NEW YORK: Fifth seed Ons Jabeur produced another gutsy display to reach the US Open last 16 with a three-set win over Marie Bouzkova that took almost three hours.
Jabeur, last year’s runner-up, won 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Czech 31st seed Bouzkova, who was hampered by a thigh injury.
Tunisia’s Jabeur, 29, has been struggling with illness in New York. “Hopefully I’ll continue with this warrior symbol,” she said after winning in two hours and 56 minutes.
Jabeur’s next match at Flushing Meadows as she hunts a first major title will be against Chinese 23rd seed Zheng Qinwen.
In the night session on Louis Armstrong Stadium, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova needed only 56 minutes to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova. Czech ninth seed Vondrousova quickly wrapped up a 6-2, 6-1 win against the Russian 22nd seed in a match which started at about 23:30 local time. She goes on to play American world number 59 Peyton Stearns, who ended British number one Katie Boulter’s run. Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka also breezed through with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over France’s Clara Burel.
Since winning the Australian Open earlier this year, Sabalenka has enjoyed runs to the semi-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.