Sinner avoids US Open trapdoor as Swiatek moves into last 16

Sinner avoids US Open trapdoor as Swiatek moves into last 16
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Italy's Jannik Sinner plays a return to Australia's Christopher O'Connell during their men's singles third round match on day six of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 31, 2024. (AFP)
Sinner avoids US Open trapdoor as Swiatek moves into last 16
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Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates her victory over Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during their women's singles third round match on day six of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 31, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 01 September 2024
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Sinner avoids US Open trapdoor as Swiatek moves into last 16

Sinner avoids US Open trapdoor as Swiatek moves into last 16
  • Australian Open champion Sinner raced past 87th-ranked Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

NEW YORK: Jannik Sinner avoided plunging through the US Open trapdoor which claimed Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz when he stormed into the last 16 on Saturday as fellow world number one Iga Swiatek stayed on course for a second New York triumph.
Australian Open champion Sinner raced past 87th-ranked Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
The 23-year-old Italian’s win came a day after four-time champion Djokovic was sent spinning to his earliest loss in New York in 18 years by Alexei Popyrin.
One day earlier, 2022 winner Alcaraz was defeated in the second round by Dutch journeyman Botic van de Zandschulp.
“Today was great match. I knew I had to play very solid. My serve worked well so I am happy with my performance,” said Sinner after firing 15 aces in his 46 winners past outclassed O’Connell of Australia.
Sinner did not face a single break point in his one-hour 53-minute victory which took him into the last 16 for a fourth successive year.
“There have been some upsets in the tournament so let’s see what’s coming. I’m happy to still be here and play as many matches as possible,” added Sinner whose comfortable afternoon on Arthur Ashe Stadium saw tennis legend Serena Williams among the spectators.
Sinner will take on 14th seed Tommy Paul for a quarter-final place after the American defeated Canadian qualifier Gabriel Diallo in four sets.
There were 14 breaks of serve in that tie with Diallo, ranked a lowly 143 in the world, undone by 77 unforced errors.
Four-time French Open champion Swiatek was equally dominant as Sinner as the top-seeded Pole eased into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The 23-year-old didn’t face a single break point and will face another Russian, Liudmila Samsonova for a quarter-final place.
“I like the night sessions but it’s noisy so I need to focus on my job and stay inside my bubble,” said Swiatek who shot a long hard stare at her opponent when a ball was speared toward her early in the second set.
“Anastasia is really powerful, she serves fast so I needed to use my intuition of where the ball was going.”
With Djokovic and Alcaraz heading home to Europe, Daniil Medvedev finds himself as the only former champion left in the men’s tournament.
The eccentric Russian, seeded five, faces Flavio Cobolli, the world number 31 from Italy.
Medvedev famously shattered Djokovic’s bid for a rare calendar Grand Slam when he captured the 2021 title in New York.
This year he was runner-up to Sinner at the Australian Open and made the semis-finals of Wimbledon but is without a tour title since winning the Rome Masters in May last year.
If Medvedev makes the fourth round for the sixth straight year he’ll face unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal who saved three match points in a five-set triumph over Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
Britain’s Jack Draper reached the last 16 for a second successive year by defeating Alcaraz’s conqueror Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Meanwhile, 2023 semifinalist Karolina Muchova, who knocked out two-time champion Naomi Osaka in the second round, cruised into the last 16 by beating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 6-2.
She next faces French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini, the fifth-seeded Italian, who beat Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-4.
Paolini has now made the fourth round of all four Slams this year having previously never got beyond the second round in 16 attempts.
“I’m a fan of her (Muchova). I really love how she plays. She can play every shot, slice, volleys, serve and volleys. She’s a very complete player,” said Paolini.
US sixth seed Jessica Pegula made the second week for a third successive season by defeating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 6-3.
Pegula next faces Diana Shnaider, the 18th-seeded Russian who made the fourth round of a Slam for the first time by seeing off 37-year-old Sara Errani in straight sets.
Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac, ranked 39, also reached the fourth round of a major for the first time by defeating Belgian veteran David Goffin 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
He will take on Draper for a spot in the quarter-finals.


PFL announce stacked card for ‘Battle of the Giants’ in Riyadh

PFL announce stacked card for ‘Battle of the Giants’ in Riyadh
Updated 8 sec ago
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PFL announce stacked card for ‘Battle of the Giants’ in Riyadh

PFL announce stacked card for ‘Battle of the Giants’ in Riyadh
  • Switzerland’s Husein Kadimagomaev will face Germany’s Zafar Mohsen in a featherweight match-up
  • Saudi Mostafa Nada takes on Egypt’s Ahmed Sami in a middleweight bout on the early card

RIYADH: Featherweights Husein Kadimagomaev of Switzerland and Germany’s Zafar Mohsen top the bill in a stacked card for the Professional Fighters League “Battle of the Giants” in Riyadh on Oct.19.

Kadimagomaev enters the bout with an 11-1 record after an amateur record of 12-0, which has put him on the radar as one of the hottest prospects at featherweight. His professional career record includes six wins by knockout, and four by submission.

Meanwhile Afghanistan-born, Germany-based knockout artist Mohsen has had an accomplished career in Europe with his last three wins decided by guillotine, doctor’s stoppage, and a TKO.

The PFL event takes place at Mayadeen in Riyadh, with local fans getting a close look at Saudi mixed martial artist Mostafa Nada, who will take on Egypt’s Ahmed Sami in a middleweight contest on the early card.

Further regional interest will focus on the early card featherweight bout between the UAE’s Youssef Al Housani and the undefeated Morocco-born Taha “Atlas Lion” Bendaoud, who fights out of Las Vegas.

Alongside the confirmed main card, the full early card has been released, including a bantamweight match-up between Raufeon “Supa” Stots and Marcos Breno, who are joined by prospects and veterans from across the Americas, Europe and Asia taking part in PFL’s biggest event yet.

MMA superstar and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou makes his highly anticipated return to the sport. “The Predator” faces PFL heavyweight champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall, for the newly minted PFL Super Fights Championship Belt.

The co-main event will feature another world title fight — the Women’s Featherweight PFL Super Fight Championship. One of the greatest female MMA fighters of all time, Cris Cyborg, puts her legacy on the line when she squares off against PFL two-division champion Larissa Pacheco, who is out to prove she is the top women’s MMA fighter on the planet.

A third title fight of the night, the Bellator middleweight world championship, will be contested by undefeated Bellator middleweight world champion Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards. The pair met in 2023 at Bellator 299 where Edwards took the fight to the champion and landed a savage elbow, opening up his opponent’s forehead, only for the champion to respond with a TKO finish in the third round.

At lightweight, former Bellator featherweight world champion A. J. McKee will provide a tough test for Paul Hughes, when the man with the longest winning streak in Bellator history (18) faces Northern Irishman Hughes, who many consider to be the top lightweight prospect on the planet.

‘Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact” main card

Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou (17-3) vs. Renan Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC)

Women’s featherweight co-main event: Cris Cyborg (27-2, 1 NC) vs. Larissa Pacheco (23-4)

Bellator middleweight world title bout: Johnny Eblen (15-0) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-3)

Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1, 1 NC) vs. Zafar Mohsen (13-4)

Lightweight: A. J. McKee (22-1) vs. Paul Hughes (12-1)

 

‘Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact’ early card

Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots (20-2) vs. Marcos Breno (15-3)

Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov (15-4) vs. Dedrek Sanders (9-4)

Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) vs. Nacho Campos (5-0)

Middleweight: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs. Ahmed Sami (11-4-0, 1 NC)

Featherweight: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs. Taha Bendaoud (3-0)


A ‘duck’ — the ultimate failure in cricket

A ‘duck’ — the ultimate failure in cricket
Updated 26 September 2024
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A ‘duck’ — the ultimate failure in cricket

A ‘duck’ — the ultimate failure in cricket
  • The crushing disappointment that results in a long walk back to the pavilion

LONDON: One of cricket’s complexities for those unfamiliar with the game is its use of language.

Over the years everyday words have assumed a new identity in the hands of lawmakers and administrators. These words have been perpetuated by players, spectators and reporters to create a mystique. Their origins may appear to be unfathomable, even inexplicable. One of those words — duck — has developed as a perfect example of cricket’s penchant for euphemism.

Any player, at any level, in any format, lives in fear of the ignominy of being dismissed without scoring a single run off his or her own bat. In such an event it feels like a long walk back to the pavilion, a walk that is usually accompanied, at best, by complete silence and, at worst, by jeers and the sound of a quacking duck.

The sight of the dreaded zero against one’s name on the scoresheet is unwelcome for the batter, although the bowler and fielders will have a different perspective. It is believed that scorers in cricket’s early days referred to zero as a duck’s egg, because of its resemblance in shape. Around 1863, the shortened version was adopted. This is probably as well because, since that time, 10 different types of duck have evolved.

A dismissal off the first, second or third delivery faced, without scoring a run, is termed, respectively, a golden, silver or bronze duck. This evokes synonymy with Olympic-level awards, although there is no kudos associated with a duck compared with an Olympic medal.

However, a duck can sometimes invoke pathos. In his final Test match innings at The Oval, London, Donald Bradman required four runs to secure a Test average of 100. Allegedly with tears in his eyes after being applauded to the wicket, he missed the second delivery from leg spinner Eric Hollies and was bowled without scoring. His Test career average was stuck forever on 99.94.

Although Bradman’s dismissal is classed as a silver duck, the term is rarely used. The same applies to bronze duck, but golden duck is in common usage throughout the cricketing world. Numerous examples abound. In men’s Test match history, Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most golden ducks, 14 out of his total of 33 ducks. 

Courtney Walsh of the West Indies achieved the highest number of ducks in Tests, 43, of which 10 were golden.

England’s recently retired fast bowling duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson made 39 and 34 ducks in their Test careers, of which 19 were golden.

Unsurprisingly, 60 percent of players with the highest number of ducks are primarily bowlers. There are some exceptions: the Waugh brothers, Steve and Mark, who scored 52 centuries between them, notched up 22 and 19 ducks, respectively. Even the great Sachin Tendulkar suffered 14 in his 200 Tests. In Mark Waugh’s case he suffered four consecutive ducks against Sri Lanka in 1991/92. His teammates awarded him a temporary nickname — Audi — based on the car producer’s four-ring logo. If Waugh had suffered a fifth consecutive duck, the nickname Olympic awaited. It did not happen to him, but it has to three players.

When a player scores a duck in both innings of a match, it is termed a pair, as two zeros resemble a pair of spectacles. Graham Gooch, who went on to be England’s leading run scorer and captain, scored a pair in his first Test match and was dropped. Ian Botham, one of England’s greatest players, was dismissed for a pair at Lord’s in July 1981 when captaining the team. When he left the field after his second dismissal, I can vouch that it was to the sound of silence. How different to the acclaim he received at Headingley two weeks later after scoring an unbeaten 149 and having resigned the captaincy.

If both dismissals are off the first ball of the innings, the outcome is termed a king pair, a fate which has befallen 24 players in Test cricket. Surprisingly, the most recent was the prolific Travis Head of Australia against the West Indies at Brisbane in January 2024.

One of the most remarkable cricketers to have suffered a king pair must be Robert (Bob) Crisp for South Africa at Durban in February 1936 against Australia. Some 35 years ago I attended a football match between Colchester United and Aldershot FC. A conversation was struck up with the Colchester chairman who seemed more interested in talking about cricket than football. Trivial questions were swapped, culminating in him asking me if I knew the identity of the only person to have a Test match king pair, who had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice, been awarded a Military Cross, a Distinguished Service Order and mentioned in dispatches for tank warfare. It was his father, Bob Crisp.

Another type of duck is a diamond, used to describe the unfortunate situation when the batter is dismissed without facing a ball. The name reflects its rarity. Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka was timed out during an ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh last November. Although he was at the wicket to face his first delivery, he was denied the opportunity, a very rare event. A more likely diamond dismissal is where the new batter is the non-striker, is called for a run and fails to make ground at the other end, thus being run out.

A variation on diamond is titanium when the batter is dismissed for zero on the first ball of the team’s innings without facing a delivery, most likely run out. A royal duck occurs when a batter is dismissed without scoring from the first ball of their team’s innings. Conversely, a laughing duck occurs when a batter is dismissed for nought on the very last ball of the innings.

When I first started playing cricket I do not recall a duck having variations. Dates when the variations were introduced are hard to identify. It is reasonable to assume that some have been applied retrospectively to records. However, it remains the case that whenever a batter fails to score a run at any point in the innings, it is an unpalatable experience, whatever its name.


Adam Scott hopeful of ending 21 years without playing on a winning Presidents Cup team

Adam Scott hopeful of ending 21 years without playing on a winning Presidents Cup team
Updated 26 September 2024
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Adam Scott hopeful of ending 21 years without playing on a winning Presidents Cup team

Adam Scott hopeful of ending 21 years without playing on a winning Presidents Cup team
  • He was part of the tie in South Africa when he made his debut in 2003, and nine consecutive losses followed
  • The Americans are led by Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, the top two players in the world

MONTREAL: Adam Scott has never played on a winning team in the Presidents Cup, a tale as woeful as the Internationals’ losing streak against the Americans.

He has played in 49 matches and partnered with 16 players. He was part of the tie in South Africa when he made his debut in 2003, and nine consecutive losses followed. The 44-year-old Australian realizes he won’t get many more chances.

And yet his optimism is as high as ever.

“We are determined to go out there this year and change the script of this event,” Scott said. “Certainly, I want to improve my record in this event and I’m very determined. I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll get, if any. So this is a big week for me.

“But I have a lot of belief in this team,” he said. “I can’t remember feeling so comfortable coming into a Presidents Cup.”

That’s been the vibe at Royal Montreal over three days of practice as the Internationals get ready for the opening session of fourballs Thursday against a US team that on paper looks to be as powerful as ever. The Americans are led by Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, the top two players in the world.

US captain Jim Furyk threw out a few wrinkles for the opening pairings.

He split up Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for only the second time since they began playing these team cups in 2019. Schauffele is in the opening match with Tony Finau against Jason Day and Byeong Hun An, while Cantlay is the fifth and final match with Sam Burns against Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners, one of three Canadians on home soil.

Scott is in the second game out with Min Woo Lee, one of his many proteges, against Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.

International captain Mike Weir has been preaching the present to his team. In some respects, they consider the start of these matches to be 2019, when Ernie Els spearheaded a change in logo to give a team from all over the world a new identity.

They had a great chance in Australia in 2019. They had a great rally at Quail Hollow in 2022 after getting in a big hole early with a team decimated by defections to LIV Golf.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys on the team, and they’re not remembering past defeats or anything like that,” Weir said.

Scott would not be one of those young guys, although he now is embracing the youth movement. He is one of only three players — Matsuyama (5) and Day (4) are the others — who have played more than twice in the Presidents Cup.

Nothing compares with 10 tries without winning.

“That’s a long stretch,” Finau said. “That’s tough luck at the end of the day. Adam is an incredible guy. As a competitor, I don’t feel bad for him. I’m sure he has some Presidents Cups where he had a winning record and the team loses. You can’t really solely blame it on Adam. These are team events.

“But at the end of the day I’m on the US side and for this week we don’t want any of those guys to win.”

That’s been the message for the Americans, who don’t want their own streak to end. They own a 12-1-1 record since the Presidents Cup began in 1994. But they are coming off another road loss to Europe in the Ryder Cup, and the risk being without a professional cup for the first time since 1998 if they don’t win at Montreal.

“You have to earn it,” Finau said. “It doesn’t matter how good our record is in the Presidents Cup. At some point they’re going to start winning some Presidents Cups. It’s going to happen. We’re not going to play this many and ... I obviously want the Americans to win the next 50. It’s not going to happen.

“They’re going to start (winning). We don’t want that team to be against us.”

The opening fourballs session is followed by five foursomes matches on Friday, a double session (four matches each) on Saturday, followed by the Sunday singles.

Scott is a strong voice given his experience, even though it’s mostly a losing experience. He is more determined that ever to deliver his best performance. He is running out of time.

“I started by having very lofty goals as a kid. My dreams were big, and I’ve achieved some of those but I haven’t achieved them all, including winning this event,” Scott said. “It’s the lack of accomplishing them that keeps me motivated at this point.”

What would a victory mean? Scott can’t even imagine.

“I think if I answered now,” he said, “I would probably underestimate the impact it would have if we were to get a win.”


Wolfsburg cruise into Women’s Champions League group stage

Wolfsburg cruise into Women’s Champions League group stage
Updated 26 September 2024
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Wolfsburg cruise into Women’s Champions League group stage

Wolfsburg cruise into Women’s Champions League group stage
  • The two-time champions strolled to a 5-0 win at home to the Serie A side, rubber-stamping the dominant 7-0 victory last week in Tuscany
  • An extra-time winner by Nazlican Parlak edged Galatasaray into the group stage following a 4-3 win on aggregate against Slavia Prague

PARIS: Wolfsburg completed a 12-0 aggregate rout of Fiorentina on Wednesday to book their spot in the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.

The two-time champions strolled to a 5-0 win at home to the Serie A side, rubber-stamping the dominant 7-0 victory they recorded last week in Tuscany.

Fenna Kalma opened the scoring on Wednesday in the third minute, before Vivien Endemann scored a brace either side of halftime.

Jule Brand made it four on 77 minutes and Tabea Sellner rounded off the rout with one minute remaining. Fiorentina’s Lucia Pastrenge then collected her second booking to cap a chastening two-legged tie for the Italians as they finished with 10.

“I’m extremely proud of the performance again today,” said Wolfsburg coach Tommy Stroot.

“Going out with a 7-0 win last week and a 5-0 win this week makes a coach very happy.”

An extra-time winner by Nazlican Parlak edged Galatasaray into the group stage following a 4-3 win on aggregate against Slavia Prague.

The 100th-minute strike ensured a 2-1 away win on the night for the Turkish side, after the match finished 1-1 in normal time.

There was late drama in Portugal as well as Cathinka Tandberg’s goal in the 95th minute gave Swedes Hammarby a 2-0 win at Benfica to progress 3-2 on aggregate.

Norwegian team Valerenga beat Belgians Anderlecht 3-0 at home to complete a 5-1 aggregate win.

On Thursday, Arsenal will look to overcome their 1-0 aggregate deficit at home against Sweden’s Hacken, while Manchester City seem set to qualify for the group stage after winning 5-0 at Paris FC last week.

Real Madrid will welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Spanish capital, leading 2-1 thanks to Melanie Leupolz’s last-gasp winner in the first leg.

And last year’s semifinalists Paris Saint-Germain will need to come back from 3-1 down to keep their hopes alive when they host Juventus.

Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea have all automatically qualified for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.

The draw will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Sept. 27.


Osaka cruises through opening round at China Open with new coach

Osaka cruises through opening round at China Open with new coach
Updated 26 September 2024
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Osaka cruises through opening round at China Open with new coach

Osaka cruises through opening round at China Open with new coach
  • The 26-year-old Osaka began training with Mouratoglou in the lead-up to the Asian swing of the women’s tour, after splitting with Wim Fissette
  • Former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin progressed with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Ana Bogdan of Romania

BEIJING: Former top-ranked Naomi Osaka started the China Open with a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over Lucia Bronzetti of Italy on Wednesday to mark her first match with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou in positive style.

The four-time Grand Slam champion was the headline act on the opening day and showed her class in closing out the first-round match against the 77th-ranked Italian player in 83 minutes.

Osaka, who claimed the 2019 China Open before COVID-19 and a WTA boycott of China over the wellbeing of Peng Shuai forced the cancelation of tournaments in China for four years, next plays Yulia Putintseva, a 21st-seeded player from Kazahkstan, in the second round.

The 26-year-old Osaka began training with Mouratoglou in the lead-up to the Asian swing of the women’s tour, after splitting with Wim Fissette following a disappointing second-round exit at the USOpen.

“I think I’m at a stage in my life that I don’t want to have regrets,” the Japanese star said Wednesday after her match. “I’d rather pull the trigger on something and — I don’t want to say ‘fail’ — but I feel like I really need to learn as much as possible in this stage of my career.”

“Patrick seemed like the guy with I guess the information that I wanted to learn from.”

After trading breaks in the first set, Osaka made the decisive break in the seventh game of the first set.

On the back of some big serving she increased the pressure in the second set, breaking Bronzetti twice more to seal victory.

Former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin progressed with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Ana Bogdan of Romania.

The 25-year-old Kenin, one of a record 15 American women in the draw in Beijing, next plays 12th-seeded Diana Shnaider in the second round.

American Taylor Townsend will join Kenin in the second round after beating Martina Trevisan 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, as will Katie Volynets who had a 7-5, 6-1 win over Dalma Galfi.

Another American, McCartney Kessler, lost in a tight match to China’s Zhang Shuai 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1).

Also, China’s Wang Xinyu beat Mai Hontama of Japan 6-1, 6-3 and Yuliia Starodubtseva defeated Laura Siegemund 6-4, 7-6 (3).

US Open champion and top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka begins her tournament in the second round on Friday against the winner of the match between Zarina Diyas and Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek, a winner of four WTA 1000 events this season, is not playing this week citing personal reasons.

The men’s tournament begins Thursday and is headlined by top-ranked Jannik Sinner and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this season.

Second-ranked Alexander Zverev said earlier in the week he would not be playing in Beijing as he recovers from an illness.

Japan Open

Second-seeded Hubert Hurkacz needed three sets to eventually subdue Marcos Giron 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the opening round of the Japan Open.

It was the 40th win of the season for the eighth-ranked Hurkacz, with the Polish player extending his head-to-head-record against the American to 3-0.

Matteo Berrettini started his campaign in Tokyo with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 win over Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.

The big-serving Italian fired seven aces and broke van de Zandschulp four times.

Former sixth-ranked Berrettini, now No. 45, could next play top-seeded Taylor Fritz in the second round. Fritz, who made his first Grand Slam final at the US Open this month, plays Frenchman Arthur Fils in his opening match on Thursday.

Mariano Navone of Argentina beat Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-4.