US Open WTA Day Seven Round-Up | Iva Jovic edges Eala in three-hour epic as Zheng completes comeback of the year

Day six produced another dramatic chapter in the women's draw, with Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala delivering a three-hour thriller that ended with the American teenager reaching the fourth round for the first time at the US Open. Jovic edged her friend and emerging rival 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a match packed with momentum swings, while Qinwen Zheng completed an extraordinary comeback from 0-5 down in the deciding set to stun Madison Keys.

There were contrasting fortunes elsewhere among the leading names. Iga Swiatek survived two tight tiebreaks against Marie Bouzkova, Coco Gauff advanced in straight sets against Cristina Bucsa, and Marta Kostyuk continued her outstanding Grand Slam form. Anastasia Potapova also produced a notable upset by eliminating 10th seed Amanda Anisimova, adding another major result to an action-packed day in New York.

Potapova produced a composed performance to defeat 10th seed Anisimova in straight sets and secure one of the notable upsets of the day. The American came into the tournament after a difficult stretch compared with her outstanding 2025, when she reached the Wimbledon final and won two prestigious titles, and her struggles continued against an opponent who was ready to capitalize on every opening.

Anisimova actually began with opportunities to take control, forcing Potapova to save six break points in her opening service game. The 24th seed survived that early test and immediately turned the pressure around, breaking Anisimova to level the match before taking control of the set. Potapova then moved through the remainder of the opener with far greater consistency, while Anisimova's 19 unforced errors allowed her to take a comfortable 6-2 lead.

The second set became much more competitive, but Anisimova's errors continued to prove costly. She committed 27 unforced errors in the set alone, compared with just 10 from Potapova, as the two players traded breaks in a rollercoaster battle. Anisimova led at different stages and appeared to be pushing the set toward a tiebreak, but Potapova stayed composed when the finish line approached. She found the decisive break late and closed out the 6-2, 7-5 victory to send the 10th seed out of the tournament.

Zheng produced one of the most impressive fightbacks of her career to overcome Keys after appearing to be on the brink of defeat. The Chinese player was completely outplayed in the opening set, with Keys dominating behind her serve and giving her opponent little room to settle. Zheng could only manage a single game as the American raced to a 6-1 lead.

Rather than trying to force her way back into the match immediately, Zheng remained patient and waited for opportunities to appear. She began creating more pressure in the second set and earned a break to move ahead, eventually reaching 5-3 with the chance to level the match. Keys responded immediately to break back and restore parity, but Zheng held her nerve in the tiebreak, winning six of the final seven points to take it 7-6(6) and send the match into a decider.

The third set appeared to be firmly in Keys' hands when the American produced another dominant spell. Two consecutive breaks, combined with impeccable serving, put her 5-0 ahead and left Zheng needing a remarkable turnaround just to stay alive. She delivered exactly that. Zheng saved a match point from the return side and gradually began pulling Keys into longer exchanges, while the American became increasingly frustrated as the finish line moved further away.

Keys had two further opportunities to serve out the match, but Zheng refused to let the deficit dictate the outcome. She won seven games in a row to complete an extraordinary 7-5 comeback, closing out her sixth consecutive victory in New York and one of the biggest fightbacks of her career.

Swiatek was pushed into two tiebreaks by Bouzkova but ultimately showed her greater quality in the decisive moments to secure a straight-sets victory. The opening set was immediately competitive, with the players exchanging breaks through the first four games before finally settling into a more stable rhythm.

Bouzkova continued to put pressure on Swiatek's serve and eventually broke to move ahead 6-5, giving herself the opportunity to serve for the set. Swiatek responded exactly when she needed to, breaking back to force a tiebreak. Once there, the former world No. 1 raised her level and took control of the key points to win it 7-5.

Bouzkova again made the stronger start in the second set, opening a 3-0 lead and putting Swiatek under pressure. The Pole gradually worked her way back into the contest, with another exchange of breaks eventually bringing her level at 4-4. Bouzkova then earned set points at 6-5, but Swiatek held firm on serve to save all three and force another tiebreak. She once again proved stronger when the set was on the line, winning the breaker 7-4 to complete the victory.

Gauff advanced in straight sets against Bucsa, but the American first had to overcome an uncertain opening in which the Spaniard established herself as the more aggressive player. Bucsa secured the first break and moved ahead 3-1, using her baseline game to keep Gauff from dictating the exchanges.

Gauff gradually found greater precision, particularly with her crosscourt backhand, which repeatedly created problems for Bucsa. The American then turned the first set around in emphatic fashion, winning five consecutive games and breaking twice to move from 1-3 down to 6-3. Once she had settled into the match, Gauff looked increasingly comfortable protecting her service games.

The second set remained close for longer, with Bucsa staying level at 3-3 and refusing to allow Gauff to pull away. The pair exchanged breaks to reach 4-4, but Gauff produced her best tennis when the match entered its decisive phase. She won eight consecutive points to finish the contest, taking four of the final five games to complete the 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala produced arguably the best women's match of the US Open so far, with the American teenager prevailing 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 after more than three hours of absorbing tennis. The two friends have developed an increasingly competitive rivalry, and that was evident throughout a rollercoaster contest in which neither player was able to maintain control for long.

Jovic made the stronger start, racing into a 4-1 lead after two consecutive breaks, but Eala responded with two of her own to level at 4-4. After another exchange of breaks, Jovic held her nerve late to take the opener 7-5. Eala then struck back in the second set, again moving ahead early and surviving another series of breaks to eventually close it out 6-3 and force a decider.

The third set delivered another dramatic swing. Eala moved ahead early, but Jovic twice recovered from a break down before turning a 2-4 deficit into a 5-4 lead. She even earned her first match point from the return, only for Eala to save it and level the set. Jovic refused to let the opportunity slip, however, breaking in the 12th game before serving out the match to complete a memorable 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory. The result sends her into the fourth round of the US Open for the first time, where she will face Coco Gauff.