Top Seeds Shocked as Fritz and Cobolli Exit Early at US Open

The US Open has seen a dramatic turn of events in its early rounds, with top seeds Taylor Fritz and Flavio Cobolli both suffering unexpected defeats. Fritz, the ninth seed, was in a commanding position against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, leading by two sets and an early break in the third. However, Cerundolo staged a remarkable comeback to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, marking one of the biggest shocks of the tournament.

Fritz expressed his disbelief at the loss, stating, “I don’t even know what to say. I don’t really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I need to get out for a couple of days and then get back to work. I don’t know how I let that happen today.” This defeat not only ends his campaign but also raises questions about his performance at his home Grand Slam, where he was a finalist in 2024.

Shortly after Fritz’s exit, fifth seed Cobolli faced a similar fate against Belgium’s Alexander Blockx. Cobolli lost in four sets, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 0-6, 3-6, after initially taking the first set in a tie-break. The Italian struggled to maintain his momentum, particularly after a disastrous third set where he failed to win a game. Cobolli acknowledged his fatigue, saying, “I feel a little bit more tight and maybe more tired.” With both players out, the path to the latter stages of the tournament has opened significantly.

In contrast, the tournament’s top seed, Alexander Zverev, advanced smoothly to the fourth round, defeating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Zverev’s performance was marked by resilience, as he saved two set points in the second set. He will now face Italian 21st seed Luciano Darderi in the next round, with a potential route to the semi-finals that could see him avoid any top-20 opponents.

The early exits of Fritz and Cobolli have left the men’s draw wide open, with only Zverev and the winners of Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik remaining among the top seeds in the top half. The tournament has already seen significant upsets, including the first-round elimination of fourth seed Novak Djokovic by Mariano Navone, and the exit of third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round.

As the competition progresses, fans will be keenly watching how the remaining seeds navigate the challenges ahead, with the potential for new faces to emerge in the latter stages of the tournament.

Source: This original report was produced by WTGO Newsroom using verified reporting from BBC Sport.