New York, August 30: Three-time champion Rafael Nadal advanced into the third round of the ongoing US Open without hitting a ball in the second round while former women's world No. 1 Simona Halep crashed out, conceding a shocking defeat to 116th seed. Nadal's advance came after his scheduled second-round opponent Thanasi Kokkinakis was unable to play due to injury. US Open 2019: Serena Williams, Roger Federer Rally to Win, Novak Djokovic Hurt as Rain Hits the Tournament.

According to tournament organisers, the Australian wildcard entry Kokkinakis pulled out of the Thursday evening tie with a right shoulder problem. Second seed Nadal will next face either 32nd-seeded fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco or South Korea's Chung Hyeon on Saturday.  Rafael Nadal’s Shoes On-Court During US Open 2019 Get a Thumbs Up from Netizens.

In other men's singles clash, Australia's Nick Kyrgios defeated France's Antoine Hoang 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the third round. Kyrgios now faces Russia's 43rd-ranked Andrey Rublev for a spot in the last 16. Meanwhile, in women's singles, former world No. 1 Simona Halep was shocked by 23-year-old qualifier Taylor Townsend at the Flushing Meadows as the Romanian was defeated 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (4) to crash out of the competition. "I never played with someone coming so often to the net," Halep said. "I didn't miss much. It's unbelievable."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2019 09:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).