Philippines’ Alexandra Eala celebrates a point during the women’s singles first-round tennis match against USA’s Mary Stoiana on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on September 1, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Mary Stoiana – US Open 2026 first round

MANILA, Philippines–Playing before a predominantly Filipino crowd against an American in the US Open, Alex Eala didn’t disappoint after dispatching Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York on Wednesday (Manila time).

Eala, seeded 17th in the final Grand Slam of the season, needed to dig deeper in the second set, battling back from a 2-1 deficit to fend off the promising Stoiana.

“It was very difficult. Every exchange has its own challenges, especially the start of the second set; she put me in uncomfortable situations,” Eala said during the post-match interview.

“She’s been having a great run coming from quali and a good past couple of weeks, so I’m really happy with this match.”

Man United had a quiet end to the summer transfer window with no new arrivals on deadline day.

Manchester United spent less than newly-promoted Ipswich Town in the summer transfer window as they prepare for their return to the Champions League. United’s biggest spend came last week when Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba joined for an initial £65m, potentially rising to £70m.

The Reds reserved their spending for midfielders. Andrey Santos arrived for £48m, potentially rising to £50m from Chelsea, while Youri Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa for £35m. Beyond the centre of the pitch, United’s spending was modest.

Karl Darlow arrived on a free transfer to provide cover for Senne Lammens. United did pay £4m that could rise to £8m for Tottenham’s young winger Tynan Thompson. This brought their total spend to £152m, albeit Cristian Orozco arrived for an undisclosed fee and compensation is owed to Swansea City for Kit Margetson.

United did look at completing a sensational last-minute deal for Manchester City full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. They were informed by his agent that he could be available, but United only wanted to take him on a season-long loan while the Blues wanted to include an obligation to buy as well. For this reason, the deal fell through.

Compared to their Premier League rivals, United were left lagging behind. The Reds’ fierce rivals City led the way in the Premier League, spending £454.2m this summer. This included a £125m deadline day move for Enzo Fernandez and £60m potentially rising to £65m for Iliman Ndiaye – dwarfing United’s summer spend in one day.

Tottenham were the only other club to surpass £300m, splashing £386.5m as they aim to return to the Champions League.

Liverpool spent the majority of their £247.5m on PSG forward Bradley Barcola while defending Premier League champions Arsenal spent £198.5m. Those two clubs, as well as United, were outspent by Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle, who spent £290.8m, £280.8m and £273.7m, respectively.

Concerningly for United, their spending was beaten by newly-promoted Ipswich. They splashed £171m on new signings as they aim to stay in the Premier League this season.

United can still add players to their squad but only free agents are available to join them. The transfer window will reopen again on January 1, 2027.

Mike Evans‘ white noise comes with dark magic. 

Every night, Evans falls asleep to the sounds of the Harry Potter movies playing on the television. 

The eight-film saga has little tranquility: Orchestral crescendos, wizarding duels, mythic creature roars and eerie lulls that would keep any regular viewer awake at night. But for Evans, watching Harry Potter battle Lord Voldemort helps the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver rest. 

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Obsessed with the saga since his second grade teacher read the books to his class about 23 years ago, Evans has watched the films “at least 1,000 times,” he said. 

“It comforts me,” Evans said. “It just puts me in a calm state.”

It’s not just before bed that Evans incorporates Harry Potter into his life. On his calf is a tattoo of the main character with his best friends, Ron and Hermione. Near his elbow is one of the Deathly Hallows, a symbol key to the series finale. Evans’ 2016 wedding to his wife, Ashli, featured a five-tier cake decorated with all four Hogwarts houses and Hedwig the owl perched in his cage atop. Evans now is starting to get his four young children into the films and books.

Evans’ new 49ers teammates noticed that he brought his obsession to Santa Clara, too. 

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“He’s been listening to Harry Potter books on Audible every single morning this entire training camp,” said tight end George Kittle. 

Evans, 33, doesn’t love the series because of the magic. He loves Harry Potter because of Harry: A kid who loses his parents, grows up with little, discovers his extraordinary talent and is humble despite his status as the chosen one in the wizarding world. 

“He’s living with his uncle and his cousin, and they treat him like s-. And he’s one of the greatest wizards ever. He’s super humble, competitive … He’s never too big, even though he is f-ing Harry Potter, the chosen one,” Evans said. “So I’ve always tried to kind of mimic that.”

How does he emulate Harry?

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“He’s just a chill dude, but then he has that fiery side. So I guess I’m kind of similar,” Evans said. “I’m not as great as Harry Potter, but I identify with him.”

Though Evans doesn’t draw the connection directly, there’s a striking similarity between him and the character he has admired for more than two decades.

Like the fictional Harry Potter, Evans endured the killing of a parent when he was very young. He has spoken about vindicating his father’s death on the football field growing up in Galveston, Texas and at Texas A&M. 

Before coming to San Francisco, Evans spent the first 12 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first 11 seasons until an injury-ridden 2025. Only Jerry Rice has matched 11 seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards.

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With 108 career touchdown catches, Evans ranks eighth all-time among receivers and 10th overall in NFL history. Los Angeles Rams receiver Davante Adams is the only other active player with more (117) to start the 2026 season. 

Evans was a top weapon for quarterback Tom Brady when he marched the 2020 Bucs to a Super Bowl win, the team’s first since the 2002 squad’s title. It was only right that Evans got to hoist the Lombardi Trophy there when for more than a decade his No. 13 jersey became an institution in Tampa. He owns the franchise record in receptions (866) and receiving yards (13,052).

Evans was spectacularly consistent until last year, when hamstring and collarbone injuries kept him sidelined for nine games. He finished with 30 catches for 368 yards. 

In free agency, Evans had a more lucrative offer to return to Tampa Bay, according to his agent, but wanted to go to a team that needed a No. 1 receiver. With Brandon Aiyuk missing in action and a crew of young receivers in tow, the 49ers were a logical fit and signed him to a three-year contract in free agency. 

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“I call him Mike Evans, because I still can’t believe he’s Mike Evans and he’s here in the locker room. Pinch myself every day I see him,” Kittle said.

The deal is reportedly worth $42.4 million with incentives and just $16.3 million guaranteed. Evans is betting on himself within head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense.

Shanahan doesn’t need Evans to be the Tampa Bay version of himself, but for defenses to fear him. At 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, he has the speed and physicality that profiles as an ideal target in the 49ers red zone alongside Kittle, capable of turning a good red zone offense – 33 touchdowns with a 69.3 completion rate in 2025 – into something spectacular. 

“Obviously, he’s known for his offensive prowess, but just the way he gets guys open and favorable matchups, the way he can free up a guy like myself who gets a lot of cloud coverage and double teams,” Evans said of Shanahan.

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Evans’ gravity could improve a 49ers run game and give Christian McCaffrey space to maneuver that often was lacking in 2025. Sliding Evans on the outside could lure attention from the secondary, which in turn could lessen snaps where defenses are stuffing the box.

“I take a lot of attention away. That’s just what it is,” Evans said. “And if they don’t, then it’s one-on-one.”

Added Kittle: “I think that’ll help. Speed always helps, because the safeties have to play a little bit deeper.”

Evans’ first year away from Tampa, learning Shanahan’s style and playbook, has been somewhat simplified by Evans’ experience in a similar system. In 2024, he played for offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who having worked under Rams head coach Sean McVay comes from the same coaching tree as Shanahan.

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“It’s super helpful. I’ve played with a lot of other guys who have a similar philosophy, who are smart offensively. Dave Canales (Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023) runs it a little bit differently, but I swear all the plays are kind of the same,” Evans said.  “We have plays here where we have a lot of different options where the defense can’t guess as much. So that’s what makes Kyle really great.”

Evans is new, but his experience is much needed leading a wide receiver crew with returning Deebo Samuel, 11th-year player Demarcus Robinson and young guys De’Zhaun Stribling, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing. 

This San Francisco team is older and, therefore, full of veterans at every position. The list includes Trent Williams on the offensive line, McCaffrey and Kittle, linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw and quarterback Brock Purdy. 

Evans isn’t one to keep his audiobooks headphones in, but he’s not a particularly vocal leader, either. He picks his spots, saying he doesn’t plan a big speech every day. He plays first, and leadership follows.

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He was consistent with Tampa Bay while playing with six quarterbacks and four head coaches. He says there’s similarities in competitive fire between Brady and Purdy, but mostly he has noticed how different things are in San Francisco.

“This was one of the most competitive camps, if not the most competitive camp, I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “Everybody’s talking trash to everybody, and it’s good. It’s like, you know, iron sharpens iron. Everybody’s out there just going at each other, trying to make each other better and get each other ready for this long season that we’re about to have.”

He’s happy to be on the West Coast for the first time in his life, and admittedly surprised he likes it so much. It has been comfortable every day in California since he and his family moved out, he notes, remembering the one hot, humid Christmas in Tampa when he was so dehydrated that he needed an IV infusion.

“I used to hear about it all the time, but I was like, ‘Man, who gives a damn about the weather? ‘” he said. “And then I come here and I’m like, ‘Damn, like if I can add some years on your career, like for real.’”

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For the 49ers, that’s the real risk with Evans: Injury. He has missed several practices in training camp dealing with injuries to his groin and, more recently his adductor, general manager John Lynch told KNBR on Tuesday. Whether Evans will play the opener in Australia on Sept. 10 against the Rams is in question, though Lynch said Evans is expected to practice next week when the team arrives in Melbourne. 

“And if all goes well, he’ll be suiting up and making plays for us,” Lynch said.

This has been a recent trend for Evans. He missed nine games last season with the broken collarbone and hamstring injury, and another hamstring injury sidelined him for three games in 2024. As with any aging star, the risk is that his best years are behind him. 

If and when Evans suits up in 49ers gold, game day won’t include any Harry Potter. Sundays are full of music: Tupac, Lil Wayne, Phil Collins, 80s rock, 80s R&B, 2000s rap. That’s when it’s time to lock in. 

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Every other day, Harry Potter anchors him. He plans to watch all the movies on the 16-hour flight to Melbourne. The story still reminds him of who he is – relaxes him, fires him up – all these years later. 

“I just look forward to one of the best years of my career, even though I’m a little bit older,” Evans said. “I don’t feel like I’m limited in any capacity.”

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This article originally published at 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans, at 33, confident he hasn’t lost magic touch.

As the Pakistan cricket team desperately looks to avoid a clean sweep against England, having already gone 0-2 down, the management has a fresh headache to handle ahead of the third Test. It has been reported that skipper Babar Azam is down with fever. The update emerges amid a chaotic situation in the Pakistan team that saw the board deciding to sack as many as seven players from the squad, while also replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.

Pakistan’s team manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed to Geo News that while Babar was suffering from fever, there is no need to panic as he stays fit overall, with a quick recovery expected.

Babar scored just eight and six at Lord’s as Pakistan fell to a loss by 194 runs. The Pakistan skipper missed the first Test due to injury, with Salman Ali Agha taking the captaincy armband.

Babar had a solid tour of the West Indies with the bat, scoring 193 runs in two matches, including two fifties as Pakistan drew the series 1-1, with Babar’s re-appointment as Test captain getting a mixed bag start.

The veteran batter has not touched three figures in Tests since 161 against New Zealand in December 2022.

Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men’s national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England.

According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah’s resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

With ANI Inputs

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The Victoria Racing Club has officially received 101 nominations for the 166th running of the prestigious Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, scheduled for November 3, 2026.

While the total number of nominations is down from recent years, there’s a marked increase in international interest, with 23 horses entered from four different countries: England, Ireland, Japan, and the USA.

This year’s figures compare to 120 nominations in 2025 (19 international), 123 in 2024 (20 international), and 132 in 2023 (15 international). The 2022 race saw a substantial 186 nominations, including 43 from overseas, though entries were taken a month earlier that year.

Last year’s champion, Half Yours, is among the nominees, aiming to repeat his success for the father-and-son training partnership of Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

The McEvoy stable has also nominated Nearco Frod and Yellow Jersey. Half Yours is expected to begin his Cup campaign in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday week.

Ciaron Maher has a strong hand with 14 horses entered, seeking his second Cup triumph. Chris Waller, who famously won the Cup with Verry Elleegant in 2021, has put forward 12 contenders for the first Tuesday in November, including Aeliana, River Of Stars, and Soulcombe. Soulcombe recently made his seasonal reappearance following his second-place finish to Without A Fight in the 2023 Cup.

Joseph O’Brien, a two-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, leads the international brigade with 11 nominations. His entries include last year’s runner-up, Goodie Two Shoes, and Defiantly, who secured a ballot exemption with a win in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville.

Aidan O’Brien is eager to claim his first Melbourne Cup victory, a long-held ambition that began in 2006 when his charge Yeats finished seventh.

Epsom Derby winner Christmas Day headlines O’Brien’s international contenders, looking to emulate the success of Joseph O’Brien’s previous winners, Rekindling and Twilight Payment, and surpass the runner-up efforts of Johnannes Vermeer (2017) and Tiger Moth (2020).

The 2024 winner, Knight’s Choice, is nominated after missing the race last year due to illness. Middle Earth, who finished in the placings last year, and Okita Soushi, a placegetter in 2024, are also entered for another shot at glory.

One of the more intriguing nominations is the champion UK hurdler turned flat performer, Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson.

Constitution Hill will take a significant step towards a Melbourne campaign by participating in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton Park over 2400m.

Leigh Jordon, VRC Chief Racing Officer, commented on the strong nominations, stating, “From the reigning champion Half Yours and some of Australia’s leading trainers, to a strong international contingent and the return of a Japanese-trained horse for the 20th anniversary of Delta Blues’ historic victory in 2006, there are plenty of compelling stories already emerging ahead of the first Tuesday in November.”

Further opportunities for horses to gain ballot exemptions at Flemington include the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) on September 12, and the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) on October 3. The Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on October 24 also offer exemptions.

Other key races granting ballot exemptions include the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), both scheduled for next month.

Horses that have already secured their spot through winning a golden ticket include Zakouma, Tawny Port, and Defiantly.

Late entries close on September 8, with weights to be released on September 17. For those keen on the action, checking out the latest Australian betting sites for early odds is advisable.

Coco Gauff, of the United States, hits a return to Zeynep Sonmez, of Turkey, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Coco Gauff began her US Open campaign with a straight-set win, but her opening match was far from effortless. The fourth-seeded American defeated Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 and had to deal with some impressive moments from her opponent.Gauff even applauded a couple of Sonmez’s best shots, including a running forehand down the line and a cleverly spun volley that barely cleared the net.“I know that I can raise my level if I need to do and I like to challenge my opponent to let them keep up the level the whole match,” Gauff said. “And if they do, I clap my hands and I walk off court with my head held high.”Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, now moves into the second round, where she will face either Paula Badosa or Daria Kasatkina.Gauff’s build-up to this year’s tournament has been far more encouraging than last year. She won the Cincinnati title after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon and Toronto, giving her plenty of momentum heading into New York.Last year, serving problems forced Gauff to make major changes just before the US Open. She eventually reached the fourth round before losing to Naomi Osaka.Her 2023 Cincinnati title also proved to be a sign of things to come, as she went on to win her first US Open crown by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Dramatic comebacks and rain interruptions

Tuesday also produced two major comebacks. Maria Sakkari recovered from 6-2, 4-0 down to beat Robin Montgomery 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, while fifth-seeded Flavio Cobolli fought back from two sets down to defeat Francisco Comesana after more than four hours.“Just kept telling myself that everything is possible and just try to get myself in a good place mentally and just try to be a little bit more positive, try to make more balls, get myself into the match,” Sakkari said. “Because, I mean, everyone’s very good in tennis nowadays, but specifically that girl I played today doesn’t have the experience that I do. So I just told myself, let’s try and hang in there, try and make more balls, and it worked.“Cobolli summed up the Grand Slam mentality simply: “In Grand Slams it’s never done. You have to fight until the last point,” he said.Rain caused repeated delays, restricting play mainly to the two stadiums with retractable roofs before more matches were pushed to Wednesday.

The Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru has become an important preparation base for India’s middle- and long-distance track athletes, preparing for the Asian Games 2026. A national coaching camp is currently underway at the SAI centre, scheduled until September 8. The camp, sanctioned by the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), features 800m runner Krishan Kumar, steeplechase star Avinash Sable, high jumpers Aadarsh Ram and Supriya B, decathlete Thowfeeq N, middle- and long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary, and race walkers Manju Rani and Priyanka, as per a press release.

All eight are part of the approved 73-member (35 men, 38 women) Indian athletics contingent for the Asian Games; the competition is scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.

Beyond the conventional camp infrastructure, the athletes in Bengaluru have another advantage: a specialised smart track, which allows coaches to capture real-time performance data during training.

“This is one of its kind in India,” said Suresh Kumar, Coach (Athletics) at SAI NCOE Bengaluru, explaining the technology embedded into the track. “So what happens is when the athlete runs, we get the real-time speed data. We get the split timings wherever the gates are placed, then the total timing we get, as well as the stride length and the stride frequency. All this data is captured in real time. This helps a lot for the athletes in the training,” Kumar added to SAI Media.

The track was used extensively for training by Commonwealth Games 2026 para-athletics medalists – Dilip Mahadu Gavit and Mohammed Basil – ahead of the Glasgow games. The duo finished in the top two positions in the men’s 100m T47 category to win gold and silver medals respectively in CWG 2026.

For athletes, the ability to replicate electronic timing during training is another advantage, Kumar explained. The technology also helps athletes get a more accurate understanding of their performances.

“The athletes are very happy because they get to understand and find out the real data based on the electronic timing, not just during training but in any competitions that take place here,” Kumar said.

The smart track was installed in 2024 and has since been used by elite athletes training at the centre. Its timing gates are positioned both on the straight and around the curve, allowing coaches to analyse different phases of a run. An accompanying app also enables the data to be accessed immediately for subsequent analysis.

The technology has been designed to work alongside existing athletics infrastructure rather than requiring a completely new track. According to Kumar, the system can be installed on any existing synthetic track by embedding the magnetic gates beneath the surface, with installation possible within a day.

The SAI Bengaluru centre is therefore combining high-level coaching, sports science and technology in the pre-Asian Games camp, which includes specialised coaches such as race-walking coach Ronald Gerd Weigel, jumps coach Sahana Kumari Nagaraj Gobbargumpi, besides coach Kalyan Chaudhary and masseuse Meena Sagar Ugale.

The system also gives coaches information that is difficult to capture manually during a sprint. “You even get the split timing because, for a sprint coach, if I’m at the finish line or like 40m or 50m away from when the athlete is starting, we will be able to get the electronic split time,” Kumar explained to SAI Media.

The track’s embedded magnetic timing gates also ensure that training does not have to stop because of any unpredictable weather. Unlike conventional portable timing equipment, the system remains embedded in the track and can be used in rain or dusty conditions.

“So with this, we don’t have to worry about the weather. We don’t have to worry about the wear and tear, nothing. It’s just like it’s already there. You just need to run over in between that. The real-time data is always available,” Kumar added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam winner, arrived at Flushing Meadows with question marks around her fitness after retiring injured against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati.

Though she looked comfortable on court, her movement went largely untested by Frodin – who acted as Serena Williams’ body double in the Oscar-nominated film ‘King Richard’ – as she blew the world number 585 away on serve and dictated points from the baseline.

“We didn’t know if [I was] going to be able to play here or not. I’m pretty happy that I’m playing right now, and we are taking [it] day by day,” Rybakina said about her injury.

“I was not playing for the full week [before the tournament], so seven days no tennis and basically not too much gym I could do movement-wise.

“So it’s a great result after 10 days from that kind of injury.”

After opening the rain-delayed match with a double fault, Rybakina proved relentless on serve, dropping just three points and reeling off three consecutive love holds in the first set.

She didn’t face a break point until the sixth game of the second set, saving both.

Equally clinical in Frodin’s service games, she converted her first three break points to race into a set and 5-1 lead.

However, the young wildcard, making her WTA Tour main-draw debut after winning the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls’ 18s National Championship, made Rybakina work to get over the line, saving three match points with aces in her final service game among 11 across the match.

Rybakina served out the win with an ace of her own – her sixth of the match and a tour-leading 363rd of the season.

“She played really well today. She has great shots, great serve, it was no easy,” Rybakina said of the largely unknown Frodin.

Enzo Fernández is about to make a one-way trip across England.

Manchester City has reached a deal with Chelsea to sign the 25-year-old midfielder, The Athletic reported on Tuesday morning. Fernández has reportedly been given permission by Chelsea to undergo a medical, with his transfer costing Manchester City €125 million ($169 million) — which ties the Premier League transfer record that’s also held by Alexander Isak (Newcastle United to Liverpool in 2025).

Fernández originally joined Chelsea in January 2023 on a €106.8 million transfer fee ($125 million) from Benfica.

Fernández recently commenced his fifth season with Chelsea. Last season (2025-26), he logged a career-high 10 goals and four assists. He previously played one season with Benfica in Primeira Liga (2022-23), which was preceded by three seasons with River Plate in Liga Argentina (2018-19, 2021 and 2022).

Meanwhile, Fernández just wrapped up playing for Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, knocking through two scores over seven contests in the tournament. Fernández also played for Argentina in its 2022 World Cup triumph. On the Argentina front, superstar striker Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the national team on Monday.

Both Manchester City and Chelsea are 2-0-0 in the 2026-27 Premier League season. Man. City will host Chelsea on Dec. 12 and play them on the road on April 24.

Britain’s Arthur Fery admitted he still has plenty to work on after his US Open debut was cut short.

Fery’s hopes of making a splash in New York were ended in the first round after a straight-sets defeat by Lorenzo Musetti.

The 24-year-old had been riding on the crest of a wave since his historic run to the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard earlier this summer.

He reached his first ATP final in North Carolina last week and arrived at Flushing Meadows with high hopes of another deep run at a grand slam.

But he ran aground against Italian 13th seed Musetti in a 6-3 6-3 7-5 loss on Grandstand Stadium.

It was a comprehensive defeat, but a useful gauge for Fery who has risen from outside the top 200 a year ago to number 33 in the world.

“I know what I have to work on,” he said. “I got a lot of ideas coming straight off the court of what I have to work on to do better.

“My serve really let me down today, which is not usually the case, but I’ve been struggling a little bit to find my rhythm on the serve.

“Today was particularly a struggle, but definitely playing guys at that level, it’s tough and the margins are small.”

Fery, now the British number one, was close to being seeded at Flushing Meadows, meaning he would have avoided a player of Musetti’s class in the early stages

He was matching Musetti blow for blow until a sloppy service game, topped by two double faults, cost him the opening set.

Fery pulled off some memorable comebacks on his historic Wimbledon run and he had chances to embark on another one.

At 4-2 behind in the second set he squandered four break points, throwing his arms up in frustration after the last of them dropped into the net.

Fery did secure a first break of the match at the start of the third set when the usually immaculate Musetti backhand floated long.

When Musetti immediately brought up two break-back points, Fery saved the first with a superb forehand winner but then sent a backhand millimetres wide of the line.

He showed his resilience by saving two match points, but when Musetti thundered down an unreturnable serve on the third, Fery’s short journey was over.

He admitted he was under-prepared due to his run to the Winston-Salem Open final last week, but said he would not have done things differently.

“The grand slams are the biggest tournaments and everyone has their eye on them.” he added.

“At the same time, would I sign for these past two weeks? Probably, to be honest.

“It’s a lot of ranking points, it’s a first ATP final, so it’s good. Even though it meant that my preparation for the US Open was not great.”