US Open: Bencic battles past Zhu to reach the last 16, to meet Cirstea next

Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 15 seed, moved into the last 16 of the US Open by beating Chinese Lin Zhu 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

 “(I’m) pleased that I pulled it out in the end. It was a difficult match, for sure, like a roller coaster, up and down,” Bencic said after the win. “I think it was some good rallies there, as well. In the end it was really just a battle so I’m happy I pulled it through. I’m really happy that in the third set I found it again and I pulled it through when it mattered the most.”

Bencic, ranked No 13, will face Romanian Sorana Cirstea, the No 30 seed, for a spot in the quarter-finals. With her three wins this week, Bencic has now won 21 matches at the US Open, including a semi-final appearance in 2019 and two quarter-final appearances. That’s makes New York her most successful Grand Slam venue by far – she has 15 wins at the Australian Open, 14 at Wimbledon and seven at the French Open.

“The conditions suits me. The hard court is a good speed I think for my game. This year we have different balls, but still I think the air is pretty humid also in the day and in the night, so it’s not flying like crazy like Indian Wells, let’s say. I think it suits me very good. From the first time I was here, I really enjoy to be here. It’s the biggest stage so I really want to win. I’m trying and fighting my best in the matches.”

Ahead of her victory, the Swiss won against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova (6-2, 6-4) and qualifier Yuriko Miyazaki (6-3, 6-3).

Zhu, ranked No 44, defeated Egyptian Mayar Sherif (6-3, 7-5) and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 18 seed (6-3, 6-3) in the previous rounds of the Flushing Meadow tournament.

New York (Grand Slam), other third-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):

• Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Marketa Vondrousova
• Ons Jabeur vs. Marie Bouzkova
• Katie Boulter vs. Peyton Stearns
• Qinwen Zheng vs. Lucia Bronzetti
• Elina Svitolina vs. Jessica Pegula
• Liudmila Samsonova vs. Madison Keys
• Clara Burel vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Daria Kasatkina vs. Greet Minnen
• Elena Rybakina vs. Sorana Cirstea: saturday
• Coco Gauff (6) beat Elise Mertens (32): 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
• Caroline Wozniacki (WC) beat Jennifer Brady: 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
• Jelena Ostapenko (20) beat Bernarda Pera: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Kaja Juvan (Q): 6-0, 6-1
• Xinyu Wang beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova: 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
• Karolina Muchova (10) beat Taylor Townsend: 7-6, 6-3