{
  "id": 5247155,
  "title": "World number three Pegula, Medvedev power into US Open third round",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/world-number-three-pegula-medvedev-power-into-us-open-third-round",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T04:40:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2026/09/03/world-number-three-pegula-medvedev-power-into-us-open-third-round/233753"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York, September 3 - Jessica Pegula and former champion Daniil Medvedev swiftly advanced to the third round of the US Open with commanding straight-sets wins. American prospect Ben Shelton also secured a spot in the next round, while defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are aiming to follow. Unfazed by continuous rain, a select few players were still battling to progress into the third round four days into the tournament. Pegula, ranked third in the world, defeated Australian Open semifinalist Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Seventh-seeded Medvedev, who has faced challenges in the hard court format, outlasted US wildcard Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. Pegula, aiming to replace Sabalenka at the top of the rankings, exhibited remarkable focus, holding her ground despite facing only seven points on serve. She will face Leylah Fernandez next. Medvedev, who struggled during the hard court preparations, showcased resilience, serving 14 aces and overcoming a brief distraction caused by birds perched on the net. He expressed dissatisfaction with the umpire's decision on a point he won despite the birds. American Ben Shelton secured a tense victory over former world number six Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, advancing to the third round for the fourth consecutive year. The American's impressive season included a Canadian Open title in Montreal. The next day, defending champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka will continue their matches on Ashe Stadium, with Sabalenka facing 160th-ranked Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko and Alcaraz taking on Portugal's Jaime Faria. Frances Tiafoe, an American seed, and Brandon Nakashima, another American, faced off in a match that could impact their seeding, but Nakashima was defeated by Alex Michelsen. Meanwhile, Australian Alex de Minaur and Paula Badosa were affected by rain, with the former's first-round match interrupted and the latter advancing to a second-round clash with Coco Gauff.",
  "summary": "NEW YORK, Sept 3 — Jessica Pegula and former champion Daniil Medvedev raced into the third round of the US Open ye...",
  "key_points": [
    "Jessica Pegula defeats Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes",
    "Daniil Medvedev beats Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5",
    "Ben Shelton advances to third round after beating Hubert Hurkacz"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Pegula's dominant win boosts her bid to top the rankings, while Medvedev's resilience helps him overcome hard-court struggles and sets up a favourable path in the tournament.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}