US Open Day 3 highlights: Coco Gauff cruises, but title defense is about to get tougher

coko GA the 20-year-old reigning US Open Champion has sailed through the first two rounds of this year's tournament but the true test of her title defense is just beginning gof who captured her first Grand Slam title at last year's US Open has been candid about the pressure she faced in 2023 back then she was the informed player on the women's tour with the weight of expectations on her shoulders this year however she's approaching the tournament with a different mindset suggesting that the pressure isn't as intense despite her status as the defending champion I really have nothing to lose G said in her on court interview following her second round victory over Germany's tatana Maria I am 20 years old I have one title under my belt and I have the potential to do more whether it happens this year or in the future her confidence was evident as she took down Maria 6 to4 6 to0 despite some shaky moments early on the first set saw G struggling to find her Rhythm but she managed to Edge out Maria and then dominated the second set showcasing the kind of form that won her the title last year however gal's path forward will be far from Easy in the third round she's set to face the number 27 seed Alina fedelina a formidable opponent with a history of deep runs at the US Open sped Alina who has previously reached the semi-finals and quarterfinals in New York is known for her ability to endure long rallies and frustrate her opponents with consistent play although Selina may not be as dominant as she was during her top five years from 2017 to 2021 her experience and resilience make her a dangerous opponent the two have met twice before four with their most recent encounter being a grueling three set battle in January where gal emerged Victorious 6 to7 6:3 6 to3 in the Ackland final after 2 hours and 23 minutes this history suggests that their upcoming match could be another intense closely fought contest Beyond gal's performance day three of the US Open was packed with excitement including a dramatic comeback an unexpected upset and a much anticipated American Faceoff Andre rublev the fiery Russian known for his emotional outbursts on cour managed to keep his composure in a marathon match against Francis Arthur reynick however it wasn't rublev's emotions that posed the biggest challenge it was the sweltering heat with temperatures soaring to 90° rublev battled through physical discomfort using ice packs and cold air hoses to stay cool despite these challenges rublev staged a remarkable comeback rallying from two sets down to win four to six 5 to 7 6 to1 6-2 6-2 the match lasted 4 hours and 6 minutes pushing rublev to his limits as he struggled with stomach issues late in the match rublev seated sixth has reached 10 grand slam quarterfinals including four at the US Open but has yet to break through to a semi-final his victory over reynick keeps his hopes alive but the road ahead remains daunting Barbara Cova the 2021 French Open Champion has had a roller coaster of a year and her US Open campaign ended abruptly in the second round the 28-year-old Czech player who recently won Wimbledon in a stunning display of grass Court prowess fell to the number 122 ranked Elena Gabriella ruse of Romania 6 to4 7 to5 crova had been dealing with a thigh injury and hadn't played since the French Open but she was still expected to advance past ruse however the demands of her Wimbledon Victory and the obligations that followed may have finally caught up with her leading to an early exit in New York Peyton Sterns a 22-year-old American and former NCAA champion from the University of Texas is making waves on the WTA tour rank number 4 seven Sterns faced the number 12 seed Daria kakina in the second round and delivered a stunning performance Sterns dispatched caka 6 to1 7 to6 avenging a narrow loss to the Russian at the Australian Open earlier this year Sterns who won her first WTA title in Morocco in May and reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 in Canada recently is rapidly emerging as a player to watch she will now face Donna vekic the recent Olympic silver medalist in the third Rue Blockbuster match between two of America's brightest tennis stars Ben Shelton and Francis TFO Shelton the number 13 seed secured his spot with a straight sets victory over Roberto bista gut while tifo seated 20th Advanced after his opponent Alexander shenko retired early in the third set this matchup is highly anticipated as Shelton and TFO faced off in last year's US Open quarterfinals where Shelton pulled off a stunning upset now with the role somewhat reversed Shelton being the higher seed in TFO looking to to recapture his best form the stage is set for another thrilling encounter Shelton expressed his excitement for the match acknowledging the challenge of facing TFO on home soil these are the type of matches I love that I live for Shelton said I know that the people love him here probably more than me he's electric here and his crowds are electric here we're good friends and it'll be a battle it'll be a war like the last two times we played but I'm more than excited to be out there with him again tifo who made a memorable semi-final run at the US open in 2022 is eager to reclaim his form and has shown promising signs in recent weeks including a close five set loss to Carlos alcaro at Wimbledon it's not easy waiting for this tournament all year TFO said before the US Open began I'm so amped up it's circled on the calendar every year I love these two weeks and I love playing tennis after Wimbledon in the states there's no better time for me another American Brandon Nakashima has been flying under the radar but is making a strong case for himself as one of the best servers in men tennis nakashima's statistics this season Place him among the top 10 in terms of service games one in his second round match against Arthur Kazo Nakashima faced just two break points and didn't allow any maintaining his perfect record from the first round with a first serve percentage of 67% and 23 Aces so far in the tournament nakashima's serve is proving to be a crucial weapon he'll next face Lorenzo musetti the number 18 seed who has been in great form including a semi-final run at Wimbledon and a bronze medal at the the Paris Olympics as the tournament progresses the action only intensifies Thursday's Top matches include a blockbuster showdown between two-time US Open Champion Naomi Osaka and last year's semi-finalist karolina muchova number six seed Jessica Pula will take on fellow American Sophia Kennan the 2020 Australian Open champion in what promises to be a hard-fought battle meanwhile number seven seed Hubert herot will face Australian Jordan Thompson rounding out a day filled with high stakes tennis as the US Open heats up all eyes will be on Koko GA and the other contenders as they navigate their way through the draw each vying for a chance to lift the trophy at the end of these two intense weeks in New York