US Open day eight: Jack Draper bids to reach quarter-finals

Jack Draper flies the flag for Britain in the US Open on Monday as he takes on Tomas Machac in the fourth round.

On Sunday, America’s charge towards a first men’s title in 21 years continued as Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe won but defending champion Coco Gauff lost in the women’s draw.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the latest from New York.

Picture of the day

Draper feeling good

Jack Draper says he is in a far better place going into the US Open fourth round than this time last year.

Draper, who takes on Tomas Machac, repeated his career-best grand slam performance when he made the second week at Flushing Meadows by beating Carlos Alcaraz’s slayer Botic van de Zandschulp on Saturday.

It means he is back in the fourth round for a second successive year, but the British number one was playing through pain in an injury-ravaged 2023.

“I have so much more confidence in my mind and my body through experiences of playing on the tour now this year consistently,” he said. “I do feel very different to last year and proud of my progress since then.”

Point of the day

Quote of the day

Even though I was born, I think they just care about the flag. I will play against an American, and I think they will cheer for them, but I totally get it.

Coco crashes

Coco Gauff’s hopes of winning back-to-back US Open titles are over after she crashed out in the fourth round.

Gauff was aiming to become the first woman to retain her crown at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2014 but succumbed to a 6-2 4-6 6-3 loss to Olympic team-mate Emma Navarro.

Navarro is playing in her hometown city and looks a credible contender for a maiden grand slam title, having beaten her opponent for the second successive time in a major tournament.

Stat of the day

What’s on tomorrow?

Arthur Ashe: Schnaider v Pegula, Borges v Medvedev, Swiatek v Samsonova, Sinner v Paul Louis Armstrong: Muchova v Paolini, Draper v Machac, Wozniacki v Haddad Maia, De Minaur v Thompson