NEW YORK. – World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas fired down a career-high 27 aces on the way to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 win over second-round opponent Adrian Mannarino on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), but another protracted bathroom break drew jeers from the US Open crowd.
Greek Tsitsipas won all his first-serve points in the opening set and fired off 53 winners in the match to Mannarino’s 26 and looked set for a straightforward win at Arthur Ashe Stadium before the Frenchman won a third-set tiebreak.
Tsitsipas then retreated to the locker room for a bathroom break of more than seven minutes, leaving Mannarino to ask for some balls to be brought out so that he could stay loose ahead of the fourth set.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round after Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic withdrew ahead of their second-round match due to illness, tournament organizers said.
The Japanese third seed and world No. 145 Danilovic, who was competing in her first US Open main draw, were scheduled to be the day’s second match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Tsitsipas, who infuriated Andy Murray in the last round by taking a seven minute-plus break, was met with a chorus of boos from spectators when he returned and even as he served to start the set. — Reuters
