New York: Top-ranked Iga Swiatek powered into the second round of the US Open on Wednesday morning (AEST), beating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-0.
Swiatek, the two-time French Open champion, got sharper as the match went on. She is trying to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2014 to win seven titles in a year.
Iga Swiatek returns the ball to Jasmine Paolini during their first-round clash.Credit:AP
No.8-seeded American Jessica Pegula also raced through her opening match, like Swiatek needing little more than an hour to beat Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-2.
It was a different story for former French Open champion and 16th seed Jelena Ostapenko, who was defeated in three sets by the rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen. The 19-year-old triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka and ninth seed Garbine Muguruza both also progressed to the second round.
In the men’s draw, seventh seed Cameron Norrie and 17th seed Grigor Dimitrov both had solid three-set wins.
Reuters, AP
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