Taylor Fritz overcame a jittery start, Jessica Pegula extended her run of consistency and Emma Navarro continued to build on last year’s breakout season as all three Americans advanced to the third round of the US Open with convincing victories on Wednesday.
On a breezy afternoon at Flushing Meadows, Fritz recovered from a sluggish opening set to defeat South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4. The fourth seed, runner-up here last year, was forced to navigate a tricky test against the big-serving Harris, who has been rebuilding his career after injuries saw his ranking plummet outside the world’s top 300.
Fritz dropped serve early and ceded the first set as Harris’s forehand found its range. But the American steadied behind his own delivery, pounding 17 aces in all, and dominated the second-set tiebreak to level the match. From there he played with the authority expected of a top-five seed, breaking twice in the third set and riding the crowd’s energy in Louis Armstrong Stadium to finish off the win in just under three hours.
“It’s always difficult when a guy like Lloyd comes out swinging freely,” Fritz said. “He was serving great and putting a lot of pressure on me early. I just had to hang tough, get through the breaker, and then I felt like I found my rhythm.”
If Fritz was made to sweat, Pegula’s passage was more straightforward. The world No 4, who reached her first grand slam final here a year ago, eased past Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3 on the Grandstand court. Showing the patience and precision that have become her calling card, Pegula broke serve six times and struck 30 winners to close out the match in a scant 64 minutes.
The 31-year-old is now the first American woman since Madison Keys to reach the third round in New York for six years running, underlining her reliability at the majors. She will next face two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka, who advanced with a win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
“I knew if Anna got into a groove she could be really dangerous,” Pegula said afterwards. “I just wanted to take control right away, not let her dictate. I’m pleased with how I kept my foot on the gas.”
Pegula, who has already collected tour-high 20 wins on US soil this season, admitted that the challenge of solving problems on court is what keeps her motivated deep into her career. “You’ve got to be fearless to play this sport, because one of you is going to lose out there in front of everyone. But when you work your way through and win, that feeling is pretty unmatched.”
The surge of homegrown players was further bolstered by Navarro, the 23-year-old who backed up her semi-final run here last year with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 dismissal of Caty McNally. Navarro, who strugged in Sunday’s first-round win over Wang Yafan, was ruthless in exploiting McNally’s inconsistency, converting seven of eight break points and sealing the victory in just over an hour.
“It was definitely quicker than I expected, but not easy,” Navarro said. “I feel like there’s something special about being here: the energy, the crowd, it really pushes me.”
Navarro’s next assignment is a daunting one: two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova, a player she beat earlier this summer at Wimbledon. Should she advance again, a potential fourth-round clash with 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva looms, while a quarter-final date with close friend Pegula remains a possibility.
The victories for Fritz, Pegula and Navarro ensured a buoyant day for American tennis, offsetting the disappointment No 30 seed Brandon Nakashima’s 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10) defeat to Switzerland’s Jerome Kym on Court 12.
For now, the focus remained on the trio of US contenders who underlined their title credentials. “It’s a long road,” Fritz said, “but days like this, with the support and the atmosphere, it really feels like home.”