match.

“The atmosphere was really, really nice. It’s huge pleasure for me to play here in Turin, in Italy,” Sinner told reporters.

“Obviously a little bit more pressure, but I managed it really well today, so I’m happy.”

Afterwards, Greek Tsitsipas denied he had any physical problems even though he looked way below his best, telling reporters “I’m healthy. I’m ready to compete.”

The 25-year-old had to play down reports of an elbow injury which curtailed practice ahead of his tournament opener.

“I’m absolutely fine and I’m ready to play this tournament. Turin is one of the most important events of the year for me,” he said.

On Monday, Alcaraz makes his ATP Finals debut in the Red Group against Alexander Zverev, the second seed Novak Djokovic’s closest challenger.

However the Wimbledon champion is in uncertain form after being dumped out of the Paris Masters by Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin following return from an injury lay-off.

The Spaniard hadn’t played since the Shanghai Masters in early October due to lower back and left foot problems.

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Tunisia tennis star Ons Jabeur broke down in tears while remembering martyrs of Gaza following her victory over Marketa Vondrousova in the ongoing WTA Finals in Mexico.

It is pertinent to mention that Ons Jabeur avenged her Wimbledon 2023 final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova with a straight-sets victory. She won the match 6-4, 6-3.

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The two-time Wimbledon finalist would now take on Iga Swiatek in the tournament.

However, the 31-year-old – Tunisia’s unofficial “Minister of Happiness” – was not in an enjoying mood as she got emotional while sharing her views on the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.

Ons Jabeur says she’s donating a portion of her prize money to Palestine:

“I am very happy with the win but I haven't been very happy lately. The situation in the world doesn't make me happy… I feel like… I am sorry. It’s very tough seeing children & babies dying every day.… pic.twitter.com/fVBz9McSjU

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 2, 2023

 

Following the match, Ons Jabeur said she was unhappy with the prevailing crisis before breaking down into tears. She added, “It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day.”

“I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I’m sorry guys, it’s supposed to be about tennis, but it’s very frustrating looking at videos every day. I’m sorry – it’s not a political message, it’s just humanity. I want peace in this world and that’s it,” the athlete added.

She said she had trouble sleeping after looking at the visuals from the war in Gaza.

“I try to stay off social media as much as I can but it’s very tough. You go through horrible photos and videos every day – it doesn’t let me sleep or recover very well. The worst thing is I feel hopeless, I feel like cannot do anything,” she said.

Ons Jabeur added that she has been affected by watching babies, women and people dying every day in Palestine. Moreover, she wished to wave a magic wand and end this and have peace for everybody.

She announced that she would donate part of her earnings from the tournament to the Gaza victims.

It is pertinent to mention that Israeli bombardment has left at least 8,796 people – including 3,648 children and 2,290 women – dead.

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Carlos Alcaraz slipped to a shock defeat on his return from injury on Tuesday at the Paris Masters while Alexander Zverev needed three sets to see off Marton Fucsovics. 

Spanish world number two Alcaraz, who was making his return to the court following injuries to his lower back and left foot, had been given a bye in the first round but had no answer to Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin who eased through 6-3, 6-4.

“He didn’t surprise me at all because I knew that he has been playing a great level these last few months, beating big guys, reaching finals,” said a disconsolate Alcarez.

“I knew that he was going to play a high level.”

Roman Safiullin, ranked 45 in the world, cancelled out an early Alcaraz break in the first set and then never looked back as he ran on to claim the opener 6-3.

The same scenario then played out in the second set, with Carlos Alcaraz breaking for an early lead only for his opponent to strike back immediately.

Having only announced he would play in the tournament last Wednesday, Alcaraz looked far from his sharpest.

“I just didn’t feel well, you know, on the court,” he said. “A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice.

“I think I didn’t move well. In the shots, I think I had a good quality of shots. But physically, in terms of movement, I have to improve a lot.”

However, much credit must go to Safiullin, who was relentless in getting over the line for a career-boosting win in what was his first meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.

The 26-year-old held his nerve under pressure from the Wimbledon champion to serve out for the win, despite facing several deuce points in the final game.

“Even if he’s not in the best shape it’s tough to beat him,” said Safiullin. “So, I’m really happy that I made it.”

The German 10th seed Alexander Zverev also had his difficulties, having to come back from a set down to beat Hungarian Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the round of 64 at Bercy Arena.

“It was just one or two points (that made the difference),” said Zverev.

“He was playing incredibly well and tactically I think he was unbelievable.

“His slice was effective as I did not know what to do on this surface here. It was a very difficult match, and I am happy to be through. I found my level and I am happy with that.”

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Alexander Zverev is still seeking to secure his place among the top eight who will go on to the ATP Finals in Turin next month.

After this victory, the 2021 champion sits seventh just behind Stefanos Tsitsipas and 430 points ahead of ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz.

American Taylor Fritz’s chances of qualifying for the tour’s showpiece event took a hit when he was forced to retire with an abdominal injury.

On Monday, the ninth seed had comfortably beaten Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-4.

Hometown favourite Gael Monfils was knocked out in the first round by Argentinian world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo in three sets on Tuesday.

The battling 37-year-old looked tired after losing the second set in a tie-break but rolled back the years with a break of serve right at the start of the third.

However, it was not enough as Cerundolo struck back in the eighth game of the set, before breaking the Frenchman’s serve again to take the decider 7-5.

The 11th-seeded Hurkacz saw off Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to book his place in the second round alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime, who toppled Jan-Lennard Struff in two sets.

Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev completed the day’s play with a quickfire 6-4, 6-3 victory over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.

READ: Australia suffer major setback ahead of World Cup clash against England

Laver Cup newcomers Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo notched crisp victories and Felix Auger-Aliassime pulled off a testy triumph over Gael Monfils as Team World opened their title defence Friday with four victories.

US Open semi-finalist Shelton of the United States put Team World on the path to a 4-0 lead with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory over Team Europe’s Arthur Fils of France.

Argentina’s Cerundolo followed with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain — the first time that Team World had led after the opening session of the Laver Cup.

Auger-Aliassime, whose Sunday singles win over Novak Djokovic was key to Team World’s win last year, opened the night session with a 6-4, 6-3 win over French veteran Monfils, whose lighthearted approach to the contest rubbed the Canadian the wrong way.

Auger-Aliassime was irked when Monfils briefly took a seat near a line judge rather than preparing to receive serve, pointedly asking the umpire if he planned to enforce competitive match rules.

An underhand serve from Monfils didn’t improve Auger-Aliassime’s mood. The Canadian’s complaints seemed to send Monfils into a spiral that saw him surrender the opening set with a service break that featured a double fault and three forehand errors.

Monfils pulled himself together to give himself a triple break chance in the opening game of the second set. He couldn’t capitalize, however, and once Auger-Aliassime broke him in the second game the Canadian was able to cruise home, the two exchanging a hug when it was all over.

“Things get tense on the court sometimes,” Auger-Aliassime said of his heated exchanges with Monfils on a couple of first-set changeovers.

“Only one guy gets the win in the end, so you try your best to stay cool but at the same time to stand up for yourself.

“That’s what I was trying to do, get the energy going and just try to not let him take too much ground, I guess.”

The day started with a strong showing from Shelton, the 20-year-old whose sensational run to the US Open last four saw him rise to 19th in the world.

Fils, a 19-year-old who earned his first ATP title at Lyon in May, led the first-set tiebreaker 4-1, but Shelton won six straight points to pocket the set and grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second with the first service break of the contest.

As Fils’s unforced errors mounted, Shelton broke again for a 5-1 lead and served it out with aplomb.

“I really wanted to be able to set the tone with my energy for Team World today,” Shelton said. “I think it went pretty well.”

Cerundolo then closed out a see-saw battle with Davidovich Fokina, which featured seven breaks of serve in the second set.

Broken as he served for the match at 5-4, Cerundolo broke back and closed it out.

“Obviously we came in with guns blazing,” said World captain John McEnroe, whose squad is defending the title for the first time.

Europe won the first four editions of the Laver Cup that began in 2017, but Team World triumphed last year in London in an edition notable for the farewell doubles appearance by Swiss great Roger Federer alongside long-time rival Rafael Nadal.

Federer was in attendance at Rogers Arena — home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks — and received a huge ovation as the teams captained by McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were introduced to start the day.

Federer also assisted in the coin toss before the closing doubles match, which Americans Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul won for Team World 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 over Fils and Andrey Rublev.

Friday’s matches were worth one point each, but the stakes rise at the weekend with Saturday’s matches worth two points and Sunday’s three.

The first team to reach 13 points wins the Laver Cup.

READ: Djokovic downs Medvedev at US Open to win record-tying 24th Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Sunday to win his fourth US Open and a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, cementing his claim as the greatest tennis player in history. 

The 36-year-old Djokovic won 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to become the oldest men’s champion in New York in the Open era and match Margaret Court’s all-time mark for most Grand Slam victories.

“I don’t know where to start. It obviously means the world to me,” said Djokovic, wearing a white jacket with the number 24 on his chest during the trophy presentation.

“It’s hard to describe. I’m really living my childhood dream to compete at the highest level in this sport.

“I never imagined I would be standing talking about 24 Grand Slams but the last couple of years I’ve felt I have a chance and I have a shot at history and why not grab it.”

The Serbian is the first man to win three Grand Slam events in the same season four times, crowning his impending return to world number one in the most fitting of ways inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The victory added to his wins at the Australian and French Opens earlier this year, with the only blemish his five-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of Wimbledon in July.

“You know, some people who are born, he’s a genius. He’s one of kind. Not too many people in this world like him in sport-wise,” said Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic.

“This is one of the biggest achievement in the sport history.”

Medvedev suffered his fourth loss in five Grand Slam finals, all of which were against Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.

“First of all I want to ask Novak: What are you still doing here? Come on!” quipped Medvedev.

“I don’t know when you are planning to slow down a little bit.

“I mean, 24. I feel like I have not a bad career and I have 20 titles. You have 24 Grand Slams. Wow.”

Medvedev defeated Djokovic in straight sets in the 2021 final to prevent the Serbian from becoming the first man to win all four Grand Slams in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.

Djokovic admitted to feeling overwhelmed on that occasion, but there was little evidence of nerves as he quickly took command of Sunday’s championship match.

The second seed — who missed last year’s US Open because of his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — burst out of the gate with a confident hold sealed by successive aces and struck at the first opportunity, punishing Medvedev for a double-fault to break for a 2-0 lead.

A third ace consolidated his advantage before Medvedev got on the board in the fourth game.

The pair traded holds largely untroubled until Djokovic again put pressure on Medvedev as the third seed served down 2-5.

Medvedev dug in to twice stave off set points, but Djokovic calmly made the set his the following game.

Medvedev dethroned last year’s champion Alcaraz with a “12 out of 10” performance in the semi-finals, but he struggled to replicate his very best consistently against an imperious Djokovic.

Attempting to be the first player to beat the top two seeds en route to the title since 1975, Medvedev once more repeatedly found himself under the pump early in the second set.

He was able to resist, hitting a sweeping volley to fight off break point as he secured a gutsy hold for 4-3 before finally asking questions of Djokovic, who was showing signs of fatigue.

A leaping overhead gave Medvedev his first break chance of the contest the very next game, but Djokovic responded with a brilliant scoop on the half-volley to save it.

Djokovic wobbled serving at 5-6, double-faulting twice as Medvedev brought up set point. But Djokovic was waiting as Medvedev went cross-court, and put away the volley to force a tie-break.

Medvedev seemed to have the momentum on his side after winning an astonishing rally to nose 5-4 ahead only for Djokovic to bag the next three points, snatching a marathon 104-minute second set and closing in on a historic triumph.

“Should have won it,” Medvedev said of the second set. “Should have won it, but sometimes tennis is not that easy.”

Djokovic sportingly offered to help Medvedev to his feet after the Russian took an awkward tumble early in the third set, but there was no such goodwill when two break points came about soon after.

Medvedev pumped a backhand long to hand Djokovic a 3-1 advantage. He gave the break straight back, but Medvedev faltered again and there was no mistake the second time around as Djokovic wrapped up the title before the emotions streamed out.

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Carlos Alcaraz powered into the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday as rival Daniil Medvedev battled through a brutal heatwave to join the Spaniard in the last four. 

Defending champion Alcaraz moved to within one win of a potential dream final with Novak Djokovic with an emphatic straight sets victory over German 12th Alexander Zverev.

Zverev had emerged as a dark horse after a marathon five-set win over Italy’s sixth seed Jannik Sinner on Monday.

But the German’s hopes of extending his stay in New York were obliterated by a devastatingly clinical performance from Alcaraz, who completed a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win in 2hr 30min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The victory leaves the 20-year-old Alcaraz firmly on course for another final showdown with 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic after their Wimbledon classic in July.

Djokovic faces unseeded American Ben Shelton in Friday’s other semi-final.

“I’m feeling really comfortable playing on this court, playing in New York,” said Alcaraz, who will face Russian third seed Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

“I’m feeling strong. I think I’m ready for a great battle against Medvedev,” added Alcaraz, who has dropped just one set en route to the last four.

Medvedev had earlier secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Andrey Rublev in punishing, furnace-like conditions that the Russian said endangered players.

New York has been sweltering in a heatwave this week, with high humidity and temperatures at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday hitting 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).

Tournament organisers confirmed that extreme heat measures were in effect for the quarter-final — but Medvedev was clearly unimpressed.

At one point during the third set, the 2021 US Open champion muttered to a nearby TV camera “one player is going to die and they’re going to see” as he grabbed a towel.

READ: Record-setting Djokovic and Gauff steam into US Open semi-finals

Novak Djokovic charged into a record 47th Grand Slam semi-final on a steamy Tuesday at the US Open with a straight-sets win over Taylor Fritz, while home favourite Coco Gauff stayed on track for her first major title.

Djokovic shrugged off ninth seed Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his dominance of American players in New York and take another step closer to a record-extending 24th men’s Grand Slam title.

The 36-year-old Serbian star will appear in his 13th US Open semi-final, eclipsing the mark he shared with longtime nemesis Roger Federer for most appearances in the last four of a Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic awaits the up-and-coming Ben Shelton, who took down 10th seed and 2022 semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe in an all-American affair in Tuesday’s night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’ve been playing on this court for many years, so many epic matches and I cannot wait for another one in a few days’ time,” said Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion.

Novak Djokovic defeated Fritz for the eighth time in a row, weathering stifling conditions as the temperature topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and humidity rose above 55%.

“It was very humid conditions. Difficult to play but that is why we train and try to get ourselves in the best conditions to deliver. Not easy but you have to fight,” said Djokovic.

Fritz had lost serve just once across four three-set wins in reaching his first US Open quarter-final, but the 25-year-old was broken three straight times to start the match.

Novak Djokovic resisted four break points at 2-1 in the second set and hauled himself over the line after a rollercoaster final few games in the third set, maintaining his quest for a triumphant return to world number one next week.

The unseeded Shelton unleashed 50 winners, using his booming service and blistering forehand to devastating effect to beat Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.

Shelton, who reached the quarter-finals on his Australian Open debut in January, is through to the last four of a major for the first time.

He becomes the youngest American men’s semi-finalist in New York since 1992.

Shelton, 20, saved a set point as he won a crucial third-set tie-break and pulled away in the fourth to settle a historic first Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era featuring two African-American men.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” world number 47 Shelton said of a first-time meeting with Djokovic scheduled for Friday.

“I feel like I left it all out here tonight. It was an emotional battle.”

“End of that third set is when I really had to dig deep,” said Shelton.

“I think that was the key for me tonight. Just being tough and being relentless, and knowing that I could go the distance physically no matter how bad it hurt.”

Tiafoe regretted giving Shelton too many chances to stay in the match.

“Leave door open for a lot of guys, you’re playing with fire,” he said. “Just gonna learn from these moments… It hurts now.”

Coco Gauff swept into the last four earlier on Tuesday with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in 68 minutes in the baking midday heat.

The 19-year-old is the first American teenager to reach the US Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2001.

The sixth seed will meet this year’s French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova for a place in Saturday’s final in a repeat of the championship match won by Gauff last month in Cincinnati.

“It feels great, I’m so happy,” said Gauff. “Last year I lost in the quarter-finals stage and wanted to do better this year. I have a long way to go but I’m happy and will be ready for the next one.”

Coco Gauff has now won 16 of 17 matches since her first round loss at Wimbledon, her recent titles in Washington and Cincinnati establishing herself as one of the US Open favourites.

“There’s still a lot of tennis left to play, and it’s a long match and a long tournament,” said Gauff.

“You know, even though the semi-finals, by theory, if you want to win there’s two matches left. You can’t think like that.”

Muchova reached her second Grand Slam semi-final of the season with a 6-0, 6-3 demolition of veteran Romanian 30th seed Sorana Cirstea.

The 10th-seeded Czech broke six times and hit 32 winners in a consummate performance.

“I’m just trying to keep things actually pretty easy and don’t put much expectations on me,” said Muchova.

Cirstea, 33, had been playing in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for only the second time in a professional career that began in 2006.

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Defending champion Iga Swiatek was sent crashing out of the US Open on Sunday, losing in three sets to Latvia’s 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko.

Ostapenko fought back after losing the opening set to record a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory in 1hr 48min and will now face American sixth seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The defeat means Polish star Iga Swiatek will end her 75-week reign as women’s world number one when the rankings are updated after the US Open, with rival Aryna Sabalenka set to take over top spot.

Ostapenko’s victory also extends her unbeaten record against Swiatek after wins in all three of her previous meetings with her.

“I always expect a tough battle against Iga, she’s such a great player and won many Slams and is so consistent,” Ostapenko said after her win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

“I knew I had to be aggressive and play my game because that’s what she doesn’t like.

“I was just thinking that I have to play until the very last point, until we shake hands. I felt like I was playing better and didn’t give her many chances.”

Iga Swiatek had cruised into the fourth round after not dropping a set in her first three matches, looking in prime form to defend the title she won last year.

On Sunday she finally looked ready to score a first victory over Ostapenko, playing confidently to take the first set.

But Ostapenko snatched an early break in the second set and then held for a 3-0 lead and Swiatek was always struggling thereafter.

She managed to break Ostapenko and served to level at 4-4, but instead was broken again to give the Latvian a 5-3 lead.

Jelena Ostapenko then survived a break point to close out the set at 6-3.

In the third, Swiatek had no answer to Ostapenko as she broke the champion twice in the first three games to take 3-0 lead.

She then broke Iga Swiatek in the fifth game to go 5-0 ahead.

Although Ostapenko was broken as she served for the match, Swiatek again struggled on serve and was broken again to go tumbling out.

READ: Novak Djokovic back on top after US Open return, Swiatek rolls

Zhang Zhizhen sent fifth seed Casper Ruud crashing out of the US Open on Wednesday, creating tennis history by becoming the first man from China to beat a top-five player.

The 26-year-old from Shanghai — ranked 67th in the world — produced the match of his life to defeat last year’s US Open finalist 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 in 3hr 19min.

Zhang Zhizhen’s victory was the first time any male Chinese player has beaten a player ranked in the world’s top five.

Zhang will face Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the third round on Friday, bidding to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Wednesday’s turnaround was in stark contrast to Zhang’s campaign in last year’s tournament where he was bundled out in the first round after his career was effectively shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“First of all, with the COVID situation, it’s tough to get outside. Then everything is tough,” Zhang Zhizhen said.

“I don’t think (at) that moment we believed we can make this result. That moment I would say we are more thinking like try to break top hundred, that’s our goal, the goal you have step by step.”

Zhang said he would take that approach to the rest of the US Open starting with Friday’s third-round tie.

“One round by one round, one step by one step, and we’ll see,” he said. “I can’t think too far. Every round is tough.”

Earlier, tempers had flared after Ruud had levelled the match at two sets apiece with a 6-0 fourth set.

Zhang Zhizhen left the court for several minutes to take a toilet break and change clothes in a move that clearly disrupted Ruud’s momentum.

The Norwegian was broken immediately in the first game of the final set, and a frustrated Casper Ruud complained angrily at the chair umpire, accusing him of failing to enforce time limits.

“Why don’t you do anything?” Ruud yelled at the umpire. “You follow the rules clearly some times then other times you don’t give a shit. Why don’t you do anything?”

With Ruud unravelling, Zhang rammed home his advantage. He broke again in the fifth game to take a 4-1 lead and then held for a 5-1 lead.

Casper Ruud held serve to close the gap to 5-2, but Zhang would not be denied, producing a superb backhand volley on match point to seal victory.

Casper Ruud later admitted that Zhang Zhizhen’s lengthy break had derailed him before the deciding set.

“It’s six, seven minutes where I kind of walk around doing nothing,” Ruud said. “Lost my maybe groove there, and that’s frustrating, because you’re on a roll, you won the fourth set, you want to kind of keep going.

“That’s why I was a little frustrated, kind of asked the umpire about what the rules are here.”

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Novak Djokovic ensured he will return to the top of tennis’s world rankings with an emphatic first-round victory at the US Open on Monday as women’s world number one Iga Swiatek and American rival Coco Gauff advanced.

Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title in New York, shrugged off a late-night start on the Arthur Ashe Stadium to demolish France’s Alexandre Muller 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 in just 1hr 35min.

The win means Djokovic is guaranteed to replace defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as world number one when the tennis rankings are next updated after the tournament.

Djokovic is playing in New York for the first time since suffering an agonising defeat in the 2021 final in New York.

He was barred from entry to the United States in 2022 for his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning he was unable to play in the US Open.

On Monday the 36-year-old played like a man making up for lost time, reeling off 32 winners and breaking Muller eight times in a lopsided encounter that finished at around 12.40 am local time.

Djokovic, who will face Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round, said he was unfazed by the late start to his game.

“I didn’t care if I started after midnight because I was looking forward to this moment for a few years, to be out on the biggest stadium in our sport, the loudest stadium in our sport, playing night session,” Djokovic said. “It was a great joy to be stepping out on the court.

“I think the performance explains how I felt tonight, particularly in the first two sets. It was kind of lights-out tennis really, almost flawless, perfect first set.

“Overall I’m very, very pleased with the way I feel, with the way I’m playing. Hopefully, I can maintain that level.”

Djokovic’s arrival on court had been delayed after a gruelling three-set battle between American teenager Gauff and Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the preceding night game.

The 19-year-old Gauff, tipped by many as the biggest threat to defending US Open champion Swiatek, was forced to dig deep before winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in 2hr 50min.

An ill-tempered clash was marked by tetchy confrontations by both players with chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.

Gauff accused the Serbian official of failing to properly enforce time violation rules against Siegemund.

“I felt like the rules were being bent,” Gauff said. “That’s why a lot of players get mad when these time violations are called because one ref is letting them go over, the other is more strict on the time.”

Siegemund, 35, meanwhile voiced disgust at the partisan New York crowd, describing them as “respectless” for the way they cheered every error or missed first serve.

“They had no respect for me, no respect for the way I played, no respect for the player that I am, they had no respect for good tennis,” Siegemund said.

In other women’s games on Monday, defending champion Swiatek needed less than hour to defeat Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson 6-0, 6-1.

The 22-year-old world number one from Poland overwhelmed her opponent with five breaks of serve and 20 winners to complete victory in just 58 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I wanted to start the tournament with everything I was focusing on. I was happy to play a great game, with all the pressure and expectations I was happy on the court,” said Swiatek after her win.

Swiatek, targeting her fifth Grand Slam title, will face Daria Saville of Australia in round two.

While Swiatek advanced safely, there was no such luck for Greece’s eighth seed Maria Sakkari, who became the highest-ranked early casualty, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Spain’s Rebeka Masarova, ranked 71st in the world.

Kazakhstan’s fourth seed Elena Rybakina was an easy winner over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, cruising through to the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

There was also a win for former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, making her first Grand Slam appearance in over three years.

The 33-year-old Danish mother-of-two, who came out of retirement earlier this month, defeated Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova 6-3, 6-2.

Back in the men’s draw meanwhile, Djokovic’s route to a potential final meeting with Alcaraz was made easier as Danish fourth seed Holger Rune was stunned in four sets by Spanish journeyman Roberto Carballes Baena, a clay-court specialist ranked 63rd in the world.

Carballes Baena punished an error-strewn display by Rune to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Last year’s US Open runner-up, Norway’s fifth seed Casper Ruud, reached the second round with a battling 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Emilio Nava of the United States.

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