Top-ranked Barty advances to second round of US Open
Last updated on: 01 September,2021 07:54 am
Ashleigh Barty reached the second round of US Open with 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) win over Vera Zvonareva.
NEW YORK (AFP) - World number one Ashleigh Barty, coming off wins at Wimbledon and Cincinnati, began her chase for back-to-back Slam titles by defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 US Open runner-up, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) in 88 minutes.
The 25-year-old Australian next faces Denmark s Clara Tauson as she goes for her sixth title of the year.
"It has certainly been really enjoyable right from the start," Barty said.
Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova, the runner-up to Barty at Wimbledon and the 2016 US Open runner-up, defeating 130th-ranked US teen wildcard Catherine McNally 6-3, 6-4.
"I started really well, lost my focus a little bit at the end of the first set," Pliskova said. "My serve was not really there today. It would be better if I could serve better."
Japan s Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, eliminated Italy s 113th-ranked Salvatore Caruso 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.
Next up for the 56th-ranked Asian star is 61st-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald -- who ousted Belgian 27th seed David Goffin 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 -- with Djokovic a possible third-round opponent.
"I had a great start," Nishikori said. "He really pushed me back and he was playing better. Good to fight through something like this."
Nishikori lost to McDonald in a Washington semi-final four weeks ago.
"I hope I can do revenge," Nishikori said.
Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini, a US Open semi-finalist two years ago, had a later first-round match against France s Jeremy Chardy. The world number eight from Italy seeks his seventh consecutive victory over Chardy.
Canadian sixth seed Bianca Andreescu plays her first US Open match since winning the 2019 title when she faces Swiss Viktorija Golubic in the final night match on Ashe.