Day 2 of the US Open is in the books. It claimed a trio of past champions in the first round while another survived an early test to advance.
Danielle Collins ousts Naomi Osaka in Round 2
Before Tuesday’s second day of US Open play, Danielle Collins had never beaten Naomi Osaka. She picked a good time post her first win.
The 19th-seeded American gutted out a tough first-set tiebreak then broke Osaka late in the second to secure a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win and send the two-time US Open champion home. The early exit was the third of the day for a past champion as reigning champion Emma Raducanu and two-time champion Venus Williams fell in straight sets earlier Tuesday.
Danielle Collins is into Round 2 of the #USOpenpic.twitter.com/rUZa0hWKHx
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2022
Osaka got off to a good start, holding serve to strike first before breaking Collins to take a 2-0 lead. But Collins returned the break to cut Osaka’s lead to 3-2 before holding serve to tie things up at 3-3. Osaka later fended off a break point to take a 6-5 edge before Collins held serve to send the first set to a tiebreak.
Collins then served for the set leading, 6-4 in the first-to-seven tiebreak. But Osaka broke to take back the serve trailing 6-5. Collins returned the favor with a break on set point to win the set.
The second set started much like the first, with the pair trading breaks en route to a 2-2 tie. But Collins secured the final break of the match to take a 5-3 lead, where she successfully served for the match. Osaka’s return on match point landed long, ending her quest for a third US Open championship after she claimed titles in 2018 and 2020.
The win was Collins’ first in four career matches against Osaka and her first-ever at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She overcame nine double-faults to secure the victory. She advances to face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa on Thursday.
Rafael Nadal recovers to advance after dropping first set
Rafael Nadal stepped onto a US Open court on Tuesday for the first time since winning the tournament in 2019.
He got off to a rough start, but rallied into form in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Australia’s Rinky Hijikata.
Hijikata, 21, played college tennis at North Carolina. He made his presence known early on Tuesday in his first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw, scoring the first break of the match en route to a 4-3 first-set lead over the 22-time Grand Slam champion. He held serve from there to take the set and got the crowd on his side.
But Nadal quickly bounced back from the first-set loss. He broke Hijikata early in the second set to take a 2-0 lead and didn’t drop a service point again.
Hijikata threatened to break in the fourth set with Nadal leading 4-3. But Nadal battled back from 3 game points to take a 5-3 lead. He then broke Hijikata’s serve to win the match in a tense game that included five match points.
WHAT A SHOT BY RAFA TO WIN IT 🔥#USOpenpic.twitter.com/QNGJPsOYJx
— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2022
The four-set win took 3:08 to play.
Nadal advances to face Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who scored a five-set win over Aslan Karatsev in 3:34.
Reigning champ Emma Raducanu bounced in first round
The champ is done.
2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu lost her opening-round match in straight sets on Tuesday to France’s Alize Cornet. Cornet controlled the match from the start with a 6-3 victory in the opening set.
.@alizecornet takes the first set against Raducanu❗️#USOpenpic.twitter.com/KnJQakhM9q
— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2022
She closed the second set by the same score by breaking Raducanu’s serve on match point. Raducanu walked off the court to cheers from the US Open crowd.
She gave us a historic run last summer.
See you soon, @EmmaRaducanu 👏 pic.twitter.com/xzMuLNghcl
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2022
The loss concludes a disappointing reign for Raducanu since she burst onto the scene as an unseeded qualifier to win her first Grand Slam at 18 years old last year. She didn’t drop a set in a dominant seven-win run to the US Open title in 2021. This year, she leaves Flushing Meadows without winning a set.
Raducanu fired coach Andrew Richardson last September, just weeks after claiming the US Open crown. Since then, she’s failed to advance past the quarterfinal round in 19 tournaments played. She entered play on Tuesday as the No. 11 player in the world. The loss is expected to drop her out of the top 80.
For Cornet, the win continues a remarkable run against elite competition. Tuesday’s victory is her seventh-straight against a top 20 player in Grand Slam play.
This year alone, she defeated No. 3 Gabrine Muguruza and No. 14 Simona Halep at the Australian Open, No. 13 Jelena Ostapenko at the French Open and top-ranked No. 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. She eventually lost in each tournament to players outside the Top 20. She advances to face the Czech Republic’s 83rd-ranked Katerina Siniakova in Round 2 on Thursday.
Iga Swiatek cruises to win in first round
The No. 1 women’s player lived up to expectations in the first round of the 2022 US Open. Iga Swiatek cruised to a victory over Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday, taking her down in straight sets 6-3, 6-0.
After trading a few games with Paolini early, Swiatek got fully on track as the match went on. She didn’t allow Paolini to take a single game in the final set.
In control early!@iga_swiatek takes the first set 6-3 over Jasmine Paolini. pic.twitter.com/wBlK9iRGgM
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2022
With the win, Swiatek advances to the second round. She is looking to take home her second Grand Slam title of 2022 after winning the French Open in June. Swiatek has never reached the final in the US Open. She lost in the fourth round of the event last year.
Jessica Pegula advances to second round in straight sets
American Jessica Pegula advanced to the second round of the 2022 US Open. Pegula took down Viktorija Golubic in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) to move on.
Golunic committed four double faults in the match, making it harder for her to take the upset. Pegula came into the tournament as the No. 8 ranked woman, and was expected to make it past the first round. She did so in dominating fashion, winning five games in a row at one point during the match.
Pegula is hoping to build on her 2022 success in the US Open. She finished as a quarterfinalist at both the French Open and Australian Open this year. Pegula has never advanced past the third round at the US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz advances in a walkover
Carlos Alcaraz is moving on to the second round. Alcaraz was locked in a tight match with Sebastian Baez before eventually advancing due to a walkover.
Alcaraz went back-and-forth with Baez early, winning the first two sets 7-5, 7-5. Though the match was closer than expected early, Alcaraz produced at least one phenomenal higlight.
Just @carlosalcaraz saving break point with a tweener. pic.twitter.com/ccWdLpukeO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2022
Alcaraz took the first two games of the third set before Baez retired from the match due to injury.
Paula Badosa, Belinda Bencic move on
Paula Badosa needed a rally to move past Lesia Tsurenko in the first round at the US Open. Badosa fell behind, dropping the first set 6-3. She then rallied to take the second set 7-6 and the third and final set 6-3.
Belinda Bencic also punched here ticket to the second round. Bencic also needed three sets to advance. After winning the first set 6-2, Bencic dropped the second set 6-4. She then rallied to take the final set 6-4, beating Andrea Petkovic to move on.
Venus Williams loses in first round
A day after Serena Williams kept her US Open title hopes alive, two-time champion Venus Williams couldn’t provide an encore. Venus lost to Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round Tuesday.
Williams lost in straight sets to Van Uytvanck 6-1, 7-6.
Though Williams was eliminated from singles play, she will still take part in the doubles portion of the US Open. She is teaming up with Serena in doubles.
Aryna Sabalenka moves past Catherine Harrison
Aryna Sabalenka made quick work of American Catherine Harrison in the first round of the 2022 US Open on Tuesday. Sabalenka defeated Harrison in straight sets (6-1, 6-3) to advance to the second round of the tournament.
Big things are expected of Sabalenka, who came into the event as the No. 6 ranked woman. She is looking to make another deep run at the US Open after finishing as a semifinalist at the tournament last year.
Qinwen Zheng upsets No. 16 Jelena Ostapenko
Qinwen Zheng looked strong in one of Round 1’s biggest upsets Tuesday. Zheng took down No. 16 Jelena Ostapenko in a back-and-forth match to advance in the Open.
Zheng got out to a strong start, taking the first set 6-3. Ostapenko rallied back, taking the second set by the same score. The two battled in the final set, trading games, but Zheng came away with the 6-4 win. Her excellent serves might have been the difference. Zheng registered 10 aces against Ostapenko’s four during the match.
Americans John Isner, Brandon Nakashima advance to Round 2
John Isner and Brandon Nakashima will represent the United States in Round 2 at the US Open. Both players won their first-round matchups Tuesday.
Isner defeated Federico Delbonis is straight sets (6-3, 6-1, 7-5) to take the win. Nakashima beat Pavel Kotov in straight sets (7-6, 6-2, 6-2) to come out on top.
Isner will take on Holger Rune in the second round on Thursday. Nakashima will play Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday.
Sloane Stephens advances, but two other American women fall
Sloane Stephens fell behind early, but rallied late to take down Greet Minnen in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday. Stephens dropped the first set 1-6, but fought back to take the second and third set from Minnen 6-3, 6-3.
That wasn’t the case with Bernarda Pera and Claire Liu. Both Liu and Pera lost their first-round matches in straight sets. Liu was defeated by Anastasia Potapova, who won 6-1, 6-4. Pera lost to Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-4.
Other notable results
• Cameron Norrie defeated Benoît Paire in straight sets to advance to the second round. Norrie picked up nine aces in the match, which he won 6-0, 7-6, 6-0.
• American Steve Johnson couldn’t complete an upset over No. 17 Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday. Dimitrov won in straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-2) to take down Johnson and advance to the second round. American Mackenzie McDonald also lost Tuesday, falling to Joao Sousa in four sets.
• Garbine Muguruza defeated Clara Tauson in straight sets (6-3, 7-6) to advance Tuesday. Muguruza overwhelmed Tauson with serves, picking up 10 aces in the match.
• Karolina Pliskova narrowly beat Magda Linette to advance to the second round of the US Open. Pliskova needed a third set to complete the victory. That set went to the limit, with Pliskova eventually pulling out a 7-6 win in the final set to take the win.
• Holger Rune and Dan Evans advanced to the second round of the US Open on Thursday. Hune defeated Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets (6-2, 6-4, 7-6) to take the win. Evans also won in straight sets (6-2, 6-2, 6-2) over Jiri Vesely.
This story will be updated.
Source: Read Full Article