US Open recap: Lucky loser blows match point, lets history slip

That’s a wrap from another fantastic day of tennis at the US Open.

Thanks for joining us, and we will see you bright and early tomorrow morning for another bumper day of action, with defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz both playing quarter-finals.

Top seed Alexander Zverev breezes through to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Luciano Darderi: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.

The German star points at his watch, very happy that he has wrapped up this match before midnight.

Zverev’s first two wins at the US Open were five set slug-fests.

“I don’t know what to do with myself, before midnight,” Zverev says, joking he might go and practice or hit a bar.

Playing his fourth straight night-session match, the 29-year-old was in no mood to hang around and powered through the first set after absorbing some late pressure on his otherwise solid serve.

After a misplaced drop shot from 21st seed Darderi gifted Zverev a second break in the next set, the French Open champion took full advantage to rack up a 4-0 lead that provided the perfect platform to double his advantage in the match.

Zverev suddenly lost momentum and was tested a lot more in the third set by Darderi's powerful first serve and drop shots, but he regrouped late on to prevail and become the only man to reach the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams this year.

He will take on Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the semi-finals.

We are off to a third set tiebreak as top seed Alexander Zverev holds serve, despite a double fault and a few stumbles in the 12th game.

Can Luciano Darderi give the crowd some extra tennis?

It’s 11.40pm in the Big Apple.

Forget the midnight New York time finish, I think we could be on for a fourth set here.

Alexander Zverev is doing everything he can to avoid that from unfolding, with both player trading games. But Darderi is not giving up.

This is going to be a big finish from Zverev and Darderi.

Luciano Darderi does not want to let this match end in three sets - and I think the fans are more than happy for it to go into another set.

Alexander Zverev has been trading games with his opponent throughout this set, a very different theme to his opening two sets. It is 3-3. Bring it on.

Of the 16 players who featured in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev is the only one on track to reach the same stage at this tournament.

He just needs to defeat Darderi to do so. Incredible work by the German.

Luciano Darderi is a fighter, that is for sure.

The Italian has turned his strategy around to start the third set and has punched ahead to a 2-1 lead. Alexander Zverev does not seem too worried, though.

I am not sure what is in Darderi’s cup that he is drinking from on his player’s bench, but it certainly looks dark enough to be a coffee of some sort. Maybe it will help him for the better?

Alexander Zverev has taken the second set with ease, 6-2.

Luciano Darderi is going to need to change something if he wants to stay in this. Zverev is dominating the baseline and defending the drop shot beautifully.

Can the top seed take out this match in three sets?

Alexander Zverev has had plenty of five set matches at this tournament, but he is cruising on the court at the minute against Luciano Darderi.

Darderi has not been able to find the answer to slow the top seed down. Zverev’s powerful serve is also doing him no favours.

“This is turning into a bit of a massacre,” tennis commentator Jimmy Arias said.

While that may look to be the case on the scoreboard, Darderi has delivered some entertaining rallies for everyone to enjoy.