Sinner, Swiatek tested at US Open as Gauff sets up Osaka showdown

JANNIK Sinner kept his US Open title defence on track Saturday as Iga Swiatek struggled through to the last 16 and home favourite Coco Gauff booked a blockbuster clash with Naomi Osaka.

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Sinner rallied from a set down to beat Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and is trying to become the first man to retain the title in New York since Roger Federer in 2008.

"I was in a very difficult moment," said Sinner. "The scoreline was a bit against me today, but I just tried to stay there mentally."

World No. 1 Sinner will face Alexander Bublik next after the mercurial Kazakh put out US 14th seed Tommy Paul in a late-night thriller, winning in five sets.

"Week two is completely different. It's getting tougher and tougher," said Sinner.

Third seed Alexander Zverev fell to his earliest US Open exit in seven years at the hands of an inspired Felix Auger-Aliassime. Canada’s Auger-Aliassime belted 50 winners but was a point away from going two sets down before outduelling Zwerev 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-4.

"I didn't play a good match, and not a good tournament in general,” said 2020 runner-up Zverev.

Auger-Aliassime next takes on Andrey Rublev, who put an end to the fairytale run of Hong Kong's Coleman Wong in five sets.