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The second-round matches at the US Open 2024 kicked off on Wednesday, August 28. Defending champion Novak Djokovic was being tested by Laslo Djere, when the latter was forced to retire at the start of the third set due to an injury.
Coco Gauff continued her title defense with a solid 6-4, 6-0 win over Tatjana Maria. Aryna Sabalenka extended her unbeaten run courtesy of a routine 6-3, 6-1 win over Lucia Bronzetti. Taylor Fritz dispatched former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in straight sets as well.
Andrey Rublev rallied from two sets down to beat Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a gritty win. Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Victoria Azarenka, and Madison Keys were among the other winners of the day.
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While most of the big names escaped unscathed, a few top players were sent packing on Wednesday. Here's a quick look at four of the most shocking results on Day 3 of the US Open:
#4 - Sebastian Baez
Baez's US Open campaign came to a disappointing end as an injury forced him to throw in the towel in the second round. He was up against Tallon Griekspoor, and quickly fell behind 6-1, 2-0, when he chose to call it quits.
This marked Baez's first mid-match retirement this year, and the fourth of his career, and his second in New York. Griekspoor will face ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the next round, who beat Rinky Hijikata 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the second round.
#3 - Daria Kasatkina
12th seed Kasatkina was shown the door by home favorite Peyton Stearns, who beat her 6-1, 7-6 (3). This marked her second straight loss to the American, who also ousted her from the French Open a few months ago.
The rivalry has shifted in Stearns' favor after Kasatkina had won their first three encounters. This marked another early exit for the Russian, who advanced beyond the third round of a Major only once this year, at Wimbledon, where she made the third round.
As for Stearns, she has reached the third round of the US Open for the second year in a row. She will now aim to match her career-best result at the venue by reaching the fourth round but will first need to get past 24th seed Donna Vekic.
#2 - Ugo Humbert
17th seed Humbert became the highest seed to fall on the men's side on Wednesday as he was beaten by Francisco Comesana 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The Frenchman's streak of poor results at the US Open continued with his latest defeat.
Humbert now has a 3-7 record at the venue, and has lost in the opening round here on four occasions, and made the second round the other three times. Comesana, meanwhile, now has a unique record on the ATP Tour. All four of his main draw career wins have come at the Majors.
Comesana made headlines when he upset sixth seed Andrey Rublev at Wimbledon a few weeks ago, and ultimately lost in the third round. He will take on 12th seed Taylor Fritz for a spot in the fourth round to achieve the best result of his career so far.
#1 - Barbora Krejcikova
Eighth seed and current Wimbledon champion Krejcikova's loss to qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse was the biggest upset of the day. The Czech went down a break in the first set but managed to get back on serve in the nick of time as she stopped her opponent for serving out the set.
However, that turned out to be a brief respite as Ruse broke back immediately to take the set. The second set was more competitive, though the qualifier from Romania was the one dictating the play for the most part, and won the match 6-4, 7-5.
Krejcikova became the highest-ranked woman to exit the US Open. She hasn't been at her best physically since her Wimbledon triumph. While she has dealt with injuries right from the start of the season, her body held up for two weeks to go all the way at the All England Club.
Ruse, meanwhile, has made the third round of a Major for the first time in singles. Following one of the best wins of her career, she will look to keep the party going as she prepares to take on Paula Badosa for a spot in the fourth round.
