Gauff ousted; Zheng wins past 2 a.m.

MANILA, Philippines — Coco Gauff joined Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on the US Open scrap-heap Sunday as the defending champion crashed out to Emma Navarro in a blizzard of mistakes as China’s Zheng Qinwen won a record-setting 2:15 a.m. finish.

As Gauff exited, US chances were then rekindled when Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz reached the men’s last-eight, igniting hopes of a first homegrown male Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick’s win in New York in 2003.

Third-ranked Gauff slumped to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 fourth-round defeat to her fellow American on the back of 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors.

The 20-year-old’s exit means Serena Williams remains the last woman to successfully defend the US Open title, in 2014.

“I lost in the first round the last two years and now to be making the quarterfinals is pretty insane,” said Navarro, who will face Spain’s Paula Badosa for a place in the semifinals.

Gauff’s loss was another body blow to the season’s final Grand Slam.

Djokovic, the defending men’s champion, was knocked out in the third round to suffer his earliest exit in 18 years.

Alcaraz, the 2022 winner in New York and reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, was stunned in the second round.

“I gave it my all,” said Gauff.

Zheng reached the quarterfinals for a second time with victory over Donna Vekic in a record late finish for a women’s match.

Seventh-seed Zheng won 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-2 against her 24th-ranked Croatian opponent.