Muguruza, Halep through; Kerber ousts Stephens
Spanish ninth seed Garbine Muguruza outlasted 18th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Friday at the US Open in a showdown of two-time Grand Slam champions and former world number ones.
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Muguruza matched her best US Open showing from 2017 by defeating three-time US Open runner-up Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the only Slam where the Spaniard hasn't reached the final.
"It's a Grand Slam where I've been struggling," Muguruza said. "This year it's working so I want to keep going."
Muguruza broke at love in the ninth game of the first set and held to grab the lead, then won after two hours and 15 minutes as Azarenka double-faulted.
"Playing on this court in front of this crowd against Vika, it's the perfect scenario," Muguruza said. "Playing the whole year without crowd, this is super amazing. I feel pumped."
Romanian 12th seed Simona Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion battling back after an injury layoff, ousted 19th seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 7-6 (13/11), 4-6, 6-3 after two hours and 25 minutes.
"Definitely it has been a very tough match," Halep said. "I knew she was very powerful. I knew I had to be strong. I knew I had to be calm but I didn't."
Former number one Halep, her right thigh taped after an injury two weeks ago, failed on six set points before Rybakina, who lost four set points herself, double faulted to end a 17-minute tie-breaker and drop the first set after 64 minutes.
Rybakina forced a third set but Halep held firm for the win.
"I just said I have to fight back and I did," said Halep, who says she's "still far" from peak form.
"Every day I'm building my confidence," she said. "It's not easy to be out for several months and then come back and play the matches.
"I'm focused every day. I know it's going to be a tough battle but I have nothing to lose. It's about enjoying the tennis and the fact I'm healthy and can play again."
KERBER DEFEATS STEPHENS
German Angelique Kerber triumphed in the battle of the former champions, downing Sloane Stephens 5-7 6-2 6-3 to reach the fourth round for the first time since 2018.
The 16th-seeded hadn't taken a set off of Stephens in their last five meetings and it looked as though history would repeat itself as Kerber committed 18 unforced errors and a double fault in the first set.
But the 2016 champion wrested the momentum from the American, cleaning up her game in the second set, where she never faced a break point and won the final five games in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
She put up a strong defensive performance as the 2017 Flushing Meadows winner lobbed 13 forehand winners in the third set, fending off three break points in the sixth game and converting on break point in the next, helped by a double fault from Stephens.
She let out a cheer as she booked her second consecutive trip to the fourth round at the US Open and gave credit to Stephens' impressive play.
"To play against Sloane - it's always a tough match," said Kerber. "I knew before that I have to play my best tennis and also after the first set I was just trying to stay in the match."
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