Angelique Kerber has joined the list of US Open favourites to be bundled out of the tournament after a three-sets defeat to Dominika Cibulkova in the third round.
The Wimbledon champion was the latest single-digit seed eliminated, leaving none of this year’s Grand Slam winners left in the women’s draw.
No.29 seed Dominika Cibulkova rallied to beat the fourth-seeded Kerber 3-6 6-3 6-3, leaving only one of the top-four seeds on the women’s side in the tournament after three rounds – defending champion and third-seeded Sloane Stephens.
“I was not able actually to play my best tennis in the important moment,” Kerber said.
She wasn’t the only favoured player to lose on Saturday with sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia and No.13 seed Kiki Bertens also eliminated in three sets.
Frenchwoman Garcia was outlasted 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-4) by Spanish 30th seed Carla Suarez-Navarro while Bertens lost to the youngest player left in the field, 19-year-old Czech Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-1).
American 14th seed Madison Keys fought back from a set down to defeat Aleksandra Krunic 4-6 6-1 6-2.
Last year’s runner-up appeared out of sorts in the first set but she was resilient the rest of the way and won 12 of the last 15 games.
She said she was nervous – she even whiffed on an overhead – but thanked the crowd for pulling her through into the round of 16.
“In my defence, the sun was right there,” she said of her air swing.
“The ball went right there and I couldn’t see it. You know, it happens.
“At least it doesn’t happen to everyone else on national television.”
Meanwhile, Japanese 20th seed Naomi Osaka swept her way into the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time, thrashing Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-0 6-0 in just 50 minutes.
Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko was far too good for Katerina Siniakova winning 6-4 6-0.