Sharapova battles on
Zverev, Kyrgios crash at US Open 2017
Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova battled back on Wednesday to reach the third round of the US Open while next- generation rising stars Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios crashed out. Sharapova, who downed second- ranked Simona Halep in her first Grand Slam match after a 15- month doping ban, defeated Hungary’s 59th- ranked Timea Babos 6- 7 ( 4/ 7), 6- 4, 6- 1. The 30- year- old Russian tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, her most recent Grand Slam appearance until this week. Now 146th- ranked Sharapova, whose five Grand Slam titles include the 2006 US Open, played only one Open tuneup match after a forearm injury but wore down Halep and Babos to prove she’s a threat for a deep run, with Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova her top- ranked potential semifinal obstacle.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza reached the US Open third round for the first time by beating China’s 92nd- ranked Duan Yingying 6- 4, 6- 0.
Beating Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova to reach the last 16 would put the third- seeded Spaniard atop a fight for world No. 1 that was trimmed to six women when Danish fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki lost to Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6- 2, 6- 7 ( 5/ 7), 6- 1.
Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova rescued three match points in defeating 67th- ranked Czech Marketa Vondrousova 4- 6, 6- 4, 7- 6 ( 7/ 2) to stay in the hunt for No. 1.
Ukraine’s fourth- seeded Elina Svitolina did as well, downing 42ndranked Czech Katerina Siniakova 6- 0, 6- 7 ( 5/ 7), 6- 3.
Another top spot hopeful is seven- time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, the 37- year- old US ninth seed who beat France’s Oceane Dodin 7- 5, 6- 4.
Men’s fourth seed Zverev, whose five ATP titles this year include a win over Roger Federer in last month’s Montreal final, fell to 61st- ranked Croatian Borna Coric 3- 6, 7- 5, 7- 6 ( 7/ 1), 7- 6 ( 7/ 4).
The 20- year- old German had been the highest- ranked player in his half of an injury- hit Open draw.
Zverev’s ouster left US 10th seed John Isner the top- ranked player in his draw quarter and Croatian fifth seed Marin Cilic the best in his half of the draw. Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, reached the third round by beating Germany’s Florian Mayer 6- 3, 6- 3, 6- 3.
The 22- year- old Kyrgios, the 14th seed and former top- rated obstacle in Federer’s quarterfinal path, hurt his right shoulder in a 6- 3, 1- 6, 6- 4, 6- 1 first- round loss to 235th- ranked fellow Aussie John Millman.
Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem ousted Aussie Alex de Minaur 6- 4, 6- 1, 6- 1. Thiem is the highest- ranked rival on the Federer and Rafael Nadal side of the draw.
Canadian 18- year- old qualifier Denis Shapovalov defeated French eighth seed Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6- 4, 6- 4, 7- 6 ( 7/ 3).