Muguruza’s US Open hoodoo goes on
TSVETANA PIRONKOVA, playing in her first event since 2017, claimed a shock upset at the US Open by dispatching double Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza 7-5 6-3 to move into the third round. After three years away from the WTA Tour following the birth of her son Alexander, the unranked Bulgarian had 10thseeded Muguruza smashing her racket and mumbling in frustration as the Spaniard’s US Open jinx continued. ‘Coming from three years of absence on the tour, you always have your doubts,’ Pironkova said. ‘Right now my results actually make me really happy because it shows that I did the right things preparing for this comeback. ‘For me, the toughest part is the physical condition. I haven’t had a chance to play another tournament before this one. Having a few consecutive matches is really a big challenge for me,’ added the 32-year-old. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin used a mix of power and sharp angles to overwhelm Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3. Second seed Kenin won 76% of her first-serve points and unleashed a barrage of accurate shots from the baseline that were too much to handle for Fernandez. American Kenin, who never faced a break point during the 81-minute contest, broke Fernandez three times, including in the final game when her opponent doublefaulted on match point. Fernandez made her main draw debut at the US Open this week and entered the match fresh off a win over 2010 New York finalist Vera Zvonareva. Up next for Kenin, who has never been past the third round in New York, will be Tunisian 27th seed Ons Jabeur, who beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 7-6(8) 6-0. Kenin is the highest seed left in the women’s draw after Karolina Pliskova’s shock loss on Wednesday.