No. 1 seeds Sinner, Swiatek move into the third round at the US Open; Alcaraz, Osaka eliminated

NEW YORK (AP) — Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner flashed their No. 1 form on Thursday with powerful performances that moved them into the third round of the U.S. Open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Naomi Osaka couldn't quite find the games that once had them on top of the rankings.

Those past U.S. Open champions were both knocked out Thursday night, with the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz's 15-match Grand Slam winning streak halted by a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp.

Swiatek raced by Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-0, 6-1, finishing off the match in 65 minutes. It took the 2022 U.S. Open champion longer than that to play the second set of her first-round match, when she needed a tiebreaker that she eventually closed out in 72 minutes.

“I just felt the rhythm was much better,” Swiatek said. “I was a bit tense in my last match, so today I just wanted to focus on the right things.”

Earlier, Sinner downed Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in 1 hour, 39 minutes.

But on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court at night, Osaka's forehand faltered in key moments and the two-time U.S. Open champion was eliminated by Karolina Muchova 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Sinner dropped the first set in his opening match in New York but didn't encounter much trouble while facing his second straight American on Ashe. The Italian earned his 50th victory of the season, including his ATP Tour-leading 30th on hard courts.

His previous one was a little shaky after a slow start against Mackie McDonald, so Sinner got in a practice session after that match and was happy with the results Thursday.

“Trying to keep going, trying to understand what works here best on these courts. Let’s see what I can do in the next round,” he said.

That will be against Christopher O'Connell of Australia on Saturday.

No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, moved into the third round along with No. 10 Alex de Minaur, who will next face Dan Evans. Evans' victory in a tidy 2 hours, 37 minutes was three hours quicker than it took him to beat Karen Khachanov in the first round, their match setting a U.S. Open record by lasting 5 hours, 35 minutes.

Sinner beat Michelsen for the second time this month, having also won a second-round match in Cincinnati shortly before it was revealed that he tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March.

Another Italian, Jasmine Paolini, played just three points before advancing when Karolina Pliskova appeared to injure her left foot. The No. 5-seeded Paolini, who has reached the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in her breakout season, advanced past the second round of the U.S. Open for the first time.

“Finally, we made third round!” she said with a laugh during an interview on the court.

Paolini will next play No. 30 seed Yulia Putintseva.

Other women's winners included No. 6 Jessica Pegula, No. 15 Anna Kalinskaya, No. 16 Liudmilla Samsonova and No. 18 Diana Shnaider. Pegula took out fellow American Sofia Kenin.

But No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, withdrew from the tournament before her second-round match with a lower back injury, sending French qualifier Jessika Ponchet to the weekend.

“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from my match today due to my injuries," Rybakina said in a statement. “I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way but I have to listen to my body, and I hope I can close out the remainder of the year strong.”

No. 7 seed Hurbert Hurkacz was eliminated in straight sets by Jordan Thompson, and No. 16 Sebastian Korda was knocked out by Tomas Machac.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot to Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Botic van De Zandschulp, right, of the Netherlands, greets Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Jasmine Paolini, of Italy, prepares to hit autographed balls to fans after advancing to the next round when opponent Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, retired during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, checks her ankle before retiring against Jasmine Paolini, of Italy, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Hubert Hurkacz, of Poland, returns a shot to Jordan Thompson, of Australia, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Jordan Thompson, of Australia, reacts after scoring a point against Hubert Hurkacz, of Poland, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, reacts after scoring a point against Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, waves to the crowd after defeating Ena Shibahara, of Japan, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, returns a shot to Ena Shibahara, of Japan, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

MALINDI, Kenya (AP) — Shukran Karisa Mangi always showed up drunk at work, where he dug up the bodies of doomsday cult members buried in shallow graves. But the alcohol couldn’t numb his shock the morning he found the body of a close friend, whose neck had been twisted so severely that his head and torso faced opposite directions.

This violent death upset Mangi, who had already unearthed children’s bodies. The number of bodies kept rising in this community off Kenya’s coastline where extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie is accused of instructing his followers to starve to death for the opportunity to meet Jesus.

While he sometimes sees the remains of others when he tries to sleep, Mangi said recently, the recurring image of his friend’s mutilated body torments him when he’s awake.

“He died in a very cruel manner,” said Mangi, one of several gravediggers whose work was suspended earlier in the year as bodies piled up in the morgue. “Most of the time, I still think about how he died.”

In one of the deadliest cult-related massacres ever, at least 436 bodies have been recovered since police raided Good News International Church in a forest some 70 kilometers (40 miles) inland from the coastal town of Malindi. Seventeen months later, many in the area are still shaken by what happened despite repeated warnings about the church’s leader.

Mackenzie pleaded not guilty to charges in the murders of 191 children, multiple counts of manslaughter and other crimes. If convicted, he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Some in Malindi who spoke to The Associated Press said Mackenzie’s confidence while in custody showed the wide-ranging power some evangelists project even as their teachings undermine government authority, break the law, or harm followers desperate for healing and other miracles.

It’s not only Mackenzie, said Thomas Kakala, a self-described bishop with the Malindi-based Jesus Cares Ministry International, referring to questionable pastors he knew in the capital, Nairobi.

“You look at them. If you are sober and you want to hear the word of God, you wouldn’t go to their church," he said. "But the place is packed.”

A man like Mackenzie, who refused to join the fellowship of pastors in Malindi and rarely quoted Scripture, could thrive in a country like Kenya, said Kakala. Six detectives have been suspended for ignoring multiple warnings about Mackenzie’s illegal activities.

Kakala said he felt discouraged in his attempts to discredit Mackenzie years ago. The evangelist had played a tape of Kakala on his TV station and declared him an enemy. Kakala felt threatened.

“Those were some of his powers, and he was using them,” Kakala said.

Kenya, like much of East Africa, is dominated by Christians. While many are Anglican or Catholic, evangelical Christianity has spread widely since the 1980s. Many pastors style their ministries in the manner of successful American televangelists, investing in broadcasting and advertising.

Many of Africa’s evangelical churches are run like sole proprietorships, without the guidance of trustee boards or laity. Pastors are often unaccountable, deriving authority from their perceived ability to perform miracles or make prophecies. Some, like Mackenzie, can seem all-powerful.

Mackenzie, a former street vendor and cab driver with a high school education, apprenticed with a Malindi preacher in the late 1990s. There, in the laid-back tourist town, he opened his own church in 2003.

A charismatic preacher, he was said to perform miracles and exorcisms, and could be generous with his money. His followers included teachers and police officers. They came to Malindi from across Kenya, giving Mackenzie national prominence that spread the pain of the deaths across the country.

“As a religious leader, I see Mackenzie as a very mysterious man because I can’t fathom how he was able to kill all those people in one place,” said Famau Mohamed, a sheikh in Malindi. “But one thing that’s still puzzling, even at the moment, is he still talks with so much courage. … He feels like he did nothing wrong.”

The first complaints against Mackenzie concerned his opposition to formal schooling and vaccination. He was briefly detained in 2019 for opposing the government’s efforts to assign national identification numbers to Kenyans, saying the numbers were satanic.

He closed his Malindi church premises later that year and urged his congregation to follow him to Shakahola, where he leased 800 acres of forest inhabited by elephants and big cats.

Church members paid small sums to own plots in Shakahola, and were required to build houses and live in villages with biblical names like Nazareth, according to survivors. Mackenzie grew more demanding, with people from different villages forbidden from communicating or gathering, said former church member Salama Masha.

“What made me (realize) Mackenzie was not a good person was when he said that the children should fast to die,” said Masha, who escaped after witnessing the starvation deaths of two children. “That’s when I knew that it’s not something I can do.”

The grass-thatched house with a solar panel where Mackenzie lived was known as “ikulu,” or statehouse. Police found milk and bread in Mackenzie's refrigerator as his followers starved nearby. He had bodyguards. He had informers. And, decisively, he had his aura as the self-proclaimed prophetic “paapa” to thousands of obedient followers.

“(He’s) like a chief, because they had a small village and my brother’s the elder of that particular village,” said Robert Mbatha Mackenzie, speaking of his older brother’s authority in Shakahola. “He went there, and, in only two years, he made a big village. And many people followed him there.”

Mbatha Mackenzie, a mason who lives with his family and goats in a tin shack in Malindi, said that while Mackenzie was generous to his followers, he never treated his extended family with similar kindness.

“My brother — he seemed like a politician,” he said. “They have a sweet tongue, and when he talks something to the people, people believe him.”

A former church member who escaped Shakahola said she lost faith in Mackenzie when she saw how his men handled people on the verge of dying from starvation. She said Mackenzie’s bodyguards would take the starving person away, never to be seen again.

The woman said it was “like a routine” for the bodyguards to rape women in the villages. She says she, too, was sexually assaulted by four men while she was pregnant with her fourth child. The Associated Press does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault unless they choose to publicly identify themselves.

Those who tried to the leave the forest without Mackenzie’s permission faced beatings, as did those who were caught breaking fast, according to former church members.

Autopsies on more than 100 bodies showed deaths from starvation, strangulation, suffocation, and injuries sustained from blunt objects. Mangi, the gravedigger, said he believed more mass graves were yet to be discovered in Shakahola. At least 600 people are reported missing, according to the Kenya Red Cross.

Priscillar Riziki, who left Mackenzie’s church in 2017 but lost her daughter and three grandchildren in Shakahola, broke down as she remembered Mackenzie as “good at first” but increasingly discourteous to his followers. Her daughter Lorine was not allowed to take her children on family visits without Mackenzie's approval, Riziki said.

One of Riziki’s grandchildren was identified through DNA analysis and received a proper burial. Lorine and two of her children are presumed dead.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which witnesses said strengthened Mackenzie’s vision of the end times, the leader ordered more rigorous fasting that became even more stringent by the end of 2022. Parents were forbidden from feeding their children, witnesses said.

Some church members who escaped Shakahola spread word of suffering there, once causing a fight inside the forest when outsiders riding motorcycles attempted a rescue mission, said village elder Changawa Mangi Yaah.

The rescue party had two of their motorcycles burned in Shakahola, but the police failed to act beyond making brief arrests, Yaah said, adding that he realized “Mackenzie was more powerful than I thought.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

FILE - Extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie, who was arrested on suspicion of telling his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus, appears at a court accompanied by some of his followers in Malindi, Kenya on Monday, April 17, 2023. (AP Photo/File)

A woman who escaped the Good News International Church in Shakahola after she said she was sexually assaulted, enters a house in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Thomas Kakala, a self-described bishop with Malindi-based Jesus Cares Ministry International, speaks during an interview at his home in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Robert Mbatha Mackenzie, the brother of extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie, looks after his goats at his home in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Sheikh Famau Mohamed, one of the first religious leaders to raise concerns about extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie, speaks during a function in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Shakahola Comprehensive School children play outside the classrooms near the scene where dozens of bodies were found in shallow graves in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Priscillar Riziki, whose daughter and three grandchildren are believed to have been among the victims of the Good News International Church cult, walks out of her house in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Priscillar Riziki holds a photo of her daughter, Lorine Menza, a member of the Good News International Church cult now presumed dead, at her home in the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Salama Masha, a former follower of extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie, stands outside a makeshift house near the scene where dozens of bodies were found in shallow graves in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A piece of clothing lies in the bush near the forest where dozens of bodies were found in shallow graves in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Shukran Karisa Mangi, 25, a gravedigger, walks in the bush near the forest where dozens of bodies have been found in shallow graves in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southeastern Kenya, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)