US Open: Sabalenka sails into Rd 2; Burel bounces back to beat Stephens

NEW YORK — World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka registered a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon in her US Open opener.

The reigning Australian Open champion, Sabalenka, who has reached the US Open semifinals or better in her past three attempts, will next face Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, who advanced after New Zealand’s Lulu Sun was forced to retire after losing the first set 6-3.

Against the Italian, Sabalenka owns a 1-0 head-to-head record from a straight-sets win on the hard courts of Brisbane this year.

In just her second career US Open main-draw appearance, the 26-year-old Hon was swinging freely and with assertive power under the lights of Louis Armstrong Stadium. She put pressure on the No. 2 seed and matched her shot for shot, literally, as both women hit five winners and seven unforced errors in the first set.

But it was Sabalenka’s first-serve win percentage (91%) that gave her the edge to take the opening frame without facing a break point. She earned an early break in the second set before Hon converted her first break point of the match to get back on serve at 3-2. and remained unbothered.

The Belarusian sealed her sixth consecutive victory by breaking Hon for a fourth time with a string of clean return winners to lead 4-2 and maintained her lead to secure her 40th win of the season, WTA reports.

Coming off of a shoulder injury that hampered the middle part of her season, the 26-year-old Sabalenka returned to her top form this summer with a quarterfinal appearance in Toronto, a semifinal run in Washington, D.C, and a title in Cincinnati, which she won without dropping a set.

Earlier, France’s Clara Burel rallied from a 0-6, 1-4 deficit to beat 2017 champion Sloane Stephens 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the first round.

Burel, ranked No.56 on the WTA Rankings, lost the first nine games of the match before winning her first game at 3-1 in the second set. Stephens served for the win twice, at 5-4 in the second and third sets.

Burel will face former No.1 Victoria Azarenka in the second round. The three-time US Open champion mounted a comeback of her own to advance, defeating Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova earned her first hard-court win since February, defeating Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera 7-6(3), 6-2 in just over 90 minutes. Playing in her first hard-court tournament of the summer, the Czech will face Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse next.

US Open: Djokovic beats Moldovian qualifier to ease into second round

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic steamrolled through Moldovian qualifier Radu Albot in the first round of the US Open with a straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory in two hours and seven minutes at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

With his 89th US Open match win, Djokovic tied Swiss great Roger Federer for the second-most wins at the event in men’s history. Now 89-13 in New York, the Serboan trails only Jimmy Connors (98-17) on the US Open’s all-time list.

The 37-year-old Serb will bid for win No. 90 in the second round against countryman Laslo Djere, who earned a comeback, five-set win against Jan Lennard on Monday night.

Djokovic, who returned to hard courts for the first time since Indian Wells in March, did not face much challenge against the world no 138 Albot in his return to hard courts in his first appearance since claiming the Olympic singles gold medal in Paris, where he completed his career Golden Slam.

“I wanted to kick start the tournament in the right way and I think I did. Some ups and downs which I think is normal, getting the rust off your shoulders coming off a different surface and the Olympic Games. I haven’t played on hard courts for six months, so I’m still finding that groove, finding the tempo on the court,” Djokovic said on ESPN.

Despite the comfortable victory, the four-time champion threw in 10 double faults, put just 47 per cent of first serves into play and made 40 unforced errors which did not trouble him on the night but can be damaging to his Grand Slam hopes as the tournament progresses.

Djokovic improved to 18-0 in first-round matches at the US Open. He has never lost before the third round in New York, exiting at that stage in his first two outings in 2005 and 2006.

The US Open is Djokovic’s final chance at winning a grand slam this year as the Serbian lost against World number 1 Janik Sinner in the semi-final of the Australian Open, withdrew from his quarter-final with a knee injury at the French Open and lost the final of the Wimbledon tournament. A win at the US Open would see him move past Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles in history, both players currently possess 24 Grand Slams.

“The night sessions here are the best in the world and since the roof was added, it’s got even louder. There’s an incredible energy and with the new rule this year that the crowd can move around, there are lot of things happening,” said Djokovic post game.

US Open: Sumit Nagal faces first round exit, loses to Tallon Griekspoor

NEW YORK —  India’s tennis ace Sumit Nagal bowed out of the US Open after losing in the first round match against Tallon Griekspoor on Tuesday.

Nagal was out of touch in the first two sets of the clash, however, he fought hard to take the third set to tie-breaker before ending up on the losing side 1-6, 3-6, 6-7 (6) against the Dutch opponent.

Griekspoor exhibited his outright dominance in the opening set as he broke Nagal multiple times to secure a 6-1 win. Griekspoor, ranked 40th in the world, maintained his momentum and kept the Indian player on the defensive. Although Nagal showed significant improvement in the second set, it wasn’t enough to hold off Griekspoor, who took the set 6-3.

Facing the prospect of an early exit, Nagal elevated his game in the third set and even held two set points during the tie-breaker to keep his chances alive. However, the Dutchman responded with a perfect ace to close the gap and then clinched the match with impressive composure.

This was Nagal’s third appearance in the US Open main draw, following his previous entries in 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old has had a challenging season, failing to advance beyond the second round at the Australian Open and suffering first-round exits at both the French Open and Wimbledon Championships.

Nagal also faced disappointment at the Paris Olympics, where he was knocked out in the first round after losing to Frenchman Corentin Moutet. Nagal lost 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in the round of 64, ending his Olympic campaign early.

India’s hopes at the US Open remain alive, with Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri, and N Sriram Balaji yet to start their campaigns in the men’s doubles category alongside their respective partners.

US Open: Zverev, Ruud prevail; Fritz & Berrettini set second round clash

NEW YORK — Fourth seed German player Alexander Zverev made a solid start to his US Open campaign with a 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 win over compatriot Maximilian Marterer.

With a 53-minute victory over fellow German, Zverev set a second-round clash with Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

The 27-year-old Zverev reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open (2020 and 2024), the championship match at Roland Garros last year, and the fourth round at Wimbledon ( 2017,2021 and 2024).

He reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 edition of the hard-court major before falling to Dominic Thiem.

Meanwhile, Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini and Ugo Humbert all recorded comfortable early victories on Monday in New York.

The 2022 finalist Ruud overcame Chinese qualifier Buyunchaokete 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 to set a second-round clash against Gael Monfils.

Italy’s Berrettini booked his first tour-level win on hard courts for the season by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-3. Berrettini, a former US Open semi-finalist who has this year lifted three ATP 250 clay-court crowns in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbuhel, respectively, will next meet 12th seed Taylor Fritz, who downed downed Camilo Ugo Carabelli 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.

The 17th seed Humbert eased past Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round for the third time in his career. Humbert, who is now 27-18 for the season, will take on Francisco Comesana next after the Argentine defeated Dominic Stricker 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.

US Open: Defending champion Gauff, Keys advance to second round

NEW YORK — Defending champion Coco Gauff got off to a winning start at the US Open with a 6-2, 6-0 win over France’s Varvara Gracheva on Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

The victory marks Gauff’s eighth straight match-win at the US Open. Last year, Gauff made history by winning her first Grand Slam title at the Flushing Meadows, becoming the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

Gauff will face German veteran Tatjana Maria in the second round. The 37-year-old Maria, who was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2022, defeated Argentine qualifier Solana Sierra 6-2, 6-3 in her opener.

The 20-year-old Gauff has now won 15 main-draw matches in her US Open career. She is the youngest woman to collect that many main-draw singles victories at the US Open since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010, according to WTA.

Gauff’s fellow Americans Madison Keys, Taylor Townsend, and Peyton Stearns joined the defending champion in the second round.

No.14 seed Keys dispatched Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-1 in just 64 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

World No.48 Townsend clinched her second-round spot with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Italy’s Martina Trevisan. Townsend came back from 5-3 down in the second set, reeling off the last four games to oust former Top 20 player Trevisan.

And World No.47 Stearns moved into the second round with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over 2018 US Open quarterfinalist Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.