Taylor Fritz Falls as US Open Draw Opens
Taylor Fritz and Flavio Cobolli exited the US Open, while Alexander Zverev moved into the last sixteen.
Fritz loses control against Cerundolo
Taylor Fritz entered the third round with control against Francisco Cerundolo, then watched the US Open draw open without him. The No. 7 American held a commanding lead and broke early in the following set. Then the match changed. Cerundolo fought back to take the contest and claim a fourth-round place, removing another prominent seed from the men's field.
Fritz had little to offer immediately afterward. “I don't even know what to say,” he said. He has won seven of his last ten completed matches, but this was a painful defeat after he had created the decisive advantage. The loss ends his attempt to build on his finalist run at Flushing Meadows and leaves the home contingent without one of its most established players.
Cobolli follows Fritz out
Flavio Cobolli soon joined Fritz among the third-round departures after Alexander Blockx turned their match around. Cobolli narrowly took the opening set, yet his level dropped sharply from there. It unraveled quickly. Blockx took control through the middle of the match and closed out the victory, leaving the Italian unable to recover.
Cobolli pointed to dwindling energy after the defeat. “I think my energy was a little bit lower than the other days,” he said. The No. 12 player has won six of his last ten completed matches, though that recent record could not prevent a sudden exit here. Blockx will now face Cerundolo in the fourth round, with a quarterfinal place available to the winner.
Zverev steadies the top half
Alexander Zverev avoided the same fate against Alejandro Tabilo and moved into the last sixteen. The No. 3 player won in straight sets after two much longer opening matches. That mattered. He still had to erase set points in the middle set and handle early pressure in the next one before taking command again.
Zverev said his level is moving in the right direction, while adding that improvement remains possible. He has won seven of his last ten completed matches and is the leading seed left in his half. Luciano Darderi is next. With so many higher-ranked rivals already gone, Zverev could reach the final without meeting a top ten opponent, but his path still requires him to handle a section that has already punished several favorites.
A thinner field changes the picture
The men's draw has lost many of its leading names during the opening week. Novak Djokovic was beaten by Mariano Navone on the first day, while Arthur Fils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur also departed before the third round. The top half is especially depleted. Fritz and Cobolli had appeared well placed to take advantage, yet neither converted that opportunity.
American interest remains despite Fritz's defeat. Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien are still in the field, while Jannik Sinner is absent through injury and Carlos Alcaraz has recently returned from a wrist problem. The fourth round will clarify who can take control of the altered bracket. For Zverev, Cerundolo and Blockx, the tournament has become far less predictable than it appeared at the start.
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