US Open: Sinner, Swiatek, and Medvedev Look to Make a Mark on Day Six

The top half of the US Open draw has taken a dramatic turn with the shock second-round loss of Carlos Alcaraz, paving the way for world number one and top seed Jannik Sinner to make a strong run in the tournament. Sinner, who has been in impressive form this year, faces Australia’s Christopher O’Connell on Saturday, looking to make the last 16 in New York for a fourth successive season.

O’Connell, who has reached the third round of the US Open for the first time, has had a remarkable journey to get to this point. The 87th-ranked player was once a boat cleaner, but he never gave up on his tennis dreams. "I was thinking, ‘Sweet, I don’t have to teach anyone to hit a forehand and I can just clean boats and relax,’" he recalled. "But I always had in the back of my mind that I was going to get back out there once I was healthy and ready."

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, looks to continue her impressive form against Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova on Saturday. Swiatek, who has secured a season-leading 55th win of 2024, will be seeking revenge against Pavlyunchenkova, who suffered a 6-0, 6-0 blowout when they met on the Rome clay last year.

Pavlyunchenkova, a vastly experienced Grand Slam campaigner, has made the quarter-finals of seven Grand Slams, including the 2019 French Open final. She will be looking to cause an upset against the dominant Swiatek.

In another intriguing match, Flavio Cobolli, a 22-year-old Italian, takes on Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, in a battle of contrasting styles. Medvedev, known for his eccentricity, was champion in New York in 2021, where he thwarted Novak Djokovic’s bid for a rare calendar Grand Slam. Cobolli, one of four Italians to make the third round, is looking to reach the last 16 of a Slam for the first time.

The US Open, which will conclude on September 8, promises to be an exciting tournament, with many players looking to make a mark on the Grand Slam stage.