Top seed Aryna Sabalenka unseeded Polina Kudermetova, 7-6(4), 6-2, in a second-round match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday.
Reaching the Australian Open and Roland Garros finals, plus the semifinals at Wimbledon, would be a career year for most players. But the bar is set so high for the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam winner, that she’s eager to cap the summer minus a bummer.
If Sabalenka can repeat as the US Open women’s singles champion, she will become the first player to do so since Serena Williams, 2012-14. But, there have been 10 different women titlists in the last 11 years in New York City.
In the first set when she was broken in the first game and had to manipulate her way to a successful first-set tiebreak, lifting her record in breakers to 19-1 this year.
The second set was all Sabalenka as Kudermetova, ranked No. 67, used a medical timeout to treat a balky knee and was betrayed by her spotty serve, which led to nine double faults overall. Sabalenka prevailed, 6-2 in the second set to wrap up the win, US Open reports.
Sabalenka next faces No. 31 seed Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who defeated France’s Elsa Jacquemot, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
Later, the seventh-seeded Paolini disposed of Iva Jovic, an unseeded American teenager, 6-3, 6-3, in second-round action in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
While Paolini came out sizzling in racing to a 3-0 first-set lead, Jovic had a golden opportunity to get back on serve in the fifth game when she had three looks at break points, but failed to cash. Two games later Jovic had two more break chances, but the result was the same as the chances slipped away. She squandered two more break points when Paolini served to take the frame, 6-3. Paolini again streaked to a 3-0 cushion in the second with two service breaks. While Paolini was gathering steam and lifting her play, Jovic, despite a late push, couldn’t keep pace.
Jovic did finally break on her eighth chance (she finished 2-for-11) which brought with it a sigh of relief. But it didn’t slow Paolini, who entered the US Open fresh from a final showing on the Cincinnati hard courts. The world No. 8 Paolini will face the No. 32-seeded American McCartney Kessler.
US Open: Alcaraz, Shelton & Djokovic charge into Round 3
Carlos Alcaraz has charged into the third round of the US Open, beating Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.
Alcaraz has now won 41 of his past 43 matches while targeting an eighth consecutive tournament final. The win ensures Alcaraz has already bettered his 2024 campaign in New York, which ended in a shock second-round defeat to world No. 74 Botic van De Zandschulp.
A five-time major champion, is competing in his 19th Grand Slam main draw, and has now reached the third round in 16 of them. Alcaraz, who is on a eight-match winning streak, next faces 32nd-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi, who beat American wild card Eliot Spizzirri 6-0, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4. It will be Alcaraz and Darderi’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.
Ben Shelton defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 Pablo Carreno Busta to claim the battle of former US Open semifinalists and reach the third round of his home major championship. Fresh off his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, Shelton punched past the 34-year-old Carreno Busta, who made the final four in New York in 2017 and 2020. It marks the ninth consecutive Grand Slam in which Shelton has reached Round 3.
Shelton, who next faces wily French veteran Adrian Mannarino in the third round, is seeded to meet 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect second-round record in New York to reach the third round for tihe 19th time.
The 38-year-old was unable to find his A-game for large periods against American qualifier Zachary Svajda, yet did enough to seal a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
With his win, Djokovic advanced to the third round at a major for a record 75th time, surpassing Roger Federer’s tally of 74. The former No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings is seeking a record-extending 25th major and first since winning the US Open in 2023. He will next meet Cameron Norrie or Francisco Comesana.