Zverev seeks US Open last eight as Osaka faces Rybakina

US Open 2023: Zverev and Osaka await in the fourth round as top-seeded Zverev battles Luciano Darderi for quarter-finals berth

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev kicked off his US Open journey with a place in the quarter-finals as he takes on Luciano Darderi for a spot in the last eight. The German star, who had a challenging start to his campaign with two marathon five-setters, will aim to improve against the 21st-seeded Italian. Zverev will once again anchor the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he faced Alejandro Tabilo in a smooth match earlier.

Meanwhile, the pressure is on reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina as she faces Naomi Osaka in a fourth-round clash. Rybakina, who is ranked second in the world, only needs to reach the semi-finals to knock out Aryna Sabalenka from the top spot. However, Osaka, who has faced a few mid-match dips in her matches, is confident of her ability to handle the challenge posed by the Kazakh player.

She stated that she will play at a high level against Rybakina and believes that the most exciting tennis comes when playing against top-ranked opponents.

Another thrilling match to watch is the fourth-round contest between Francisco Cerundolo and Alexander Blockx. Cerundolo, who is the highest-ranked Latin American player on the ATP Tour, made an upset third-round victory by defeating ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz. The 21-year-old Belgian is now aiming to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Blockx, who is making his Grand Slam debut at the US Open, reached the second week for the first time by defeating fifth-seeded Flavio Cobolli in four sets. Both players are confident of their tennis abilities, making their fourth-round encounter an exciting one to watch.