Walk in the park for Radwanska
OPENING DAY The fourth seed drops a just a game while Halep survives a scare
NEW YORK: Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska took just 47 minutes to hand a 6-1, 6- 0 US Open first round rout to Canada’s Sharon Fichman on Monday.
Radwanska allowed her 112th- ranked opponent just three points in the second set.
The 25-year-old Pole, who has never got beyond the fourth round in New York, goes on to face either Peng Shuai or Zheng Jie, who face-off in an all-Chinese duel, for a place in the third round.
However, second- seeded Simona Halep, runner- up to Sharapova at Roland Garros, shook off first- round jitters to defeat US wildcard Danielle Rose Collins 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-2.
Halep survived 33 unforced errors to put away US collegiate standout Collins in just under two hours. TRICKY MATCH “The first match is always tricky, but I think today everything was working my way — a pretty good start for me,” said Radwanska, who warmed up for the US Open with a title in Montreal. The world number five said she has her sights set on reaching the quarter-finals — as she has at least once at every other Grand Slam.
“I will do everything to do that,” she said. “I hope (to go) even deeper, but let’s focus on that first and then we will see.”
The other seeds to make it through on the opening day in the women’s event were Angelique Kerber and Kurumi Nara. While sixthseeded Kerber faced a tough match against Russia’s Ksenia Pervak; Nara, the 31st seed in the draw, steamrolled Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 6- 2, 6- 1. Kerber needed 137 minutes to triumph 6- 2, 3- 6, 7- 5. Lucie Safarova, the 14th seed from Czech Republic didn’t face much of a hassle against Timea Babos of Hungary as she made the next round with a 6- 4, 7- 5 win.
Andrea Petkovic, the 18th seed from Germany was made to sweat by Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. The Ger man toiled for over two hours to eliminate Jabeur 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 6-3.
The other players to make it through the second round were Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic beating Belgian-Yanina Wickmayer 6- 3, 6- 2; China’s Zheng Saisai getting the better of Swiss Stefanie Voegele1-6, 6- 2, 6- 2 and Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova overcoming Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
In the men’s side, Leonardo Mayer, the 23rd seed from Argentina made it to the second round after Albert Montanes retired at 2-6, 0-3.