Wednesday in New York put the tournament back on the clock. Rain had torn the first round for two days; 2 September finished the leftovers and went straight into the second. Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed and defending champion, dropped the first set 4-6 to Portugal’s Jaime Faria and took the next three: 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Two hours 40. Next is China’s Wu Yibing. Aryna Sabalenka put Polina Iatcenko away 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Ashe. Next is Kamilla Rakhimova. The women’s No. 1 is going for a third straight New York title. For now it looks like a working night, not a drama.
The Americans hold; Rublev does not
Ben Shelton beat Hubert Hurkacz in four: 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5. Frances Tiafoe removed qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 — 18 aces and 40 unforced errors from the Japanese. Daniil Medvedev, the seventh seed and a former US Open champion, beat wild card Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. The first two sets were control; in the third the American even led 5-4 after saving break points. Jessica Pegula needed 56 minutes to beat Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 and set a meeting with Leylah Fernandez. Marta Kostyuk beat Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5. Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-2 over Tararudee.
Seeds went. Andrey Rublev lost in four to Daniel Mérida. Brandon Nakashima, the 16th seed, fell to Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Rafael Jodar won four games against lucky loser Bu Yunchaokete. For the American men’s draw that cuts a hope: Nakashima was one of the names in the 23-year home-champion drought talk. Shelton, Tiafoe and Paul remain.
What Wednesday leaves
The first round officially closed late. Stefanos Tsitsipas turned Lloyd Harris after losing the first set. Elina Svitolina got through Maya Joint in three. Emma Navarro won a US Open match after dropping the first set for the first time, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 over Caty McNally. Rain can still come back. The draw cannot: third round from Friday, Thursday still finishing the second. Alcaraz has closed his ledger. Sabalenka too. Rublev has not.
