Rinky Hijikata storms into fourth round of US Open

Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata’s remarkable journey into the last 16 of the US Open has taken both fans and himself by surprise.

The 22-year-old, who had never secured a victory in a grand slam match until this year, displayed his mettle by defeating Chinese player Zhizhen Zhang in a captivating third-round clash in New York.

This victory guarantees Hijikata a substantial payday of $US284,000 ($A440,000) and sets the stage for his fourth-round showdown against American standout Frances Tiafoe.

Hijikata will go into the clash against Tiafoe as a heavy-underdog, priced at $6.25 with online bookmakers, with the American as short as $1.10 with tennis betting sites.

The 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-4 win not only secured his spot in the next round but also propelled him into the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time in his career.

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Reflecting on his progress, Hijikata humorously remarked, “I look at my ranking a lot more if I’m doing well. I like seeing myself going up, not so much when I’m going down.”

Addressing his unexpected success, Hijikata acknowledged that this impressive streak wasn’t something he foresaw at the beginning of the week.

“I’ve put a lot of hard work in, I’ve always strived for these kinds of results, and I’ve always felt like I’m capable of having runs in these tournaments,” he said.

“But for it to happen this soon when I feel like I’m still pretty new to playing at the grand slams is pretty cool.”

Hijikata’s triumph over Zhang, who had previously defeated world number five Casper Ruud, showcased his ability to match power with tenacious baseline play. Despite facing challenges during the third set, he remained composed and channeled the energy of the crowd into his performance.

His spirited cries of “come on” during the match were reminiscent of Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, a player whom Hijikata admitted to emulating in his own game.

As Hijikata advances in the US Open, he finds himself in a section of the draw that includes three American players, including Tiafoe. He’s prepared to embrace the potentially “pretty hostile” atmosphere, drawing from his experience of playing college tennis at the University of North Carolina.

“Either way, I love thriving on the energy. (The crowd) won’t be for me, that’s for sure, but I’ll still try to enjoy it as much as I can … I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Tiafoe, on the other hand, admitted that he hasn’t seen much of Hijikata’s game, which the Australian player sees as a potential advantage, at least in the initial set of their clash as they vie for a place in the quarterfinals.

Veteran Novak Djokovic is a $1.91 favourite to win the men’s crown at the US Open, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz ($2.88) and Daniil Medvedev ($13).

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