Following the results of Friday's day session at the U.S. Open, many players were expecting some tough competition from the Americans, but it was mostly won by the players who came to Flushing for the year's final Grand Slam tournament.
The match between No. 6 ranked Andrey Rublev and No. 32 ranked Jiri Lechecka was expected to be a close one.
But despite the close match, Russia's Rublev held on to win in three sets 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
The two players had previously met once before in Indian Wells in March, when Rublev lost in two straight sets, 4-6, 4-6, in a best-of-three match on clay.
Leheckka then defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas before reaching the quarterfinals where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Rublev's serve was dominant on Friday, averaging about 114.5 mph and winning 89 percent of his first-serve points, which were effective 61 percent of the time.
He also saved 71 percent of his break points and won five of 16 total chances against Lehecka, who lost his service game five times.
Rublev, who is strongest on both clay and hard courts, has a 34-17 singles record this year.
The win sets him up for a fourth-round match against ninth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday.
Paula Badosa, ranked 29th in the world, suffered a scare on Friday morning against Romania's Elena Gabriela Ruse at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The former French Open quarterfinalist split the first two sets with Ruth before surviving a late match point in a tight tiebreak to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8).
Badosa will face China's Yafan Wang, aiming to reach the last 16 at this year's Grand Slam.
American junior Peyton Stearns was eliminated from the U.S. Open after losing in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, to No. 24 Donna Vekic.
The 22-year-old converted just two of five break points and made 28 unforced errors to Vekic's 16.
Stearns' best Grand Slam finish was the round of 16 at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Grigor Dimitrov comfortably defeated Taron Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in the third round.
Seventh seed Chen Qingwen also easily beat Germany's Yul Niemeyer 6-2, 6-1 and will face Vekic on Sunday.
