Muguruza, Halep advance in US Open
Osaka set to face Canada’s Fernandez as she seeks her fifth Grand Slam
Spanish ninth seed Garbine Muguruza outlasted 18th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus yesterday at the US Open in a showdown of twotime Grand Slam champions and former world number ones.
Muguruza matched her best US Open showing from 2017 by defeating three-time US Open runner-up Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the only Slam where she hasn’t reached the final.
“It’s a Grand Slam where I’ve been struggling,” Muguruza said. “This year it’s working so I want to keep going.”
Muguruza broke at love in the ninth game of the first set and held to grab the lead, then won
after two hours and 15 minutes as Azarenka double-faulted.
Romanian 12th seed Simona Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion battling back after an injury layoff, ousted 19th seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan
7-6 (13/11), 4-6, 6-3 after two hours and 25 minutes.
Former number one Halep, her right thigh taped after an injury two weeks ago, failed on six set points before Rybakina, who lost four set points herself, double faulted to end a 17-minute tie-breaker and drop the first set after 64 minutes. Rybakina forced a third set but Halep held firm for the win.“I just said I have to fight back and I did,” said Halep, who says she’s “still far” from peak form.
Osaka seeks last 16
Defending champion Naomi Osaka was set to face Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez in an Arthur Ashe Stadium night match. Osaka seeks her fifth Grand Slam title, her third US Open crown in four years and could become the first backto-back US Open winner since Serena Williams won her third in a row in 2014.