Wang Xiyu beat Maria Sakkari in the third round of US Open

• Wang Xiyu of China is the first Chinese woman to reach third round at a Grand Slam.
• Wang beat Maria Sakkari of Greece, who made it to the semi-finals last year.

Wang Xiyu of China beat third-seeded Maria Sakkari at the US Open on Wednesday, becoming the first Chinese player to make it to the third round of a Grand Slam.

Wang, who is ranked 75, beat her Greek opponent, who made it to the semi-finals last year, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, in a match that took 2 hours and 43 minutes.

The left-hander had 11 aces, 35 winners, and saved 12 of 17 break points. She will now play either Alison Riske-Amritraj of the United States or Camila Osorio of Colombia for a spot in the last 16.

“I’m just trying my best to save every ball,” 21-year-old Wang said in her on-court interview. “I’m trying and learning.”

Wang was the 2018 US Open junior champion. Along with Zheng Qinwen, Zhang Shuai, and Yuan Yue, she was one of four Chinese women to make it to the second round.

The number one player in China, Zhang, will play against Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova later on Wednesday.

Zheng beat former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the first round. On Thursday, she will play Anastasia Potopova, while Yuan will play Irina-Camelia Begu.

Wednesday evening, China could be happy that a male player made it to the third round.

Wu Yibing will play Nuno Borges of Portugal. Wu is the first Chinese man in 63 years to win a singles match at a Grand Slam.

Wu, who is ranked 174, beat Nikoloz Basilvashili on Monday to become the first Chinese man to win a US Open singles match since Cheng Guy in 1935.

If he beats Borges, Wu could meet Daniil Medvedev, who is number one in the world and the defending champion, in the last 32.

Also Read

Iga Swiatek beat Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to get to the US Open second round

Iga Swiatek, the number one player in the world, won 6-3 and...