Tennis world loses it over spectator's mid-match act at US Open

A beer-chugging fan at the US Open has cemented her cult icon status after making a triumphant return to Flushing Meadows in 2022.

American fan Megan Lucky became a viral sensation at last year's grand slam tournament in New York, as footage of her beer-swigging antics took the internet by storm.

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In 2021, the young lady was in attendance for Felix Auger-Aliassime's clash with Roberto Bautista Agut when she spotted herself on the big screen.

Not missing a beat, Lucky quickly proceeded to skoll the rest of her beer as the crowd roared with delight.

Cameramen then decided to show the woman again later in the match to see what she was up to, but this time she wasn't holding a beer.

Luckily her male friend was. The woman grabbed the man's full beer and downed the rest of that one as well.

Just like in 2021, Lucky seized on the chance to make a name for herself again after being flashed up on a big screen at Flushing Meadows.

Lucky didn't have a beer in her hand so she reached down and grabbed one from under the seat of the man sitting next to her.

With the crowd around her breaking out into chants and gentleman beside her offering his support, Lucky proceeded to chug down the beverage to the delight of viewers.

The video from the US Open's official Twitter account has been viewed more than 190,000 times, with Lucky's beer-swigging heroics cementing her reputation at the US Open.

Coco Gauff into first ever US Open quarter-final

Fans in New York had plenty of other reasons to cheer on Sunday (Monday AEST) after local hope Coco Gauff reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time.

The 18-year-old from Florida came back in each set to beat Zhang Shuai of China 7-5 7-5 in front of a partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gauff - who was the runner-up at the French Open in June - trailed 5-4 in the opening set, then 5-3 in the second.

With raucous fans chanting "Let's go, Coco!" as the end neared and prompting Zhang to cover her ears with her hands, Gauff improved to 4-0 in Ashe this year.

She'd never previously won a match at the biggest arena in grand slam tennis.

"It feels insane. I mean, Ashe Stadium chanting my name?" Gauff, yet to drop a set in the tournament, said during her on-court interview.

"I was trying not to smile on the bench on the changeover. I was trying to stay in the moment."

The 12th seed is the youngest American woman into the US Open quarters since Melanie Oudin was 17 in 2009.

Gauff was also the youngest player from any country in the fourth round of the women's bracket at Flushing Meadows this year while Zhang, at 33, was the oldest.

The whirring of the retractable roof being pulled shut accompanied the start of the second set because of showers that started soon after, and it took a while for the artificial lights to reach full strength. The match proceeded, even though it was rather dark - and quite humid - indoors.

"The first two games were tough," Gauff said.

Grand slam doubles champion Zhang served to force a third set but Gauff steeled herself and stood her ground, breaking back for 5-4 and the start a four-game, match-closing run.

Gauff will face 17th seed Caroline Garcia of France, who is playing as well as anyone at the moment, coming off a hard-court title at Cincinnati right before play began in New York.

Garcia eliminated 29th-seeded American Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-4 6-1 to, like, Gauff, earn her debut berth in the US Open last eight.

with AAP

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