Belgium’s Alexander Blockx and Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo shrugged off early deficits to knock out top-10 seeds during U.S. Open third-round action on Saturday in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
Cerundolo dropped the first two sets to No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz before rallying for a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 triumph in Arthur Ashe Stadium. While most of the statistics and percentages favored Fritz, Cerundolo earned one more break than the 2024 U.S. Open finalist.
“Taylor is a top player,” Cerundolo said during his on-court interview. “He played the final here and won a lot of matches. I know how difficult it is to play against him. Winning here, my first time on Ashe, it’s fantastic.”
Fritz made his earliest exit at the U.S. Open since 2022, when he lost in the first round to Brandon Holt.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Fritz said after Saturday’s match. “I don’t really want to talk to anybody or see anybody. I kind of just need to get out for a couple of days and then just kind of get back to work. I don’t know how I let that happen today.”
He had more aces (12-10), fewer double faults (5-9) and the same number of unforced errors (54). Cerundolo had more winners (41-37) and converted six of 19 break-point chances, to 5 of 12 for Fritz.
“He played a very good game to get the break back in the third,” Fritz said. “It was kind of just the same thing that had been happening, as I wasn’t serving as well as I normally do.
“On top of that, he’s a very, very good returner. I think it made it look and feel worse, and the fact that I wasn’t really hitting my spots enough on the serve. He was punishing me more than maybe a normal person would.”
Top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany avoided an upset, ousting No. 24 Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Zverev had been extended in two five-set victories totaling nine hours and 26 minutes to open his tournament run. His match on Saturday was a mere two hours and 27 minutes.
“My coach was actually quite smart. He explained to me that a best-of-five-sets match doesn’t mean you have to play five sets,” Zverev joked following his win. “I didn’t know that until today, but I am definitely happy with the improvements. Definitely happy that my level is going in the right direction. I am happy to be in the second week.”
Zverev had more aces (10-7) and won 72% of his first serve points (56 of 78), to 57% (50 of 88) for Tabilo. Zverev converted six of 13 break-point opportunities, to 2 of 8 for Tobilo.
Zverev improved to 3-0 in his career at this tour level with Tabilo.
His fourth-round opponent is No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy, who advanced to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over Australia’s Dane Sweeny. The last time Darderi faced Zverev, he saved four match points and upset the German in the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May.
Cerundolo, the No. 24 seed, moves on to a fourth-round showdown with No. 28 seed Blockx, who had an easier time shocking No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy. Blockx piled up 17 aces to just five for Cobolli to win 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 in two hours, 44 minutes. Cobolli, the 2026 French Open runner-up, had defeated Blockx two weeks earlier in Cincinnati.
“I think this was one of the craziest experiences so far in my career,” said the 21-year-old Blockx.
Karen Khachanov, who knocked out No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, handled France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Learner Tien, the 14th seed, outlasted 17th-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 28 minutes. Mensik dominated in aces (23-4) and winners (55-35), but he also had more unforced errors (59-39). His American opponent was 7 of 14 on break-point chances while saving 9 of 14.
Also in the round of 32, France’s Arthur Gea rallied to beat American wild card Michael Zheng 7-6 (7), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; and Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands upset No. 31 seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3.
–Field Level Media
