Jordan Thompson marches on as Australia’s US Open assault continues

Seed-slaying Jordan Thompson has claimed another scalp to set up a potential all-Australian US Open fourth-round showdown with Alex de Minaur. After dispatching world number seven Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, Thompson knocked out 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) on day six to reach the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the second time.

De Minaur played Briton Dan Evans on Saturday night (Sunday AEST), with the winner taking on Thompson for a place in the quarter-finals. “If he goes through, it’s definitely an Aussie in the quarter-finals. I hope it’s me,” Thompson said on court. “I’ll recover. I won’t stand by and watch. I’ll leave that to my coach.”

With Alexei Popyrin basking in the glory of his stunning defeat of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, Australia have already converted their biggest US Open contingent in 43 years to at least two players in the men’s last 16. Whether he plays de Minaur or Evans, Thompson will need a force to stop him. The Parisian Olympian is playing the tennis of his life, winning his first ATP title in Los Cabos this year and reaching the final in Atlanta. He has now equalled his best career grand slam run at the 2020 US Open.

Thompson had yet to lose a set this season and fell behind 4-2 in the third set to Arnaldi, an Italian 2023 Davis Cup winner who is widely regarded as one of tennis’s most promising young stars. But true to form, Thompson went straight back to work, breaking Arnaldi in the seventh game and rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the third-set tiebreaker to secure victory after two hours and 33 minutes.

“It was a great match for me. The third round is busy. I haven’t been there that much in my career,” he said. “I got a little bit irritated, but I handled it really well and came out on top. It’s really nice to win under the lights on a Saturday night in New York.”

The 30-year-old is on the verge of claiming a new career high in the world’s top 30 and believes he is only just beginning to reach his peak. “It’s hard to disagree. I feel like I’m getting better as I get older,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely the best I’ve played in my career and my results and ranking dictate that.”

But Chris O’Connell’s Open is over after Australia’s fourth representative was taught a lesson in the third round by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I felt like he was there from the start. I felt a bit clueless, to be honest,” O’Connell said after being knocked out in a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 defeat. “Every single shot I felt like I had to do something with it because he was right on my heels. He was choking me. I mean, yeah, I have to believe, but I just felt like he was on fire. The best tennis player I’ve ever played against, absolutely.”

O’Connell can take comfort in a personal best prize of $US215,000 ($A$315,000) for reaching the last 32. Popyrin, the 28th seed, will take on world number 20 Frances Tiafoe in a primetime fourth-round showdown on Sunday night (9pm AEST Monday).