Jule Niemeier continues to provide positive surprises at the US Open in New York. The 23-year-old also won her third round match against the slightly favored Chinese Zheng Qinwen 6: 4, 7: 6 (7: 5) on Sunday night and advanced to the round of 16. Niemeier is the only remaining German individual player at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
“I knew it was going to be an extremely difficult match. The fact that I was able to win that without dropping a set is something very positive. I should take a lot of self-confidence with me from that,” said Niemeier. “Now it’s against a great player, I’m looking forward to it.”
The high-serving Dortmund player, who reached the quarter-finals in Wimbledon two months ago, will meet world number one Iga Swiatek in the round of the top 16 on Monday. The Pole had recently won 6: 3, 6: 4 against Lauren Davis from the USA. “I honestly don’t know much about her,” admitted Swiatek. But she knows that Niemeier has “a very good serve” and is “really talented and young”: “It will be a great fight.”
And Niemeier? She is self-confident. “The fact that I can play against the best in the world here is a highlight,” she says. “I really enjoy playing on the big stage and against big names. It doesn’t intimidate me,” she says.
Niemeier, number 108 in the world, is only the seventh woman outside the top 100 in the world rankings since 2017 to reach the round of 16 of the US Open. Against Zheng, who was 69 ranks higher, she showed light and shadow: 22 winning strokes on the one hand, 25 unforced errors on the other. In the decisive moment, however, the German had stronger nerves, and her first serve was more constant.
Spain’s tennis star Rafael Nadal had previously given a taste of his skills. The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner clearly prevailed against Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6: 0, 6: 1 and 7: 5. “My best day in the tournament,” said the 36-year-old afterwards. It was Nadal’s 18th win in the 18th duel against Gasquet, who has already won 15 professional tournaments in his career. In the round of the top 16, a probably more difficult task awaits Nadal: On Monday he meets the American Frances Tiafoe.
Nadal’s compatriot Carlos Alcaraz continues to be in top form. The 19-year-old advanced to the round of 16 thanks to a 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 3 win against the American Jenson Brooksby. The fourth in the world rankings has not made a sentence so far.