US Open, day 3 men’s wrap: Tsitsipas, Medvedev advance as heavy storm forces suspension indoors

Stefanos Tsitsipas took another trademark long bathroom break then credited it for advancing to the third round while Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev and fifth-seeded compatriot Andrey Rublev breezed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as a storm lashing New York forced the suspension of an indoor match.

The 23-year-old Greek third seed was booed after taking more than eight minutes between the third and fourth sets but dominated after his extended toilet trip to flush Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I think taking a break and going to change – I was completely wet – I was refreshed,” Tsitsipas said when asked about the key to sweeping the final set in 30 minutes. “I was much more able to deliver good tennis in the fourth set. I was able to stay resilient on each and every point.”

Tsitsipas, who matched his deepest US Open run, has been ridiculed by Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev for extended bathroom breaks seen as gamesmanship.

French Open runner-up Tsitsipas, who says he’s only following ATP rules that have no time limit on toilet breaks, fired a career-high 27 aces, five more than his previous best, in winning his ATP-best 50th match of the year.

Medvedev, this year’s Australian Open runner-up, defeated Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. The Toronto champion had also beaten Koepfer on his way to the 2019 US Open final, which he lost to Rafael Nadal.

“Great level from me,” Medvedev said. “There were a few tight moments in the match and I managed to play them well. I’m happy to be through in less than two hours.”

Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev beat Spain’s Pedro Martinez 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-1. He next faces 50th-ranked American Frances Tiafoe, who warns, “I’m coming after him.”

High winds and water drenched the grounds and wind-blown rain entered through upper corner openings under the closed roof of Louis Armstrong Stadium to suspend a second-round match between South African Kevin Anderson and Argentina’s Diego Schwartzmann.

Remnants of deadly Hurricane Ida would shut down the covered court after twice interrupting the match, with the National Weather Service issuing a tornado and flash flood warnings for the area.

Anderson and Schwartzman resumed in Ashe after Tsitsipas’s victory, with the South American winning 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4.