Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka overcame an uneven performance on Monday to begin her bid for a third consecutive U.S. Open title, defeating Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 in New York.
Sabalenka mixed 32 winners with 23 unforced errors but worked through the trouble to win her 14th consecutive match at Flushing Meadows. She also extended her streak of victories in Grand Slam opening rounds to 24.
The Belarusian took control of the first set by winning four straight games. Osorio committed five double faults in her first two service games, and Sabalenka eventually pulled away.
Osorio made things more difficult in the second set and held two break points, taking a 4-3 lead. Sabalenka saved both, then capitalized on Osorio’s ninth double fault to break for 5-4 before serving out the match.
“She played great. She brought the fight, and she battled really well,” Sabalenka said. “I just tried to stay as aggressive as possible. Sometimes I had to go back just to put the ball in play and move forward as possible.”
Sabalenka, who hasn’t reached a final since winning Miami in March, will face Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko in the second round.
Two seeded players were knocked out during the early Monday schedule.
Taylor Townsend dispatched No. 20 Maja Chwalinska of Poland 6-2, 6-3. Townsend broke serve five times while handing Chwalinska, the French Open runner-up, her fifth loss in six matches since her run in Paris.
Spain’s Cristina Bucsa eliminated No. 28 Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. Bejlek arrived in New York after reaching the Cincinnati semifinals but couldn’t carry that momentum into the final set.
No. 10 Amanda Anisimova celebrated her 25th birthday by defeating fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3. Last year’s U.S. Open runner-up struck 25 winners and saved 10 of the 11 break points she faced.
“I’m getting old,” Anisimova said after the match when asked what she’s learned since last year’s final. “I don’t even look forward to my birthdays anymore.”
“I felt great out there today,” she added. “I thought I played well so I’m happy about that.”
No. 26 Emma Navarro needed two days to secure her place in the second round, completing a 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-3 victory over France’s Lois Boisson. Their match was suspended by rain on Sunday, with Navarro ahead 4-2 in the second set, before Boisson rallied upon the resumption and forced the third.
“I’m just proud of my toughness,” Navarro said. “It’s not easy being that close and losing a tough set.”
Another American, Caty McNally, advanced with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Dutch qualifier Anouk Koevermans. Peyton Stearns wasn’t as fortunate, taking the opening set before British qualifier Harriet Dart rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Elsewhere among the seeded players, Czech seventh seed Karolina Muchova cruised past Austria’s Sinja Kraus 6-3, 6-0. No. 15 Diana Shnaider of Russia beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-0, 6-4, while No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya defeated fellow Russian Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-3 and No. 25 Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic rolled past France’s Elsa Jacquemot 6-2, 6-2.
–Field Level Media
