US Open: Kasatkina through to last 16, sets up Sabalenka clash

Russian Daria Kasatkina, the No 13 seed, moved into the last 16 of the US Open by winning against Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Saturday.

Kasatkina, ranked No 14, will face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, next.

With this win, Kasatkina equals her best-ever run at the US Open – she also reached the fourth round in New York in 2017.

Minnen can be pleased with her own run, which equalled her best-ever, reaching the third round two years ago as a qualifier.

The Russian beat American Alycia Parks (2-6, 6-4, 6-2) and edged out American Sofia Kenin (2-6, 6-4, 6-4) in the previous rounds of the Flushing Meadow tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, Minnen, ranked No 97, won against American wildcard Venus Williams (6-1, 6-1) and edged out American qualifier Sachia Vickery (6-3, 4-6, 6-4).

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
• Elina Svitolina vs. Jessica Pegula
• Qinwen Zheng vs. Lucia Bronzetti
• Liudmila Samsonova vs. Madison Keys: saturday
• Aryna Sabalenka beat Clara Burel: 6-1, 6-1
• Sorana Cirstea (30) beat Elena Rybakina (4): 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4
• Belinda Bencic (15) beat Lin Zhu: 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3
• 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