Thrilling Matches and Unexpected Exits: Highlights from Day 8 at the U.S. Open

Day eight of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows saw exciting matches under partly cloudy skies. Highlights included early exits for top players like Coco Gauff, and quarter-final advancements for others including Taylor Fritz. The competitive action featured both surprising defeats and triumphant victories across multiple courts.

Day eight at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows commenced under partly cloudy skies, with temperatures hovering around a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit).

The order of play on the main showcourts featured a sequence of highly anticipated matches. On Arthur Ashe Stadium, 18-seed Diana Shnaider from Russia faced 6-seed Jessica Pegula of the U.S., followed by Spain's Nuno Borges against Russia's Daniil Medvedev, the 5th seed. Other matches included Poland's top seed Iga Swiatek taking on 16-seed Liudmila Samsonova from Russia, and Italy's Jannik Sinner clashing with the U.S.'s 14-seed Tommy Paul.

In Louis Armstrong Stadium, the schedule began with a clash between Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic and Italy's 5th seed Jasmine Paolini. Other notable matches included Britain's 25-seed Jack Draper versus Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki against Brazil's 22-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, and an all-Australian face-off between 10-seed Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson.

Further highlights of the day included Jannik Sinner's cautious approach ahead of his match with the improved Tommy Paul. Meanwhile, early exits marked the day as U.S. Open Champion Coco Gauff was knocked out, while Zheng Qinwen defeated Donna Vekic in a late finish for a women's match. Frances Tiafoe credited a motivational talk from Serena Williams for his performance boost. Other significant outcomes saw Taylor Fritz overpower Casper Ruud to reach the quarter-finals, and Grigor Dimitrov outlasting Andrey Rublev to secure his spot in the last eight.

(With inputs from agencies.)