US Open 2021: Ashleigh Barty, Petra Kvitova & Iga Swiatek through to third round
- Published
Ashleigh Barty won her 50th singles match at a Grand Slam
US Open 2021 |
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Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 30 August-12 September |
Coverage: Daily radio commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra/BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app |
World number one Ashleigh Barty is through to the third round of the US Open following victory over Danish teenager Clara Tauson.
The Australian needed three match points before winning 6-1 7-5 on Arthur Ashe Stadium to pick up her 50th Grand Slam match victory.
The top seed raced through the first set but was unable to convert a match point at 5-3 in the second.
She was broken but responded to eventually serve out the match.
Barty will face American Shelby Rogers in the third round.
Meanwhile, German three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber won 6-3 6-2 against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina to set up an interesting third-round encounter with American 2017 champion Sloane Stephens.
The match was originally due to be played on Wednesday but heavy rainfall and high winds led to it being postponed.
The weather in New York was much better on Thursday, less than 24 hours after rain poured on to Louis Armstrong Stadium despite the court having a retractable roof.
Elsewhere, Canadian sixth seed Bianca Andreescu was broken four times during her match with American Lauren Davis on Louis Armstrong Stadium but she came through to win 6-4 6-4.
The 2019 US Open champion will play Belgian world number 104 Greet Minnen in the third round.
Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek survived a scare to beat France's Fiona Ferro 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0.
She struggled on serve and had 35 unforced errors but won six of her 12 break points as she raced to victory in the deciding set.
Swiatek, the French Open champion in 2020, will face Estonian 28th seed Anett Kontaveit in the third round.
In other action, Czech 10th seed Petra Kvitova saw off compatriot Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova will play 17th seed Maria Sakkari in the third round after the Greek beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-4 6-2.
Pliskova's twin sister and 2016 US Open runner-up Karolina overcame America's Amanda Anisimova in a three-set thriller.
The former world number one saved match point in the third-set tie break against the 20-year-old and eventually prevailed 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (9-7).
Fourth seed Pliskova will next face Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic, who defeated Croatian 30th seed Petra Martic 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.
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