Serena continues bid for 24th Grand Slam with easy win
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Highlights of the second day at the U.S. Open yesterday. The Grand Slam is being held in New York without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Times ET; GMT4)
Six-time champion Serena Williams began her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a 7-5 6-3 victory over fellow American Kristie Ahn.
“I was really happy with how I fought for every point. I just needed to get my Serena-focus back,” Williams said.
Seventh seed Madison Keys, who finished runner-up in front of her home fans at Flushing Meadows in 2017, booked her spot in the second round with a 6-1 6-1 victory over Hungarian Timea Babos.
Andy Murray battled back from two sets down to beat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 6-4 and reach the second round.
“At the beginning, I was so apprehensive of playing a long match... but when I went two sets down I had to put the afterburners on,” said the Briton, on what is his first appearance at a major since the 2019 Australian Open.
Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, the only reigning Grand Slam champion in the women’s draw, eased past Belgian Yanina Wickmayer with a routine 6-2 6-2 victory.
The American second seed sent down 33 winners and five aces in the one-sided contest.
Russian Andrey Rublev, seeded 10th, made light work of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in a 6-4 6-4 6-3 victory.
Meanwhile, Rublev’s compatriot Karen Khachanov rallied from two sets down to beat Italian Jannik Sinner 3-6 6-7(7) 6-2 6-0 7-6(4).
Ninth seed Johanna Konta saved six set points in the first set against fellow Briton Heather Watson before pulling away to a 7-6(7) 6-1 victory.
Second seed Dominic Thiem progressed to the second round after Spain’s Jaume Munar retired hurt when trailing 76(6) 6-3.
The Austrian will next meet Sumit Nagal, who became the first Indian men’s singles player in seven years to make it past the first round of a Grand Slam.
China’s 25th seeded Zhang Shuai has crashed out of the opening round after suffering a shock 4-6 6-3 6-2 defeat by Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure.
Belgium’s 16th seeded Elise Mertens converted all her four break point opportunities in a clinical display to beat German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-2.
American Amanda Anisimova, who reached the French Open semi-finals last year, also eased into the second round with a 7-5 7-5 win over Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova.
Spanish 10th seed Garbine Muguruza, playing her first match since February, beat Japan’s Nao Hibino 6- 4 6- 4 to advance to the second round.
Muguruza started slowly but came back from 1-4 down in the opening set, winning seven consecutive games before Hibino got back on the scoreboard. The Japanese saved a match point at 5-3 before Muguruza served out the match.