Cobolli, Majchrzak, Riedi take the scenic route to U.S. Open third round

There was plenty of drama to be had as second-round action at the U.S. Open wrapped up on Thursday.

No match was more dramatic than Kamil Majchrzak vs. Karen Khachanov.

Previously 0-4 lifetime in the head-to-head series, Majchrzak had lost to Khachanov twice in straight sets at Grand Slams–first at the 2020 French Open and again earlier this summer at Wimbledon. For much of the way it looked like the 29-year-old Pole was well on his way to yet another loss at the hands of the 29-year-old Russian. Not only did Majchrzak trail two sets to love, but he also fell behind 5-2 in the fifth. That’s when the world No. 76 saved three match points before fighting off two more at 5-6.

After finally forcing a super-tiebreaker, Majchrzak led it just about from start to finish for an improbable 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(10-5) victory.

Majchrzak is joined in the third round by Leandro Riedi for what will be a shocking third-round showdown on Friday. Riedi also came back from two sets down against a heavily favored opponent, as the 23-year-old Swiss stunned Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Cerundolo led by a break at 2-1 in the fifth only to drop the last five games of the match.

It was a rough turning of the tables for the 19th-ranked Argentine, who had engineered a comeback from two sets down of his own against Matteo Arnaldi in round one.

Shortly after Riedi and Majchrzak were victorious, Flavio Cobolli outlasted Jenson Brooksby 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(10-3). Brooksby broke back with his opponent serving at 5-4 in the fifth, saving two match points along the way–including one in especially amazing fashion. In the end, though, Cobolli was too clutch. The 26th-ranked Italian held from a 15-30 deficit at 5-6 and then played a near-flawless super-tiebreaker.

Cobolli’s reward is an all-Italian third-round affair with Lorenzo Musetti on Friday.