Jack Draper makes it into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time after another superb victory at Flushing Meadows but British No 1 Cameron Norrie crashes out I Watch the final Grand Slam of the year in New York - live on Sky Sports Tennis
Saturday 2 September 2023 22:51, UK
Britain's Jack Draper reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time after beating American Michael Mmoh in the third round of the US Open.
The British No 4 silenced the home crowd with a gritty display in a 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory on Grandstand, which is the court Draper hurt his hamstring a year ago in his third-round match against Karen Khachanov, forcing him to retire.
He said: "It was a tough match, Michael is an incredible player who has had a great year and I knew would be a challenge. I was proud of the way I came through it.
"Last year was really difficult, I injured myself and didn't want that to happen today. To come through after a tough year for me, I'm very happy."
Draper made a quick-fire start by going two sets to love ahead, before Mmoh, ranked 89 in the world, hit back in the third, but the Brit dug deep to break for 4-2 in the fourth before clinching a huge win.
The 21-year-old has been beset by injuries ever since and was a doubt to even play in New York due to a tear in his shoulder.
Yet Draper, serving with less vim than usual in a bid to manage the problem, still thumped 52 winners to surge into the last 16.
Draper will play eighth seed Andrey Rublev next after the Russian advanced after recovering from a set down with a 3-6 6-3 6-1 7-5 win over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
British No 1 Cameron Norrie tumbled out after a straight-sets defeat to unseeded Matteo Arnaldi on Court 17.
An out-of-sorts Norrie, the 16th seed, was beaten 6-3 6-4 6-3 by the Italian world No 61 who came into the tournament with a 1-5 record in Tour-level hard court matches.
"I actually think I started well," Norrie said. "I was hitting the ball really well all week but I didn't have the shot tolerance to hang with him.
"He was really crafty and won a lot of tough points so credit to him."
Sky welcomes tennis back to its channels, adding to the existing sports portfolio and reaffirming the broadcaster as the home of live sport in the UK & Ireland.
Sky Sports' new mixed reality studio features multiple custom built LED screens, integrated light 'sabres', and an open canopy roof, making the space alive with colour and energy to reflect the vibrancy of the last Grand Slam of the year.
With integrated AR capabilities, a versatile LED floor, and a 'fourth wall', the viewer will be transported to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in a 360-degree immersive environment. Our tennis experts will take the viewer into the eyes of the players for expert Hawkeye analysis and insight as the tournament progresses.
The technology involved allows us to add an entire new dimension and will bring customers closer to the action.
Highlights of matches will be available across Sky Sports TV and our social media platforms.
Video highlights will also be available of the Sky Sports website and app, where there will also be a daily live text commentary on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as live scores, reports, analysis and features.
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