Canada's Dabrowski reaches U.S. Open women's doubles 3rd round with Routliffe

Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand advanced to the third round of women's doubles at the U.S. Open with a victory on Saturday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe defeated China's Zhu Lin and Taiwan's Wu Fang-hsien in three sets (6-3, 3-6, 6-3).

The 16th-seeded Canadian and New Zealander will meet the Czech duo of Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova in the third round.

Dabrowski and Routliffe are competing in their fourth tournament as a duo. Their partnership began in August at the National Bank Open in Montreal.

Sixth-seeds Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and American Taylor Townsend were also on the hardcourt Saturday afternoon facing Spaniards Aliona Bolsova and Rebeka Masarova in second-round women's doubles.

Even if Carlos Alcaraz was by no means perfect during a victory in the U.S. Open's third round on Saturday — he dropped a set, after all — the defending champion produced enough bits of brilliance to keep himself smiling and prompt his opponent, Dan Evans, to chuck his racket a couple of times.

Less than 12 hours after the man he's expected to meet next weekend for the title, Novak Djokovic, needed to fashion a comeback from a two-set deficit to win, Alcaraz progressed to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the third consecutive year by beating the 26th-seeded Evans 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Alcaraz, the No. 1 seed, showed off a variety of his considerable collection of skills, generating the sorts of highlights that both he and his fans have come to expect.

"We play to make the people happy, as well, to entertain them and try to make the match fun," said Alcaraz, who won his second Grand Slam title by edging Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in July. "It's great to have those kind of