US Open Day 4: Rafael Nadal survives Fognini scare; Swiatek impresses; Alcaraz breaks 2022 record

Rafael Nadal may be one of the favourites for the title at Flushing Meadows this year, but if his second-round encounter against Fabio Fognini is anything to go , there is a long way to go.

VAMOS pic.twitter.com/6xxFhV4pJC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2022
The Spaniard got off to a woeful start, losing 10 of the opening 14 games, in an encounter ridden with errors and bad decision-making. Nadal finally found his footing after that start and began preying on Fognini’s lack of consency from the baseline to draw out the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. Had the Spaniard not converted his chance on Fognini’s serve in the final game of the second set, he could have been in big trouble.

Rafa Nadal returns to action after sustaining a cut on his nose. 👏 pic.twitter.com/m6gOlcqk2K
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2022
Still reeling from the abdominal injury that kept him out of the Wimbledon semifinal, Nadal not only needs to find match sharpness as soon as he possibly can but also needs to find the consent speeds on his serves, which have aided him through this excellent season.

Next up: Richard Gasquet, a player Nadal has never lost to in 17 previous meetings.
Swiatek downs Stephens in impressive showing
Iga Swiatek took a little over an hour to dispatch 2017 US Open champion and big local favourite Sloane Stephens in the second round on Thursday. Despite a slow buildup to the final Major of the year, the Pole is looking in unbelievably good touch, and her shotmaking ability that found so much success on the hardcourts of Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami earlier this year is on display again.

It’s always crazy hearing yourself for the first time in the world’s largest tennis stadium, @iga_swiatek 😆 pic.twitter.com/cWUjhiJSg9
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2022
The numbers tell the story: Swiatek won 25 points across two sets on her opponent’s serve, crafted 12 break point opportunities, converted four, and won the first four games of the second set taking all the time away from Stephens to win the match 6-3, 6-2.
A lot of the top seeds in the women’s draw may be out, but Swiatek seems to be peaking at the right time to emerge as the title favourite. Her next assignment is America’s Lauren Davis.
Alcaraz notches up most match wins of the season
Third seed Carlos Alcaraz’s second-round victory over Argentina’s Federico Coria was his 46th match win of the year, taking him past Stefanos Tsitsipas on the men’s leaderboard. Even more remarkable is that Tsitsipas has 17 losses, compared to Alcaraz’s 9, showing the Spaniard’s achievement has come despite a conservative schedule.

We see you, @carlosalcaraz 👀 pic.twitter.com/lGEZZin5dS
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2022
The match on Thursday was not without its drama. The Spaniard raced into a two-set lead and picked up the early break in the third, before losing three games in a row. Coria was serving for the set at 5-4 when Alcaraz showed his own return skills, getting a double break to round out the match 6-2, 6-1, 7-5. His side of the quarter has cleared out and opportunities are abundant.

Just @carlosalcaraz saving break point with a tweener. pic.twitter.com/ccWdLpukeO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2022
Promising American Jenson Brooks is next.
Other notable results:
🔴Jenson Brooks def. Borna Coric 6-4, 7-6, 6-1
Coric’s resurgence on tour was a fairytale triumph, coming out of the top 100 to win Cincinnati and be seeded at the US Open. The fairytale ended in New York after Brooks got under his nerves in a fiery encounter, which saw Coric struggle too much on serve.
🔴 Petra Martic def. Paula Badosa 6-7, 6-1, 6-2
Badosa’s loss on Thursday meant three of the top four seeds and five of the top 10 are out of the US Open. Her capitulation after winning a tough first set will not be remembered fondly either.

🔴 Aryna Sabalenka def. Kaia Kanepi 1-6, 7-6, 6-4
Kanepi has built a bit of a reputation for beating the top players at Grand Slams. But Sabalenka put an end to that streak coming back from a set and a break down to move into the next round. The second-set tiebreaker was as intense as they get.
🔴 Ilya Ivashka def. Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 4-4, 7-6, 6-3
Toronto final and eighth seed meant that Hurkacz came into a second consecutive Major as one to watch. And fell early for the second consecutive time. Needs to take the next step. No positives to take.