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Rinky Hijikata\u2019s unlikely US Open run is over, but the Australian wildcard will leave Flushing Meadows with new-found belief and a career-high ranking well inside the top 100.<\/p>\n
The world No. 110 fell 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in his fourth-round match in exactly two hours to 10th seed Frances Tiafoe on a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium overwhelmingly supporting the local star. Tiafoe hammered 15 aces among 27 winners to book an all-American quarter-final against Ben Shelton.<\/p>\n
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Rinky Hijikata was knocked out of the US Open in the fourth round.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot. [Hijikata]\u2019s been quietly going through the draw, and I\u2019ve never played him before, so I was definitely feeling him out at the beginning,\u201d Tiafoe said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think when I broke there in the first [set], I really took off there for a while. I got a little sloppy [at the end] but [I am] just happy to get through and be in another quarter-final here at the Open.\u201d<\/p>\n Hijikata will still swell Australia\u2019s top-100 tally on the men\u2019s side to nine when the rankings are updated next week, and walk away with about $440,000 in prizemoney in just his third main-draw appearance at a grand slam. His live ranking is No. 81, and he will not need another wildcard to play at the Australian Open in January.<\/p>\n The former US college standout earned his shot at Tiafoe with bruising victories over Russian Pavel Kotov and China\u2019s Zhang Zhizhen \u2013 lasting four and three hours, respectively \u2013 either side of a second-round beat-down of Marton Fucsovics.<\/p>\n Frances Tiafoe had strong home country support to overpower Rinky Hijikata at the US Open.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n For eight games, Hijikata appeared poised to pose a serious challenge to the dynamic American with his aggressive ball-striking and tidy net play. His countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis describes the 178-centimetre Sydneysider\u2019s power as \u201csneaky\u201d, which Tiafoe discovered firsthand.<\/p>\n But Hijikata\u2019s errors began to flow from there as he tried to maintain pace with Tiafoe.<\/p>\n Hijikata staved off the first break point of the match at 4-4 \u2013 surviving an intense 25-shot rally with impressive composure from the baseline \u2013 before relenting on the second two points later to put Tiafoe in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n After tucking away the first set, Tiafoe pounced on his 22-year-old rival again at the start of the next with some superb retrieving.<\/p>\n Hijikata dropped consecutive points at the net after being forced to hit two difficult half-volleys, to immediately hand over another break of serve. After winning six of his first seven points at the net, he won barely 50 per cent of his forays there for the rest of the match.<\/p>\n Tiafoe raced to a two-sets-to-love lead, and the end seemed nigh when he broke Hijikata for a 4-2 lead in the third.<\/p>\n But the Australian never stopped fighting, and twice broke the world No. 10 back \u2013 but was unable to hold serve himself as Tiafoe made his third career slam quarter-final and second straight at the US Open.<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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