Djokovic continues his bid for his 25th Grand Slam title and American players shine on a warm third day in New York.

Defending champion Coco Gauff and 12th-seeded Taylor Fritz provided the icing on the cake for a great day at Flushing Meadows as several Americans advanced to the third round of the US Open tennis championship.

Gauff made short work of early errors to beat unseeded German Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-0 to move into contact with 2019 Ukrainian semi-finalist Elina Svitolina after her victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night.

“It was a tough match. I mean, she’s not someone you play sometimes and feel great about,” Gauff said. “It was just execution.”

Building momentum ⏩️@CocoGauff defeats Maria 6-4, 6-0 and storms through to the 3rd round of the #USOpen! photo.twitter.com/J6mvVJNnHh

— wta (@WTA) August 29, 2024

In the men’s event, Novak Djokovic kept his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title alive after compatriot Laslo Djere retired with an injury while trailing 6-4 6-4 2-0 in the second round.

The world’s 109th-ranked player, who forced his compatriot to five sets in New York last year, needed a medical timeout to treat an injury just before losing the second set.

The 37-year-old Djokovic had to visit the coach himself due to what appeared to be a side injury after winning the first set.

“That’s not what we want to see when there’s a dropout. Laslo had an injury that kept him out of the tour for a while and he’s struggling to come back,” Djokovic said.

“He is such a good player in these conditions and the second set should have been his, he was leading 4-2.

“I don’t know if the fact that I won the second set put more strain on him.”

It was Djokovic’s 90th US Open victory, making him the first man to achieve that total at all four Grand Slams. He next meets Australian Alexei Popyrin, whom he defeated at this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon in four sets.

9⃣0⃣ wins at every Grand Slam for Novak! photo.twitter.com/F9Wiy59a50

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2024

American stars shine

Later, at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Fritz closed the action with a convincing 6-3 7-6(1) 6-1 defeat to Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. He was delighted with his level after a nerve-wracking opening match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

“I came in very focused. I felt like I was fixated on every point, which is something I was a little bit angry about in my first round,” Fritz said.

“I was just ready for it. Matteo is an extremely good player, a super tough second round. So I came in extra locked in.”

Hard-working Frances Tiafoe and former finalist Madison Keys did their part to bolster the American attack earlier in the day.

Tiafoe, who reached the semi-finals in New York in 2022 and finished second in his final practice event this year, was in complete control of the match when Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko retired 6-4 6-1 1-0.

“Glad I did it. (I) hate winning like that, but overall I thought I played pretty well today,” Tiafoe said after a stress-free win that saw him change shirts five times.

He will next face his 21-year-old compatriot Ben Shelton, who thrilled the home crowd last year by reaching the semi-finals, having no trouble beating Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 6-4 6-4 on the Grandstand.

The left-handed Shelton hit 17 aces to beat Bautista Agut by 60 winning strokes, capitalizing on the energy of the exuberant home crowd in the stifling heat.

Meanwhile, Madison Keys, making her 13th appearance in the US Open main draw, defeated Australia’s Maya Joint 6-4 6-0. She scored first when she converted her third break point to take a 4-3 lead, settling the first set with her serve.

The 29-year-old American opened the second period with a fresh start and sprinted to the finish in 62 minutes.