Taylor Fritz overcomes a shocking start, Jessica Pegula expands her consistency and Emma Navarro continues to build in last year’s breakthrough season as all three Americans won the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday with a convincing victory.
On a relaxing afternoon in Flushing Meadows, Fritz recovered from a slow opening scene to beat South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4. Last year’s fourth seed finished second here, forced to do a tricky test against Harris, who has been rebuilding his career after an injury, which has plunged his ranking into the top 300 in the world.
Fritz served early and ceded the first set when Harris’ forehand spotted his range. But the Americans stabilised their childbirth and slammed 17 A total and dominated the second set tiebreak to reach the game level. From there, he played the authority of the expected top five seeds, broke twice in the third set and rode the crowd energy at Louis Armstrong Stadium to complete the victory in less than three hours.
“It’s always hard when someone like Lloyd comes out to swing freely,” Fritz said. “His service is great and puts a lot of pressure on me early on. I just have to hang strongly, go through the circuit breaker, and then I feel like I’ve found the rhythm.”
Pegula’s passing is easier if Fritz sweats. No. 4, who entered her first Grand Slam final here a year ago, relieved Russia’s Anna Blinkova with a 6-1, 6-3 record in the stands. Pegula showed patience and precision that had become her phone card, breaking the game six times and winning 30 winners in 64 minutes to end the game.
The 31-year-old is now the first American woman since Madison Keys entered the third round of New York for six consecutive years, emphasizing her reliability in professionalism. Next, she will face two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka, who won the victory of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Pegula then said, “I know if Anna is in trouble, she may be really dangerous.” “I just want to control it immediately, not let her order. I’m glad how I keep my steps.”
Pegula, who has already achieved a top 20 wins on U.S. soil this season, admitted that the challenge of solving problems in court was the driving force behind her career. “You have to be afraid to play the sport because one of you will lose there in front of everyone. But when you win your way, that feels unparalleled.”
Navarro, 23, further strengthened the surge in local players, who supported her semifinal here last year, rejecting Caty McNally 6-2, 6-1. Navarro was struggling in his first round defeat of Wang Yafan on Sunday, ruthless inconsistency against McNally, switching seven of eight breakout points and winning in over an hour.
“It’s definitely faster than I expected, but it’s not easy,” Navarro said. “I think there’s something special here: the energy, the crowd, really pushes me.”
Navarro’s next mission is daunting: two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova, a player she defeated at Wimbledon earlier this summer. If she moves forward again, a potential fourth-round clash with 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva is imminent, and a quarter-final with close friend Pegula is still possible.
Fritz, Pegula and Navarro’s victory secured a day of buoyancy in the U.S. tennis, offsetting the 4-6, 7-6 (2) of No. 30 seed Brandon Nakashima, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 (10) defeated Switzerland’s Jerome Kym on Court 12.
For now, the focus remains on the trio of American competitors that emphasize their title certificates. “It’s a long road, but days like this, with support and atmosphere, feel like home.”
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