US Open results 2017: Top seed Karolina Pliskova holds off 3rd-round upset

Pliskova was nearly eliminated by Shuai Zhang at the US Open on Saturday.

Karolina Pliskova, the women’s top seed at the US Open, was nearly eliminated in third-round play by Shuai Zhang on Saturday. Zhang, the 27th seed, scored multiple breaks, but Pliskova ultimately held on, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, and has punched her own ticket into the Round of 16.

The opening set saw Zhang hit fewer aces, more double faults and more unforced errors, but she still took it fairly comfortably. She converted on three of nine break attempts and won 67 percent of her first serves, hitting 19 winners to Pliskova’s 13.

She also managed to get 62 percent of her first serves in, and won 46 percent of her receiving points, giving her a strong 6-3 set opener. She entered the second set down 3-1, but scored a break over Pliskova and then held to get things back on set.

She was serving for the win, up 5-4, but suffered a break at the hands of Pliskova, and went on to lose the set after Pliskova held and then followed it up with another break. Pliskova hit nine aces and 23 winners with 29 unforced errors in a sloppy second set, but she managed to force a third with her performance, converting on four of eight break attempts while Zhang only managed 4 of 14.

Zhang started the third set with a break of Pliskova, and then held serve. But Pliskova held, scored a break, and then held again to get things back on serve, and from there she was in control through to the end.

Pliskova advances to to the fourth round, where she’ll face either unseeded American Jennifer Brady or unseeded Monica Niculescu.

The women’s bracket has been interesting thus far, with Serena Williams still out due to her pregnancy and Simona Halep, the second seed and one of the favorites, out in the first round. Halep fell to the unseeded Maria Sharapova, who is playing in her first Grand Slam since a doping ban 15 months ago.

Sharapova has looked very good and is one of the favorites in the tournament. She punched her ticket into the Round of 16 with a straight-set victory over Sofia Kenin on Friday. Venus Williams, the ninth seed, is also a strong candidate to win, and is into the Round of 16 with Sharapova and third seed Garbine Muguruza, who also won her match on Friday.

You can find updated results and schedule for the men’s singles bracket here and the women’s singles bracket here. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will both be in action later on Saturday.