News Sports Tennis US Open 2021, Day 9 Lookahead: Teens Leylah Fernandez, Carlos Alcaraz seek semi spots

US Open 2021, Day 9 Lookahead: Teens Leylah Fernandez, Carlos Alcaraz seek semi spots

Fernandez will be up against No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina while Alcaraz plays the final match of the day on Ashe against No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns against Peter Gojowczyk, of Germany, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 5 Image Source : APCarlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns against Peter Gojowczyk, of Germany, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 5

Two teenagers can earn semifinal spots at the U.S. Open, as both Leylah Fernandez and Carlos Alcaraz are in action. Another spot can be filled by a qualifier, if Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands upsets No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev.

Fernandez, a day after turning 19, follows that match on Arthur Ashe Stadium by playing No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina. The Canadian has defeated Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber in her last two matches.

The 18-year-old Alcaraz plays the final match of the day on Ashe against No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 21. It's the youngest matchup this late in a major since 20-year-old Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic, 19, in the quarterfinals of the 2006 French Open.

The other quarterfinal matchup pits French Open champion and No. 8 seed Barbora Krejcikova against No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka.

TUESDAY’S FORECAST

Sunny. High of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius).

MONDAY’S WEATHER

Mostly sunny. High of 84 degrees Fahrenheit. (29 Celsius).

MONDAY’S KEY RESULTS

Women’s Fourth Round: No. 4 Karolina Pliskova beat No. 14 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4; No. 11 Belinda Bencic beat No. 7 Iga Swiatek 7-6 (12), 6-3; Emma Raducanu beat Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-1.

Men’s Fourth Round: No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat Jenson Brooksby 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; No. 4 Alexander Zverev beat No. 13 Jannik Sinner 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7); No. 6 Matteo Berrettini beat Oscar Otte 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Lloyd Harris beat No. 22 Reilly Opelka 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

STAT OF THE DAY

3 — Number of female qualifiers to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since the Open era began in 1968, after 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of Britain joined Barbara Gerken in 1981 and Kaia Kanepi in 2017.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Obviously we appreciate the spotlight in those moments. But then, you know, you have today and I’m going to have 9 million death threats and whatnot.” — Shelby Rogers, on going from the highs of beating No. 1 Ash Barty to the lows of getting routed by Emma Raducanu.