On Wednesday, Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe each defeated their respective opponents.

The two friends will face off in the third round—a rematch of last year's U.S. Open quarterfinal, which Shelton won in four sets.

Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev cruised past Alexandre Muller, continuing to solidify himself as a legitimate contender, while No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev miraculously staved off elimination.

In the women's draw, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Lucia Bronzetti in just 61 minutes.

Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 Grand Slam matches on the hard-court surfaces and continues to look like the tournament favorite.

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff rounded out the night session, each defeating their second-round opponents in straight sets.

Here are a few of the top reactions from Wednesday's action.

Wednesday U.S. Open Results

Men's Singles

No. 2 Novak Djokovic def. Laslo Djere, 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 (retired)

No. 4 Alexander Zverev def. Alexandre Muller, 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1

No. 6 Andrey Rublev def. Arthur Rinderknech, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2

No. 8 Casper Ruud def. Gael Monfils, 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3)

No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov def. Rinky Hijikata, 6-1, 6-1, 7-6(4)

No. 12 Taylor Fritz def. Matteo Berrettini, 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-1

No. 13 Ben Shelton def. Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Francisco Comesana def. No. 17 Ugo Humbert, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

No. 18 Lorenzo Musetti def. Miomir Kecmanovic, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5

No. 20 Frances Tiafoe def. Alexander Shevchenko, 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 (retired)

Tallon Griekspoor def. No. 21 Sebastian Baez, 6-1, 2-0 (retired)

No. 28 Alexei Popyrin def. Pedro Martinez, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0

Tomas Martin Etcheverry def. No. 29 Francisco Cerundolo, 6-3, 4-6, 6--4, 1-6, 6-3

No. 32 Jiri Lehecka def. Mitchell Krueger, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5

Women's Singles

No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka def. Lucia Bronzetti, 6-3, 6-1

No. 3 Coco Gauff def. Tatjana Maria, 6-4, 6-0

No. 7 Qinwen Zheng def. Erika Andreeva, 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2

Elena-Gabriela Ruse def. No. 8 Barbora Krejcikova, 6-4, 7-5

Peyton Stearns def. No. 12 Daria Kasatkina, 6-1, 7-6(3)

No. 13 Emma Navarro def. Arantxa Rus, 6-1, 6-1

No. 14 Madison Keys def. Maya Joint, 6-4, 6-0

No. 19 Marta Kostyuk def. Harriet Dart, 7-6(10), 6-1

No. 20 Victoria Azarenka def. Clara Burel, 6-1, 6-4

No. 24 Donna Vekic def. Greet Minnen, 7-5, 6-,1

No. 26 Paula Badosa def. Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 7-5

No. 27 Elina Svitolina def. Anhelina Kalinina, 6-1, 6-2

No. 29 Ekaterina Alexandrova def. Iva Jovic, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

No. 33 Elise Mertens def. Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-3, 6-2

Alexander Zverev Coasts, Andrey Rublev Earns Unlikely Victory

Alexander Zverev defeated Alexandre Muller in straight sets, facing few challenges along the way.

The No. 4 seed won 84% of points on his first serve and hit 43 winners in just three sets.

While Zverev was able to dominate in his match, No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev had to overcome near insurmountable odds.

The 26-year-old struggled early, falling down two sets to love against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

In the end, Rublev was able to find his best tennis, grabbing a thrilling win that lasted four hours and nine minutes.

Zverev and Rublev continue to remain dark-horse contenders who can pose a threat to Djokovic in the bottom half of the draw.

Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe Dominate, Set Up 2023 U.S. Open rematch

Frances Tiafoe is through to the third round of the U.S. Open.

The recent Cincinnati Open runner-up achieved his career-best result on these same courts (US Open 2022 Semifinalist) and next eyes revenge against No. 13 seed Ben Shelton, who eliminated him from tournament contention in last year's quarterfinal round.

As strong as Tiafoe's game is at the moment, Shelton too has looked like a legitimate contender.

The 21-year-old possesses one of the most powerful serves on tour combined with a blistering forehand.

In his most recent match, he dominated opponent Roberto Bautista Agut with a barrage of 59 winners in just three sets.

Not much separates Tiafoe and Shelton at the moment, paving the way for what should be another exciting duel between the American friends.

Aryna Sabalenka Continues to Perform Like Tournament Favorite

Can anyone stop Aryna Sabalenka?

The 2023 U.S. Open finalist continues to look the part of a tournament favorite.

In her second-round match, she defeated second-round opponent Lucia Bronzetti in just 61 minutes, winning 62% of points on the Italian's second serve.

The two-time Grand Slam champion has won seven straight matches without dropping a single set.

In that same timespan, she has won 61 of 66 service games.

The hard-court specialist is operating in otherworldly form and, barring something incredibly unexpected, should be able to reach this year's final.