Simona Halep got rid of the Italian Camila Giorgi in two sets (4-6 and 6-7 (3)) without too many problems on the first day of the US Open. The Romanian had to wait for the ninth game to get ahead of her rival and took advantage of the only break to take the first set. Already in the second, he managed to break Giorgi's serve again, but When everything indicated that the match would take place without having to go to the tie-break, the Italian raised up to two match points and forced the tiebreaker.
Already in the tie-break, the service breaks were happening until reaching the 3-7 definitive. Halep will face Slovak Kristina Kucova in the second round, number 111 in the WTA ranking, who beat the American Ann Li in two sets (5-7 and 1-6).
The favorites do not fail
Most of the seeds advanced to the second round on opening day. In addition to Halep, the American teenager Coco Gauff (21st) also won, albeit with suffering, who came back against the Polish Linette (5-7, 6-3 and 6-4 in 2:34). An idol of the local fans, he will now see his compatriot Sloane Stephens, champion in 2017, who beat Madison Keys in the center in a fratricidal fight (6-3, 1-6 and 7-6 (7)), his rival precisely in the final four years ago.
The Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (18th), finalist in 2020 and winner of 20 hard court titles, undid the Czech Martincova in two sets without problems (6-4 and 6-0) to meet Paolini. The Kazakh Elena Rybakina (19th), in ascending progression, passed over the Belarusian Sasnovich (6-2 and 6-3) and will run into the French Garcia. Barbora Krejcikova (8th), winner a few months ago at Roland Garros, got off to a brilliant start against Australian Sharma, whom she swept 6-0, 6-4 to face American McHale.
Angelique Kerber (16th), who has been greening old laurels (she was champion in New York in 2016), suffered to lower the Ukrainian Yastremska, who was involved in a doping case of which she was innocent. The German won 3-6, 6-4 and 7-6 (3) and will be the rival of another Ukrainian, Kalinina, whose illustrious compatriot, Elina Svitolina (5th), who has just lifted the trophy in Chicago, lowered the Canadian Marino (6-2 and 6-3) and will oppose the Spanish Masarova. Ons Jabeur (20th) had to sweat to beat French Alize Cornet, which was precisely Svitolina's victim last Saturday. The Tunisian won by a double 7-5 in 1:43 and will face the exciting 19-year-old Colombian Maria Camila Osorio on Wednesday.
Osaka starts off strong
Naomi Osaka, third favorite and reigning US Open champion who aspires to be the first to successfully defend the title since Serena Williams in 2014, started without difficulties against Marie Bouzkova, whom he won by 6-4 and 6-1 at 1:33. The Japanese, who already beat the Czech last year in Australia, tripled her rival in winners (34-10), who was not enough to make a few mistakes (8). Osaka will now meet Serbian Danilovic. And Elise Mertens (15th) passed Cain's to come back against the Swede Peterson, who was winning 6-3, 5-3. But the belgian lifted five match points in the second set and one more in the third to win 3-6, 7-6 (5) and 7-6 (5). She will face the Greek Grammatikopoulou.
Results, table and schedules.