Svitolina* 6-3 3-6 3-5 Gauff (*denotes server) Wow. Who saw that coming? Gauff had three match points in that game but – from 40-love down – Svitolina fought back. The American’s serve suddenly went awry (she double-faulted twice) but what a fightback from the No 27. She went for it in that game. This isn’t quite over.

Svitolina 6-3 3-6 2-5 Gauff* (*denotes server) Svitolina may feel that it’s all going against her but she’s no quitter. She makes it through that service game under pressure, blasting some nice forehand shots. Now she has to break Gauff and see if she can induce a nervy wobble in the home favourite.

Svitolina* 6-3 3-6 1-5 Gauff (*denotes server) Gauff has gone from struggling in the first set, superiority in the second, supremacy in the third. Her serve has gone up a level (or three) since the start. She flies through that game and is 1x game away from week two.

Svitolina 6-3 3-6 1-4 Gauff* (*denotes server) The American takes advantage of her first break point to take a 4-1 lead in this set, Svitolina firing a shot into the net. Well, the momentum and the home crowd are against the Ukranian here. The No 3 seed is serving and needs two games to take her place in the next round.

Svitolina* 6-3 3-6 1-3 Gauff (*denotes server) Thanks Yara. In this match, the defending champion has found a new gear since losing the first set. Coco Gauff looks a different player and Elina Svitolina, who’s making a few errors, needs to hold serve here to stop her opponent running way with this decider.

It is time for me to take a short break. Alex Reid is here to expertly guide you through the next hour.

Paula Badosa speaks on the match after her win:

Guys, 5-4 down, I was destroyed. Match point down, I was done. You guys gave me so much strength. Thank you. I think she played an insane level. I wasn’t expecting it. I was a bit confused.

On what she was told by her coach after losing the first set:

My coach said you have to fight. To play aggressive. For a moment, I thought I wasn’t playing her, I was playing Simona Halep. Congratulations to her and her coach.

On playing mixed doubles with Stefanos Tsitsipas a bit later today:

He will have to do all the work. A good lunch will help me so much and the motivation and excitement will help me.

On the support on Louis Armstrong:

I always say the best crowd is in the US. It is not a coincidence my best results are here. I feel so safe and protected here. Thank you guys. I hope to see you at my doubles match.

Paula Badosa beats Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8)

Svitolina 6-3, 3-6 Gauff* (*denotes server) We go to a decider! An ace from Gauff is what gives her the second set and Svitolina looks annoyed she has let this one slip.

Ruse 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Badosa* (*denotes server) We are heading to a tie-break in this third set!

Svitolina 6-3, 2-5 Gauff* (*denotes server) Svitolina’s accuracy has gone off a touch, making it 30-15 for Gauff after a long forehand. The American then hits another backhand that her opponent misses and she takes the game after another long forehand from the Ukrainian.

*Svitolina 6-3, 2-4 Gauff (*denotes server) Gauff hits the best backhand she has hit all day, with the power and positioning coming off perfectly to make it 15-15. You can hear a pin drop up until a Gauff hits a massive smash and then a forehand down the line. Big roar from Gauff, big roar from Arthur Ashe. A crosscourt forehand means she breaks. The American asks the crowd for more and they give it to her, gladly.

Ruse 6-4, 1-6, 5-5 Badosa* (*denotes server) Survival. Badosa holds! She goes into the forehand side of Ruse and the Spaniard is still in this match, to the absolute delight of most of the crowd at Louis Armstrong.

*Ruse 6-4, 1-6, 5-4 Badosa (*denotes server) What a way to break in those new balls – Ruse hits her first ace (and her fastest serve at 108 mph) and quickly gets to 40-0 after Badosa hits it out. But Ruse nets twice and all of a sudden it is deuce. Ruse takes advantage with another ace, this time at 111 mph and then holds. Can she break for the match?

Ruse 6-4, 1-6, 4-4 Badosa* (*denotes server) This is going to be a close one. Twenty-five games played, new balls introduced and we are down to the home stretch.

*Svitolina 6-3 Gauff (*denotes server) Svitolina is about to serve for the set … A winner down the line and then a Gauff long backhand makes it 30-0. It is silent on Arthur Ashe. A beautiful volley after a drop shot makes it 40-0 and Gauff’s forehand goes wide, giving the world No 28 the first set.

Women’s doubles at the US Open or Spider-Man?

*Svitolina 4-3 Gauff (*denotes server) Gauff’s backhand looks so smooth, one of the best on the tour. But the forehand looks disjointed, something she has struggled with all year. But she is up 40-15 after Svitolina returns a forehand wide. However, her shots are not being sustained and we get to deuce after Gauff nets. The American shakes it off though and her backhand has Svitolina running and she strikes to get advantage. But back to deuce after Guaff nets a forehand and the Ukrainian holds.

Svitolina 3-3 Gauff* (*denotes server) Gauff faces another break point early on in the match but she puts up a big ace. At the fourth deuce, Svitolina nets a crosscourt forehand and Gauff’s forehand down the line earns her the game after her opponent misses.

Ruse 6-4, 1-6 Badosa* (*denotes server) We go to a decider! It was one-way traffic in that second set with the Spaniard hitting three aces, 12 winners and three break points.

Zheng Qinwen beats Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-1

Svitolina 2-2 Gauff* (*denotes server) Gauff is under some pressure after struggling with her serve but she catches up to make it 30-40 with a big forehand. At deuce, the American hits a crosscourt backhand and sees out the game with a beautiful dropshot.

We can hear Gauff’s coach, Brad Gilbert, crystal clear on the feed and he tells her to “hit some height on her backhand”.

Ruse 6-4, 1-4 Badosa* (*denotes server) Badosa’s serve in the second set has improved massively. Ruse just can’t deal with the power behind it. The Spaniard has now won 8/8 points from her first serve in the second set.

*Ruse 6-4, 1-3 Badosa (*denotes server) Badosa is keeping Ruse from stringing anything together at the moment. She takes the fourth game after going 40-0 and hitting a pinpoint backhand.

*Svitolina 1-0 Gauff (*denotes server) The Ukrainian holds after double faulting when her opponent hits it wide. Arthur Ashe is bouncing and ready to watch their favourite player in the American.

Ruse 6-4, 1-2 Badosa* (*denotes server) The Spaniard hits some beautiful aces to get to 40-15 but it’s deuce in a flash after netting a second serve. What looked like an easy game all of a sudden isn’t but a fantastic forehand after a longer rally wins her the game.

*Ruse 6-4, 1-1 Badosa (*denotes server) Badosa came back guns blazing to take the first game and Ruse, despite a time-violation warning, shakes it off to take the second.

Coco Gauff will be getting underway on Arthur Ashe soon, the No 3 seed taking on Elina Svitolina. This will be Gauff’s first time facing a seeded player in her title defence. Svitolina is a three-time semi-finalist at grand slams and has reached at least the last eight in 11 slams.

Zheng Qinwen wins the first set 6-2 against Jule Niemeier. It started off quite even on Grandstand but the Olympic champion put together a commanding four game streak. Niemeier had a medical timeout before the final set.

*Ruse 6-4 Badosa (*denotes server) It’s 30-0 to Ruse but that poor serve was bound to catch up to her eventually and a double fault makes it break point for Badosa. But she can’t see it out and the Romanian takes the set with a backhand.

Ruse 5-4 Badosa* (*denotes server) Ruse is visibly fired up now and the game takes a matter of moments as she puts Badosa on the back foot immediately. She now serves for the set.

*Ruse 4-4 Badosa (*denotes server) Nothing has been easy for either player in this first set so far and both are sliding up and down the scale of excellent play and erratic play. After a second deuce the Romanian manages the game with a short forehand that Badosa can’t get to.

Ruse, the qualifier, has won three points on her first serve. And it is 4-4. The Louis Armstrong effect, I guess?

Ruse 3-4 Badosa* (*denotes server) Badosa is forcing Ruse to move a lot more and it is causing a lot of unforced errors for the Romanian – nine in total in this match so far. It is a nervy game though as the two alternate their points. Badosa is also struggling with first serves, only hitting 48% of them by the time we reach 40-40. Two aces earn the Spaniard the hold and she takes the lead.

*Ruse 3-3 Badosa (*denotes server) Ruse comes into this game having not won a single point off her first serve. Badosa takes advantage by moving away and hitting a couple of forehands that are hard for Ruse to read. A double fault from Ruse brings a break point for Badosa and Ruse nets a backhand. All tied up!

Ruse 3-2 Badosa* (*denotes server) We get to 40-15 and Badosa is clearly struggling. At this point, she has served 18 points and only won five of them. My limited Spanish comes in handy here. Her coach tells her to concentrate on making her first serve before a ‘Vamos’. She finally finds the first serve to bail herself out of trouble and makes it 40-40 before saving three break points.

*Ruse 3-1 Badosa (*denotes server) Ruse’s second-serve is too short with very little spin or slice on it and Badosa pounces on it immediately. It is an obvious weakness in the Romanian’s game. But she manages to get to 40-15 after the Spaniard hits several forehand shots well out and she sees out the game.

Ruse 2-1 Badosa* (*denotes server) Badosa is a good mover but Ruse gets inside the court really quickly which eliminates time for the opponent and even someone as mobile as the Spaniard can struggle with some of those shots. Ruse gets the advantage with her firing backhand and then a forehand to see out the game. Three consecutive breaks of serve in this match. Are we living in some alternative universe on Louis Armstrong where players prefer to not serve?

*Ruse 1-1 Badosa (*denotes server) Badosa manages to sprint towards a Ruse dropshot and hits a winner. She gets to 40-0 with an inch-perfect forehand and the players trade breaks after Ruse hits a shot well-wide. Ruse’s serve isn’t as accurate as it could be. It goes right in the middle, making it very easy for opponents to attack and putting her under pressure immediately.

Ruse 1-0 Badosa* (*denotes server) The 26th seed gets us underway and is immediately under pressure after going down 0-40. The Romanian then hits the game winner after Badosa hits it short, immediately pouncing and moving up from the baseline. Our first break!

The weather is overcast in New York but we have confirmation that play should start in time. We start with Gabriela Rusev Paula Badosa on Louis Armstrong and Zheng Qinwen v Jule Niemeier on Grandstand.

After the first two rounds in the men’s singles tournament, Andrey Rublev leads in the most winners hit with 111. The sixth seed fought back from two two sets down to beat Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. The match, which took place in grueling heat conditions, was completed in four hours and six minutes. He continues his campaign for a first slam title today against Jiri Lehecka.

Our Brit watch has proved to be a mixed bag. Katie Boulter suffered one of her most disappointing defeats of the season, crashing out 7-5, 7-5 to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro despite being the favourite. But Jack Draper eased into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over the Argentine Facundo Díaz Acosta and Dan Evans’s statement 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over Mariano Navone came two days after he battled through the longest match in the history of the US Open, recovering from 0-4 down in the fifth set to defeat Karen Khachanov in five sets after five hours, 35 minutes.

The Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp managed a massive victory against Carlos Alcaraz in a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 win last night on Arthur Ashe.

Having established himself as such a reliable performer in the biggest tournaments, this defeat marks the first time that Alcaraz has lost to a player ranked outside of the top 15 at a grand slam since the French Open in 2021, when he was 18 years old and ranked 97th in the world. It is also his earliest loss at a grand slam since that same year.

With the win, Van de Zandschulp has become the fourth unseeded player in 2000s to defeat in straight sets a Top three seeded at the men’s singles US Open tournament.

Catch up on how it all went down with Tumaini Carayol’s report.

Preamble