New York: Much like for so many other folks, Serena Williams' last match at the U.S. Open was must-see TV for players still in the tournament, so Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova tuned in from their hotel rooms the night before their victories led off and set up a fourth-round showdown.
Of course I watched Serena. I'm like everyone else, said Pegula, a 28-year-old American who is seeded No. 8 at Flushing Meadows and beat qualifier Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-0. You feel kind of sad that's how it ends. But, I don't know, like I got a little, like, sentimental, too, watching her, how emotional she was getting.
Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, credited Williams' last stand the owner of 23 Grand Slam titles fended off five match points before bowing out in three sets against Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in what is expected to be her final contest with offering inspiration.
Yes, Williams is gone, leaving the year's last major tournament and, in some ways, the sport as a whole without its biggest star and storyline. Still, the show must go on.
So there was Kvitova, undaunted as ever, despite dropping the first set, despite trailing 5-2 in the third, despite being a point from defeat twice at 6-5.
Here's how close this one was: Kvitova won 109 total points, Muguruza 108.
Left everything on the court today, said No. 9 Muguruza, a two-time Slam winner whose departure means the bracket is without six of the top 10 women entering the fourth round.
No. 1 Iga Swiatek advanced by beating Lauren Davis 6-3, 6-4, and No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Clara Burel 6-0, 6-2.
During the night session in Ashe, 22-time major champ Rafael Nadal improved his career mark against Richard Gasquet to 18-0 with a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 victory. Nadal won the opening nine games and was on his way to improving to 22-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2022.
Nadal did not have stitches or a bandage on his nose, two days after accidentally cutting it with his racket during his previous victory. Nadal's win was followed by Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins' 6-4, 7-6 (11-9) win over Aliz Cornet.
In other action Saturday, two-time Australian Open champion Viktoria Azarenka was a 6-3, 6-0 winner against Petra Martic; two-time major runner-up Karolina Pliskova beat Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, a 19-year-old Spaniard, defeated unseeded Jenson Brooksby, a 21-year-old Californian, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; No. 7 Cam Norrie beat No. 28 Holger Rune 7-5, 6-4, 6-1 in the men's draw; No. 9 Andrey Rublev got past No. 19 Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (10-7).