Zverev set for another late-night US Open clash as young stars Eala and Jovic face off

[p]The evening will start with an exciting clash of young WTA stars -- and friends and sometimes doubles partners -- [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovic-iva/bmWvBlnL/"]Iva Jovic[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a].[/p][p]Former women's champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Naomi Osaka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a] vie for fourth-round spots along with second-ranked Australian Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] and French Open winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andreeva-mirra/lI6fOOat/"]Mirra Andreeva[/a].[/p][p]In a men's draw thrown open by upsets to third-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a], fourth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] and No.6 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]Alex de Minaur[/a], 20-year-old American Learner Tien will try to follow up his emotional win over French veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-gael/fm7G8o0m/"]Gael Monfils[/a] when he fights [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a] for a place in the last 16.[/p][p]AFP Sport looks at three matches to watch on Day 7 of the US Open:[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/tabilo-a-YgVnM5vO/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=AFjkJ3lI"]Alexander Zverev v Alejandro Tabilo (2-0)[/a][/h2][p]Over two five-setters, Zverev has already spent nine hours and 26 minutes on court -- the most time a top seed has needed to reach the third round of a major since 1999.[/p][p]Zverev says he feels fine physically, but he knows he'll have to play better if he wants to add a second Grand Slam title to the French Open trophy he captured this year.[/p][image alt="Win probability" id="69f38b89-3528-4fa3-a97c-fc592c191ffb" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f0c54dac-6e86-45ab-acbd-acb391bc70b3" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]"It's a skill to win ugly when you're not playing great tennis," Zverev said. "I think I've mastered that right now I hope I'll start playing better tennis. New York has always been difficult for me ... but I hope I'll find something."[/p][p]Tabilo, ranked 28th in the world, is in the third round of the US Open for the first time -- and wants to avenge his second-round loss to Zverev on Ashe last year.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/keys-m-QwU996PK/zheng-q-xCyEhjAS/?mid=8QdDaEc5"]Madison Keys v Qinwen Zheng (1-1)[/a][/h2][p]Paris Olympics gold medallist Zheng is relishing every victory after a long recovery and rocky return in the wake of elbow surgery last year.[/p][p]The former world number four slipped so far down the rankings she had to qualify for the US Open, a boon in terms of sharpening her game but an admitted blow to the ego of a player more used to featuring among the top seeds.[/p][image alt="Win probability" id="a5e47893-802d-4947-a032-7f22c97b7273" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5c020f7f-07ab-4c58-9027-50ed4a697808" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]American Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, will have the crowd behind her on Grandstand court, and while her road to the third round hasn't been as arduous as that of Zheng, she's been tested. Keys saved five match points in her second-round win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bondar-anna/O8s9yjMD/"]Anna Bondar[/a].[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/jovic-i-bmWvBlnL/?mid=Wb0sczfc"]Iva Jovic v Alexandra Eala (2-0)[/a][/h2][p]Jovic, 18, is vying to improve on her best career Grand Slam showing -- a quarter-final run at the Australian Open this year. She shot to prominence with her maiden WTA title at Guadalajara last year at the age of 17 and arrived at Flushing Meadows at a career-high ranking of 14 in the world.[/p][p]In 21-year-old Eala, she'll face a global sensation from Quezon City at tournaments around the world, and she cemented her arrival among the elite with her first title in Washington last month.[/p][embed guid="a69bfad8-5eaf-4732-b620-87e90298abf8" url="https://x.com/espn/status/2093152309098234169" social-type="twitter" /][p]Both of Jovic's victories over Eala came before that breakthrough title -- in the first round at Roland Garros this year and in the round of 16 at Queen's Club in London.[/p][p]Yeah, I'm super excited (to face Eala)," Jovic said after her 6-4, 6-4 win over Briton [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-francesca/OU6w8nNa/"]Francesca Jones[/a] in Thursday's second round.[/p][p]"The atmosphere is gonna be amazing, and she's been playing some great tennis."[/p]