ROUND 3 of the Newport Beach Challenger saw plenty of United States countrymen bumped out of the race for the challenger title, with seven Americans across the men’s and women’s tournaments knocking a compatriot out of the running.

Men’s:

Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin – most remembered for his stunning upset of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open a couple of years ago – has booked a quarter finals spot after downing number two seed, Frances Tiafoe. It broke up a dominant tournament thus far from the home nation representatives, with United States having 11 of the final 16 players on the ATP singles draw. Currently ranked 170th in the world, Istomin won in straight sets, 6-3 6-2 to down the top 50 American, winning in 73 minutes on Court 2. He broke three times and saved four break point opportunities from his higher ranked opponent, whilst winning 80 per cent of his first serve points. He also won 41 and 58 per cent of his first and second serve return points respectively, as Tiafoe struggled to contain the Uzkbekistani hitter and bowed out in the Round of 16.

World number 75, Steve Johnson made it through to the final eight with a hard-fought slog against a plucky Aleksandar Vukic. The American down the 272nd ranked Australian talent, but not before it went the full distance, eventually claiming the victory 7-6 6-7 7-6 in an impressive three tiebreakers. Both players broke three times, but Vukic went at a 100 per cent conversion rate, while Tiafoe converted three from nine in the match. Vukic weathered Johnson’s serve for the most part, as the American produced 23 aces to nine, but also served up nine double faults to two. His 78 per cent first serve points record was strong, but despite his best serving efforts at times, Johnson could not shake Vukic until the end, winning 7-4 in the third set tiebreaker.

In other results, Mitchell Krueger defeated first seed Taylor Fritz to head into the quarter finals against compatriot Raymond Sarmiento who defeated JC Aragone in straight sets, 7-5 7-6. Fellow American Christopher Eubanks will take on Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan after both fought off galant efforts this round while both Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Bradley Klahn also head into the quarter finals after impressive efforts this round.

—

Women’s:

A little known 22-year-old Argentinian is through to the quarter finals after winning her second consecutive match against a seeded player. The 258th ranked Nadia Podoroska claimed a 6-0 3-6 6-3 victory over 11th seed, Croatian Veronica Cepede Royg which followed on from her win against seventh seed American, Francesca Di Lorenzo. In the 96-minute win over Cepede Royg, Podoroska won 70.5 per cent of her first serve points compared to her opponents’ 51.2 per cent. She did not serve an ace, but was strong on return, claiming 48.8 and 44.0 per cent of her first and second return points respectively. She also converted five of eight break points, and claimed the first victory against her opponent, having lost to her back in 2015, when she was just 18-years-old.

Now Podoroska takes on fourth seed German, Tatjana Maria who knocked out 13th seed American, Shelby Rogers in straight sets. Maria claimed the victory 7-5 6-4 in 94 minutes, serving five aces to one and winning 67.6 per cent of her first serve points. Maria was most dominant upon return, breaking three times from seven opportunities, as Rogers also had seven chances, but only converted one of them. With the Maria-Podoroska clash, it guarantees at least one non United States player in the semi-finals given that an American will play in each of the other quarter finals.

In other results, all bar one seeded player reigned supreme over their lower ranked opponent, with only Nicole Gibbs going down to CoCo Vandeweghe, 5-7 4-6. Second and third seed Americans, Taylor Townsend and Christina McHale also got away fairly scot free, while first and fifth seed Americans, Jessica Pegula and Madison Brengle will go head to head in the quarter finals, though Brengle won by default with her Belgian opponent Yanina Wickmayer retiring partway through the second set, 2-6 0-3.