US Open tennis 2026: Noskova v Kostyuk, Alcaraz v Paul, Sabalenka wins on day eight – stay
Key occasions
The defending males’s champion, Carlos Alcaraz, is about to begin his fourth-round match in opposition to the American twentieth seed Tommy Paul. Alcaraz has received six of their earlier eight conferences.
Kostyuk is in hassle. At 15-15 she finds the web with a poor backhand then follows that with a double fault. She finds the web once more and Noskova takes cost with the primary break within the second set. Noskova leads 7-5 4-3. She is 2 video games away from the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz and Paul are actually warming up on Ashe whereas Noskova makes it 3-3 within the second set on Armstrong.
Carlos Alcaraz is juggling some tennis balls as he prepares for his upcoming match in opposition to Tommy Paul on Arthur Ashe court docket. Back on Armstrong, it’s Kostyuk’s flip to race via a service sport and the second set continues on serve.
Noskova wins the primary level of the third sport within the second set however then it’s all Kostyuk, who throws in an ace and beautiful volley to steer 2-1. The shadow is now nearly masking half of the court docket in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Noskova then races via her service sport. Noskova leads 7-5 2-2
Another mistimed forehand from Kostyuk, on break level, permits Noskova to flee to deuce. One lengthy return and one lengthy forehand later and Noskova has levelled at 1-1.
Kostyuk wins the primary sport of the second set by holding to fifteen. A much-needed sport for the eleventh seed. She even served her first ace of the match.
Noskova wins the primary set 7-5. There’s not been a lot in it however the sixth seed has received the important thing moments, breaking Kostyuk’s serve 3 times.
Noskova breaks. A candy forehand into the nook from Noskova offers her break level, which is then received when Kostyuk mistimes a forehand from the close to the centre of the baseline. The Wimbledon champion might be serving for the primary set.
After the error in her earlier service sport, Noskova doesn’t miss an overhead at 30-30 this time and a fragile volley within the following pointsecures the sport. 5-5
The solely downside Kostyuk has on her serve is a double-fault at 40-love, which is unquestionably the best time to have one. Noskova now has to serve at 4-5 to remain within the first set.
4-4 Kostyuk ups the tempo to interrupt straight again. She shrugs off a wild forehand at 15-all and at 30-all Noskova has an easy-looking overhead however finds the web to provide the Ukrainian break level – which she takes. The commentators on Sky are suggesting the solar could have affected Noskova’s sight for the poor overhead.
Noskova 4-3 Kostyuk A double-fault at 30-all offers Noskova break level. Kostyuk’s first serve hits the web and the second is maybe too quick which permits Noskova to take management of the purpose and break for the second time.
Noskova 3-3 Kostyuk Hello all. A cushty service sport, held to fifteen, from Noskova.
Aaarrgghh my temperamental pc forsook me, nevertheless it’s again now, so I can a) let you understand it’s tight on Armstrong, Kostyuk and Noskova stage at 2-2, and b) Stephen Flynn is right here to sit back with you for the following bit.
Next on Ashe (however not for 56 minutes): Tommy Paul (20) v Carlos Alcaraz (2).
Sabalenka praises Townsend as a very good participant and targeted, saying she’s arduous to play, particularly in New York, and thanking the group for respecting her. She needed to play not simply level by level however ball by ball, however enable me to interrupt her as a result of Kostyuk has simply flowed a stunning backhand cross-court to interrupt Noskova again after a protracted sport. She’s into the match, and it’d simply change into pretty much as good as we’re hoping.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) beats Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-3
A ok efficiency from the champ and world no 1. Townsend didn’t make it straightforward for her nor did she make it straightforward for herself, however she’s safely via and faces Noskova or Kostyuk subsequent.
Sabalenka consolidates for a 6-4 5-3 lead. She’s not made this straightforward for herself, and should play higher whoever she meets subsequent, assuming she progresses, however we will be fairly positive she’s going to.
Sure sufficient, she races to 0-40, and inside-out return lands near the baseline, and she will be able to’t alter quick sufficient to do something apart from web. Sabalenka leads 6-4 4-3 and is near the quarters – the place she’ll meet Noskova or Kostyuk, their match just below means. And nobody might be stunned to study the previous has began slowly, damaged to fifteen; sooner or later, she’ll discover a means of managing her nerves, however she’s not there but.
Sabalenka now leads Townsend 6-4 3-3 and I’d not be stunned to see her break subsequent sport, taking the prospect to interrupt the again of the match.
Noskova and Kostyuk are out on to Armstrong and, eager about it, they’re truly fairly comparable as gamers, glorious athletes who’re robust from the again however don’t love strain, particularly when serving. Meantime, Sabalenka breaks again, Townsend simply not capable of maintain a stage that provides her an opportunity to win.
Serving at 6-4 1-2, Sabalenka once more finds herself trailing at 15-30, then a forehand error means 30-40 … after which Townsend does one thing, however my display screen freezes so I don’t see what. Nevertheless, it’s sufficient for the eighth break of the match, and he or she trails 4-6 however leads 3-1; can she consolidate?
Next on Armstrong: Marta Kostyuk (11) v Linda Noskova (6). I can’t look forward to this one.
By the best way, it will possibly’t be solely me singing this each time anybody mentions Alexandras Eala.
Townsend’s charging the web at any time when attainable, daring Sabalenka to move her, which makes loads of sense – the champ isn’t at her finest, so just about has to go for the pictures, as a result of she is aware of the doubles volleying isn’t to be messed with. She holds – I do know! – for 1-0 in set two having misplaced the primary.
Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten beats Matteo Arnaldi/Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5 6-2
A complete win. Next for them: Lammons/Withrow or Cabral/Tracy.
Townsend makes 15-30; strain for Sabalenka, who responds effectively, with a service winner, then makes 40-30. Oh, however take a look, the American taking a return early and hooking it line into the nook for deuce … just for the champ to energy via it, a thumping forehand securing a 6-4 opening set.
I used to be unhappy to listen to what Oor Maddy needed to say about her struggles following her defeat to Qinwen Zheng having burned a 5-0 final-set lead.
“I really feel like I obtained off to a very good lead after which I simply obtained actually scared. I felt like I couldn’t swing. Tennis simply feels actually arduous proper now. I really feel like that sort of took over.
“I feel my stage dropped and he or she began to play higher. I simply really feel like I’ve sort of been struggling for some time now and I really feel like I used to be capable of play via it for a bit. I’m positive everybody might sort of see that I used to be struggling a bit. Inside it’s felt in all probability even larger than that. Some weeks are simpler than others. This week is clearly one of many more durable ones simply since you care a lot. I’m gonna must make some type of adjustments.”
“I feel it’s been one thing that’s been constructing for some time. I simply sort of maintain pushing it off and pushing it off as a result of that’s how the tennis world works. It’s simply to the purpose the place I truly have to do one thing about it.”
Elite sport is difficult.
Townsend holds for the primary time – Sablenka has solely performed so as soon as too – forcing the champ to serve for the set at 5-4. Meantime, on Armstrong, Patten/Heliovaara are a sport away at 7-5 5-2.
Townsend does, although, make 0-30 … then 0-40, and when Sabalenka nets a forehand, she has one break again. That actually was a nonsense sport from the champ, who can play so a lot better than she has this 12 months.
Yeah, I’m afraid that is going as predicted now, Sabalenka simply too good. She breaks once more for 5-2 – Townsend has but to carry – and is now serving for the primary set at 5-2.
Sabalenka breaks once more and this time appears decided to consolidate; she does, as Heliovaara/Patten break Arnaldi/Struff for 7-5 3-1. The no 1 seeds are determined to win this occasion, and it received’t be straightforward to cease them.
Townsend goes for it on return, hitting arduous and trying to are available in to make use of the volleying she’s honed taking part in doubles. She breaks again for a second time and appears to be having fun with the event.
Again, although, Sabalenka breaks the Townsend serve. She leads 2-1 and, although I’m going in opposition to the consultants who anticipated a good match, I don’t actually see how she will be able to win this. Sabalenka’s backside stage is simply too excessive for her.
Two banging winners take Townsend to 0-30, as Heliovaara/Patten make 0-40 and three set factors due to some sloppy stuff from Arnaldo/Struff … and take the second to safe a 7-5 lead. Meantime, Sabalenka is now down 15-40, sends down a double, and we’re again stage at 1-1.
Heliovaara/Patten maintain for 6-5 within the first, forcing Arnaldi/Struff to serve for a breaker, whereas Sabalenka burns varied break factors in sport one earlier than Townsend goes lengthy hitting down the road on forehand. An announcement begin from the champ.
Taylor the Crow.
Townsend, by the best way, has her personal pop-up store.
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We’re 4-4 within the doubles and knocking up on Ashe. Thinking extra concerning the match, I’d count on Townsend to make use of prime spin to hit cross at Sabalenka’s backhand, taking her outdoors the strains if attainable. She’ll additionally attempt to sluggish the sport down, I feel, and frustrate the champ, who doesn’t benefit from the wind-ups.
Townsend comes out sporting a coat that wouldn’t be misplaced within the Night’s Watch, photograph to observe however, within the meantime:
It’s value remembering what Patten mentioned after profitable Wimbledon, given the makes an attempt to take doubles prize cash away from gamers who want it, in an effort to pay already effectively remunerated singles gamers only a bit extra. Frankly, it stinks.
This is a unbelievable instance of the enjoyment that doubles can carry. The crowd – I hope you loved it. I imagine we needs to be rising alternatives in tennis for teenagers, whether or not they’re doubles gamers, singles gamers, British, Finnish, from El Salvador or Croatia, wherever they’re from, we needs to be rising the assist as an alternative of taking alternatives away.
Arnaldi/Struff recuperate from 0-30 down to carry for 2-2, nevertheless it does really feel like a break is within the publish.
In roughly 9 minutes’ time, Sabalenka and Townsend will step out on to Ashe. I think about the American will use loads of slice to take tempo off the ball, forcing the champ to generate all of it herself, whereas additionally searching for to haul her to web. I don’t actually assume she’s obtained a path to victory, but when there may be one, that is in all probability it.
We’re away in our dubs, Heliovaara/Patten up 1-0 on Arnaldi/Struff and with a break level … saved when Heliovaara returns into the web.
Mark Kovacs provides that the concept in opposition to Medvedev is to take time away from an opponent who’s actually good when he has it. I assume that’ll imply highly effective, flat pictures, and maybe some crowding of him at web, particularly if he stands way back to he often does.
On sky, we’re watching Tiafoe’s coach with Christian Harrison, who’s been an amazing addition to Sky’s commentary workforce during the last 12 months or so. He’s actually good at noticing stuff with a professional’s eye, and likewise at explaining it; we’re being advised that Tiafoe has at all times had an amazing backhand cross, however he’s now a lot better at going line. I bear in mind years in the past, Calvin Betton, Henry Patten’s coach and our resident skilled, advised me he’d seen an excellent child – our man right here – however till now, he’s not hit the extent he recommended he would possibly attain. He is, although, hinting that he would possibly get there, at 28 older than is often the case, however progress isn’t at all times linear.
Also occurring:
Preamble
Word up and welcome to the US Open 2026 – day eight!
It’s been an uncommon week, particularly within the males’s draw. Not way back, the opening rounds felt like transferring items about, entertainingly however academically, earlier than the inevitable Sincaraz closing. Now, although, we’ve seeds scattered all around the present and no clue what’s going to occur from match to match nor within the total image. Every participant left is aware of that, for one purpose or one other, they’re dwelling via the chance of a lifetime.
We start as we speak with some doubles, the Wimbledon champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten taking over Matteo Arnaldi and Jen-Lennard Struff. Then, when Ashe will get going half an hour later, the unusually susceptible Aryna Sabalenka, defending her title, faces Taylor Townsend, one other doubles champion however yet one more targeted on singles than beforehand.
And as our day develops, Tommy Paul, one among 5 males hoping to change into the primary dwelling champion since Andy Roddick in 2003, exams himself by testing Carlos Alcaraz. Though the champ appears in fairly good nick contemplating his lengthy absence, the step-up at school will ask questions of him extra looking than these posed hitherto.
Perhaps the match of the day, although, comes second on Armstrong. Marta Kostyuk, with Ukraine and Kyiv specifically on her thoughts as ever, seeks to defeat the nerves which have hampered her in her most essential contests so far, and avenge her Wimbledon semi-final defeat in opposition to surging eventual winner, Linda Noskova.
And if, to that, we add Daniil Medvedev, a former champ who can scent one other title, in opposition to one other history-seeking American in Francis Tiafoe; Jess Pegula, searching that elusive first main in opposition to Soraya Cirstea; and Alex Michelsen’s assembly with Tomas Martin Etcheverry, now we have but different banging day.
Let’s go!
