James Duckworth finally cracked the Lorenzo Sonego code in Winston-Salem, and he did it with the conviction of a man who knows a major lies just around the corner.
For two matches, the Italian had his number. Wimbledon 2021: straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Eastbourne 2022: another sting, this time in two tiebreaks after Duckworth had led, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1). Same opponent, same frustration, same sense of a chance missed.
Not this time.
On Thursday (AEST), the 34-year-old Australian flipped the script, outplaying Sonego 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP-250 event and bank a timely dose of confidence before the US Open.
Third time lucky, and then some
This was not a smash-and-grab upset. It was controlled, calculated payback.
Duckworth, ranked 79 in the world and safely into the main draw at Flushing Meadows, needed one hour and 44 minutes to close out a match that always felt like a personal checkpoint. He broke Sonego twice, guarded his own serve with care, and snuffed out all three break points he faced.
Every hold tightened his grip. Every saved chance chipped away at Sonego’s belief.
The first set hinged on a handful of points, but Duckworth played the bigger ones with the clarity that had deserted him in their previous meetings. Once he edged the opener 7-5, the weight shifted. The rallies stretched, Sonego’s impatience grew, and Duckworth’s patterns started to bite.
By the time he sealed the 6-3 second set, it wasn’t just a win. It was a reset of a head-to-head that had been one-way traffic.
Next up is 15th seed Fabian Marozsan, the Hungarian who recovered from a poor start to beat American wildcard Martin Damm 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. A place in the semifinals is on the line, and for Duckworth, so is the chance to roll into New York with real momentum, not just hope.
Hijikata blown away
If Duckworth’s day ended with a sense of redemption, Rinky Hijikata’s was over almost before it began.
The young Australian ran into a ruthless Benjamin Bonzi, who produced the kind of clinical, near-flawless performance that leaves no room for resistance. The Frenchman crushed Hijikata 6-1, 6-1 in just 57 minutes, a demolition that underlined the gulf on the day.
Bonzi barely missed. He won a staggering 96 per cent of points behind his first serve, an almost untouchable number at any level, and converted five of his seven break point chances. Every short ball was punished, every tentative service game exposed.
Hijikata never found a foothold. No rhythm, no scoreboard pressure, no chance to turn it into a scrap. By the time he tried to settle, Bonzi was already at the finish line.
Seeds scattered, stories building
Elsewhere, the draw continued to reshape itself.
Britain’s top hope this week, number four seed Arthur Fery, moved through with minimal fuss, handling qualifier Mees Rottgering 6-3, 6-3. It was the kind of composed, efficient outing that keeps a seed on schedule without burning excess energy.
Stefanos Tsitsipas did not enjoy the same smooth ride.
The number seven seed saw his campaign cut short by American Aleksander Kovacevic, who posted a sharp 6-3, 7-6 (1) win. The tiebreak told the story: Kovacevic swung freely, Tsitsipas blinked, and another big name exited before the weekend.
So the stage tightens in Winston-Salem. Duckworth stands in the last eight with a long-time rival finally behind him and a Hungarian test ahead. Hijikata heads for the US Open with a harsh reminder of the level required.
The question now is simple: can Duckworth turn one overdue win into a late-August surge that carries all the way to New York?
