![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletter\/sport\/sport-135x135.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik did not hit many happy returns at the US Open as he was crushed by Taylor Fritz on his 18th birthday.<\/p>\n
American hope Fritz, the ninth seed, played the ultimate party pooper and gave Mensik just three games in a 6-1 6-2 6-0 victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt good. I kind of had a clear plan of what I wanted to do, how I wanted to play him,\u201d said Fritz, 25.<\/p>\n
\u201cI returned well. I was moving really well. Yep, I just played a solid match.\u201d<\/p>\n
Incredibly, Fritz has dropped just 13 games in his three matches in New York so far. He will face 21-year-old Swiss sensation Dominic Stricker in round four.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/11\/30\/15\/GettyImages-1388382959%20copy.jpg\")
\n![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/12\/01\/03\/GettyImages-1245251240.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The USA are waiting for a first home men\u2019s champion since Andy Roddick 20 years ago, but they already have four in the last 16 with Michael Mmoh potentially a fifth.<\/p>\n
They will definitely have at least one quarter-finalist as Tommy Paul beat Spain\u2019s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-0 3-6 6-3, and he will face Ben Shelton, who got past Aslan Karatsev of Russia 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-0.<\/p>\n
Frances Tiafoe, the 10th seed, came from a set down to beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino to set up a clash with Rinky Hijikata of Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen any of us see the others having good results, it\u2019s motivating,\u201d added Fritz. \u201cI think they\u2019d all say the same thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s motivating. Because if one of us does something, the others not only want to do it too, they now believe that they can also do it because we think we\u2019re as good as each other. If he did this here, then why can\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cI think it\u2019s kind of this progression that we\u2019ve had for a while now, why we\u2019re at where we\u2019re at. Someone achieves something big, then someone else comes and wants to match him or one-up him, and it\u2019s the cycle that keeps going.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all such good friends, it\u2019s motivating, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n