Sinner cautious ahead of clash with improved Paul at US Open

Sinner cautious ahead of clash with improved Paul at US Open

Sports

Sinner's fellow top seed Iga Swiatek is on track to add a second New York title

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(Reuters) - The U.S. Open fourth round continues on Monday as the world's top players battle for Grand Slam glory in New York.

There has been no shortage of upsets at the tournament so far with Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff going out early, and world number one Jannik Sinner will look to avoid the same fate as the defending champions when he faces American Tommy Paul.

Sinner's fellow top seed Iga Swiatek is on track to add a second New York title to her trophy cabinet and the Pole takes on Liudmila Samsonova.

Here are the latest results and highlights:

TOP MEN'S MATCH: SINNER v PAUL

Sinner has not let a doping controversy in the build-up to the Grand Slam affect him so far, with the Italian dropping only one set in his three matches and not taking any heat from the crowd in wins over two American players along the way.
With his main rivals Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the picture already, Sinner is a firm favourite to capture a second Grand Slam title after the Australian Open.

However, he does not expect to get an easy ride.

Sinner lost to Paul at Eastbourne two years ago in the second of their three career meetings and will approach the match with plenty of caution against an improved opponent.

"He's great mover and he has improved a lot ... It's going to be a tough challenge. He plays great tennis, especially here in America, so it's going to be a tough match for me," Sinner told reporters.

"Hopefully I'm ready to compete in the best possible way, and I'm just looking forward to it. These matches are exciting to play and I'm happy to be part of this."

TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: MUCHOVA V PAOLINI

Jasmine Paolini, also from Italy, has made big strides this season with the 28-year-old finishing runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon.

She will have to do something she has never done before to progress in New York, however, as she meets Karolina Muchova for a fourth time still seeking a first win.

Muchova, a semi-finalist in 2023, has been in great form after 10 months out with a wrist injury and the Czech's bag of tricks can prove a challenge for the best of players, as Naomi Osaka found out in the second round.

SWIATEK FACES SAMSONOVA TEST

Swiatek is not as comfortable on hard courts as she is on clay, despite winning the 2022 title at New York, but the five-times Grand Slam champion will hope her experience on the big stage can help her see off a tough opponent in Samsonova.