Jelena Ostapenko scores big win to start BNP Paribas Open

Su Wei Hsieh didn’t have a strong output to produce at the BNP Paribas Open Friday. Jelena Ostapenko dominated on Stadium 6 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to come through in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 ended the series losing streak in the process. 

This marked their third meeting and the first in two years with the Chinese player leading the series. Their last hard-court match went three sets, but the opposition of Ostapenko improved over the years. Though she hasn’t made any significant impact recently, the Latvian had her aggression to rely on if all the elements of her game end the winning streak of Hsieh. 

Ostapenko came out with a forceful service game that allowed Hsieh a couple of points. The Latvian went on to break her in the second and consolidated in the third. Her 3-game streak saw Hsieh score only four points in total, hoping to keep her down and out. Hsieh’s first serve was not in a position of strength and more of an easy ready for Ostapenko, who let her return game speak volumes on the court. It was a 4-0 run for the 24^th seed, who inched closer to the set win. 

Just when the fifth game in a row was looking good for the Latvian, Hsieh gained momentum and forced deuce. Ostapenko thought she had a shot to go back to deuce for the AD point, but a close call went the way of the 35-year-old. She added another to cut the lead in half after six. Ostapenko held an important seventh game that put her in place to go for the set, but Hsieh’s service continued to improve and kept the set going. The Latvian had her chance to close out the first and worked her mental fortitude to clinch it in 33 minutes. 

Ostapenko dominated the set scoring 14 of 20 from the first serve and 8 of 13 on the return. Hsieh’s second serve was working harder than her first which ultimately caused her to fumble and lose bigger on her returns which saw her win just 6 of 20. The next set didn’t go well for the player from Chinese Taipei, who tried to force deuce on serve but was broken instead. 

Ostapenko stayed in control despite some difficulty from Hsieh, who came up short of forcing deuce. The 35-year-old was down three games once more on a shutout from the Latvian, but couldn’t let it diminish her overall. It was the fourth that she pulled out all the stops to give Ostapenko a challenge on serve. 

Her defense achieved a prospect of chances on deuce but after blowing her third breakpoint, the 24-year-old made it fourth game straight. The effort on serve awarded her a break in the fifth that all but put the match in her hands. With the chance to serve it out on serve, the 24^th seed earned match on a net-front crosscourt smash to end the second round in 59 minutes. 

Elina Svitolina opens her BNP Paribas match with a win over Tereza Martincova

Elina Svitolina in competition at the BNP Paribas Open. 

Elina Svitolina had a comfortable start to her run at the BNP Paribas Open Friday. The fourth seed handled a late surge from Tereza Martincova but defended her side of the game to win 6-2, 7-5 on Stadium Four at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. 

The two met for the first time and in a location that is normally played during the early part of the tennis season. With the fatigue of 10 months of action being in position, the world number seven hoped all was well in her return to the desert. Svitolina tried to overcome her defeat at the US Open but came up short in her trip back to Chicago. Martincova got the jump on action at Indian Wells and went on to finish a long second set against Ashlyn Krueger to make the second round. As her first appearance had her moving right along, it would be imperative for her to play tough and achieve an upset if Svitolina gave her any leverage. 

The Ukrainian played on Martincova’s struggling opening service that produced the break. She comfortably held serve in the second and was back in position to wreak havoc on the Czech. A push from the fourth seed put Martincova under pressure that resulted in a double fault putting her two breaks down. Svitolina used her power and precision to comfortably finish another game on serve and lead 4-0 on a line drive return. 

After being blitzed through the set, the 26-year-old held serve to get on the board but watched Svitolina lead 5-2 after her second hold of serve. The Ukrainian took her shot to serve for the set in the eighth and rushed to victory in 24 minutes, shutting Martincova out. Svitolina won 92 percent of points from the first serve and won more points from the second serve return. Martincova’s return game was dismal along with the second serve that caused her to run late. 

She came into the second set with a heavy improvement that was answered by a serve to love from Svitolina. She went on to break the Czech but suffered a double fault in the fourth that handed her opponent a break to love. Martincova leveled the score and went into the fifth, fighting for a chance at consolidating the break. They went to deuce where after four breaks, Martincova read a moment where Svitolina’s vulnerability was her window to lead for the first time in the match. 

Svitolina made sure to level the score in the sixth and fought Martincova’s service game. She denied the 26-year-old game point, forced deuce, and set up a lined winning return to lead 4-3. Martincova broke back in the eighth, determined to stay tight with the fourth seed and make it a battle to the end. The Czech built together a serve to love in the ninth that set up a chance to force a deciding set. Svitolina delivered a blistering service game that made it five-all and Martincova back on serve. 

Svitolina kept the heat on her opponent and fired four beautiful return shots that won her the 11^th game and an opportunity to hang on to a straight-set result. She allowed the Czech one point on her service that completed the match with Svitolina scoring her only ace of the day.  It was a 68-minute effort from the fourth seed, who scored 80 percent of points from the first serve and had a steady return game than that of her opponent. 

Emma Raducanu stuns Belinda Bencic to enter first US Open semifinal

Emma Raducanu was all smiles after her straight-sets win over Belinda Bencic at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic watched her game flatten and take her out of the US Open Wednesday. 18-year-old Emma Raducanu, burst the offense of the 11^th seed in straight sets to advance to her first major semifinal with a 6-3, 6-4 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. Her first serve dominated the Olympic tennis champion, who couldn’t find a way to overcome the early deficit. 

The Swiss star eyed a place back in the semifinal since 2019 in her first clash with the Brit, who had nothing to lose. The 18-year-old hasn’t dropped a single set since she began qualifications and sits on a seven-match winning streak. In that time, she lost 15 games which were the fewest since Serena did so in 2013. As the youngest Brit left in the woman’s draw in 46 years, Raducanu had to bring together her return game which bests Bencic in the tournament to date. The 11^th seed loves frustration and proved so during her 26-point tiebreak with Iga Swiatek. Whatever Raducanu brought to the table, Bencic would not back down unless absolutely necessary. 

The Brit had the nerves to deal with and missed her chance to score well on three shots. Bencic also had a hiccup with a double fault before the second point went to the teen. She shrugged it off and came through with a sweep of the remaining points. Raducanu got on the board but trailed the Olympic gold medalist by a game after another service hold. The 11^th seed went back to serve in the sixth, but her first serve was underperforming, resulting in her second double fault. Another error kicked the break over to the British teen, who looked to back up her achievement. 

She made it 4-3 and once again broke Bencic in the eighth to go for it all in the ninth. Raducanu held the Swiss star to a single point before taking the first set in 36 minutes. The service points won were well in the hands of the Brit, who nailed down 73 percent and recorded 13 winners to Bencic’s four. With the offense sitting well with the teen, she looked good to give Bencic further challenges going on. 

Bencic read and understood the pace that Raducanu put together and held to open the second. She gave Raducanu a battle with three breakpoint chances but was held off on the second break of deuce. The Swiss star scored a serve to love in the third, but couldn’t dig into the Brit’s service game for a break. She answered by breaking Bencic, who went back to her bench and slammed her racket down in anger. 

After the British teen jumped back to a two-game buffer, she went into the seventh double-faulting for the fourth time but managed to hold serve. Raducanu kept her pace tight to score another win on serve and play for her first major semifinal. Bencic tried to pull everything together and avoid giving her the win on serve. Raducanu gave her an error into the net for the game point which she delivered on an ace down the T. The Brit served for the match in the tenth, got behind by two points but came through to win in 1 hour and 21 minutes. 

Leylah Fernandez upsets Elina Svitolina in three sets at US Open

Leylah Fernandez clenches her first during the quarterfinals against Elina Svitolina at the US Open. 

Elina Svitolina was cut short of returning to where she left off at the US Open Tuesday. The 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez, who took down two giants of tennis added another in her 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Canadian used her youth and speed to outduel the fifth seed and enter her first major semifinal. 

The Canadian has been on a run like no other in New York. Her huge wins over Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber in consecutive fashion left the 19-year-old in another win-win situation against Svitolina. The two met last year in Monterrey where she challenged the Ukrainian and would use all the tools to defeat another top 20 player. The world number five carried an eight-match winning streak and had yet to drop a set, meaning she would focus and execute the offense that would move her back into the semifinal since 2019. 

Fernandez opened the match with great service while allowing Svitolina a point. The fifth seed answered back with a serve to love, but in the third, her attempts to catch the teen off guard were spoiled. Fernandez reacted well to Svitolina’s next return by placing herself in front of the net for the easy game win. The Ukrainian leveled to continue her service grip while waiting for her moment to strike against the Canadian teen. 

In the sixth, it was the Canadian doing so on Svitolina when errors by the fifth seed brought Fernandez to deuce. On the second break, the two got into a rally that saw the 19-year-old forcing Svitolina to the corners before a winner clinched the first break of the set. Fernandez stepped up on serve in the seventh, keeping her opponent running and dictating the ball to lead 5-2. Of the last 15 points, the Canadian won 12 of them which woke up Svitolina to change the pace. In the eighth game down 0-30, the 26-year-old drew errors to extend the set. 

It ended in the hands of Fernandez, who had to fight back Svitolina on deuce but found the decisive factor on a long return from the Ukrainian to end the set in 38 minutes. The Canadian was the lone player being aggressive on court and her 13 winners to Svitolina’s four said a lot about how well she took down the seeded star. She played better in long rallies winning 21 points and with another set to win, the 19-year-old still had a high amount of energy. 

Svitolina knew she had to step things up and served Fernandez to love. The Canadian held with two points going to the world number five but still clean from a break. Despite committing a double fault, the 26-year-old powered through to keep ahead of the Canadian. A big offensive gave Svitolina three break points which held for a 3-1 jump. 

A serve to love added a third win for the fifth seed, who had Fernandez trailing and didn’t let up. With another break in hand, Svitolina served to bring up the third set but watched Fernandez break her back and continue fighting. The teen opened up a 40-0 stand on serve, clinching it on the fifth point, putting her two games from leveling. Svitolina served once more for the set only to see Fernandez challenge with three break-point chances. Once she denied the teen every opportunity, the fifth seed got the second closed out in 38 minutes with a crosscourt ace. 

The first serve improved on shots and points won by Svitolina, who had three aces and limited the errors down to four. Fernandez played her third consecutive three-setter and left the court for a break before returning to get the decider underway. 

The Canadian got herself out front with a hold of serve, denying Svitolina a chance to break. The fifth seed followed suit but not for a second service game which Fernandez won on a strategy that paid off for a 3-1 lead. The Ukrainian broke back with all her efforts after a double fault from the teen kept her close enough to get the jump needed. Fernandez didn’t give her that shot in the sixth, scoring the double break of Svitolina to play for a three-game lead in the eighth. 

She achieved it easily with her level of tennis breaking Svitolina, who was so frustrated by her inability to get on pace with the teenager. With an important service game to stay in the match, the fifth seed watched an easy winner from Fernandez find its mark. She forced an error before landing a sliced winner for the lead. Fernandez answered back with a line drive for 30-all eight before Svitolina landed her sixth ace. She got it on her seventh that put her two back with the hope of breaking the Canadian. 

Fernandez continued to whip last-second returns at the fifth seed and inched closer to the match point. Svitolina was the first to reach a breakpoint and smashed a finish to the rally with only one game standing between her and a tie. Determined to get into control, the 26-year-old dug n on serve to contain the tenth and push Fernandez into submission. The teen wasn’t getting into a good position and despite having to play beyond the first break of deuce, she got it done on a winner at Svitolina’s left to play for the match. 

The Ukrainian had one last service to make count against the Canadian but messed up a backhand return. She had a 30-15 lead but overcame a double fault to reach a game point. She clinched a chance for a tiebreak with Fernandez’s return landing wide of the court to go to a thrilling conclusion. With more experience, Svitolina hoped to conduct her own symphonic ender, but the first point went to the Canadian. She bounced back to level it only to see Fernandez paint the line to end her service. 

The 19-year-old opened the gap only to see Svitolina close it on an error into the net on the eighth point. Svitolina held back on the forehand that ended up in the set, giving Fernandez the lead back. She drew an error from the Canadian to make it five-all and on the 11^th point, the 19-year-old put herself at match point with an incredible line return. Fernandez took it on a long ball from Svitolina to end a 2 hour and 24-minute nail-biter.  

Belinda Bencic scores upset over Iga Swiatek in straight sets at US Open

Belinda Bencic waves to the crowd after her hard-fought win in straight sets over Iga Swiatek at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic found a way to be steady under tremendous challenges to make her way into the quarterfinal of the US Open Monday. A 23 minute first set tiebreak helped the Swiss miss defeat Iga Swiatek in straight sets 7-6(14), 6-3 on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was a huge win for Bencic, who took a past result and brought together a huge upset. 

The two met at the start of the season with the Polish star controlling the match, allowing Bencic only four games in her straight-sets championship win. While it didn’t spell future problems for the 12^th seed, who wanted to add a slam to her Olympic gold medal, the 24-year-old needed her best to come against the former French Open champion. Swiatek played two sets more than Bencic as her quest to continue was challenged in the last two matches. With Bencic being a formidable opponent, the 20-year-old had to prevent the world number 12 from pushing the limits. 

Bencic took the lead on an early break that kept Swiatek back and allowed her to score the break. The Swiss star backed up the break with a good hold of serve, allowing the Pole one point in the second. Swiatek pulled out all the stops to hold serve and on deuce, she achieved every AD point (five) until the last one clinched her first win. Bencic answered the seventh seed’s efforts with a shutout for a 3-1 lead. 

Bencic tried to extend her lead to three games but despite a 0-40 gap, Swiatek struck back to force deuce and again play every AD point until she won. Bencic made sure that she remained focused and held her end of the court and stayed ahead. By the end of the ninth, Swiatek stayed within reach but had to break the Swiss to push the set deeper. Her fight allowed her to pressure Bencic into submission and get into a position on serving for the lead. 

Drawing errors from the 24-year-old helped her reach two game points and watch Bencic return into the net. The Swiss had a shot at forcing a tiebreak on serve but had to prevent a breakpoint for the set from Swiatek. With deuce in play, Bencic fired an ace down the T for the AD point and moved the two players into a tiebreak. The seventh seed got on the board first, but the next point went 15 shots before Bencic placed the ball for a winner. 

Swiatek went on to take the next three points while adding pressure to the 24-year-old. The Pole put a tough return into the net and suffered another on a popped ball off of it. A long return from the seventh seed made it five-all for Bencic, who saw the chance to take the lead and did it on a crosscourt slice that came back long. With her chance for set point, the 11^th seed blew it with a big error to make it six-all. They made it to eight points each with each player denying the other on set point. After 26 points played, it was the 11^th seed making it through on an error from Swiatek into the net ending an 84-minute battle. 

Bencic finished the set with a better output on first-serve points won and won more points near the net. Producing set points from her end did the trick during the critical moments to go into the second with her head held high. Bencic held serve with Swiatek following behind with a shutout in the second. In the third, Bencic beat herself up when she struggled to capture the hold of serve. After Swiatek forced deuce, she gained a breakpoint but was shut down from gaining the lead. 

Bencic took it home on the second break and followed it up with a break of the Pole. After the fifth, the 11^th seed got a jump on the score with a service hold that made it 4-1 in her benefit.  Swiatek had a hole to climb out of and did so while preventing Bencic from forcing deuce. Bencic made good to keep the Pole back and hold a critical service game that set her up to play for the match in the eighth. 

The seventh seed stopped her from getting it done on her serve, moving Bencic into serving it out herself. Back-to-back winners put her up to 33 on the day and match point in hand. Despite one shot going long, she clinched her spot in the last eight with a return from Swiatek landing into the tramlines to complete the upset in two hours and six minutes. 

“The set was so even so I think in the tiebreak it’s always about having luck so I’m very happy that I won the tiebreak otherwise it would be more difficult and got to start the second set more relaxed,” Bencic said after her match. 

She’ll try to bring some relaxation into the last eight where she’ll face the winner between Shelby Rogers or Emma Raducanu. 

Barbora Krejcikova extends her run at the US Open destructing Garbine Muguruza.

Barbora Krejcikova clenched her fist during a hard straight sets fight with Garbine Muguruza at the US Open. 

Garbine Muguruza gave it a great fight but came up short at the US Open early Monday morning. Barbora Krejcikova used the time to keep herself in check during a thrilling two-set match that saw her come through 6-3, 7-6(4) at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It became her fourth win that continued her maiden run in the final slam. 

This season has been an active battle between the two superstars of the sport. With action on the hard courts, both Muguruza and Krejcikova earned wins over one another. The Czech managed to even the series with the Spaniard in Cincinnati, taking three sets to do so. With a lot on the line for the two, Muguruza would try to supersede her 2017 personal best in New York or allow the world number nine inch closer to taking a second slam championship. 

The Czech opened service with calm and focus to handle the situation and hold service. She moved into the second with redirects of the ball during rallies and a couple of drawn errors that gave her the break. She went on to back both of those wins together and sit in a commanding 3-0 lead. Knowing that she had to avoid the double break, Muguruza dug in to get to deuce against the eighth seed and hold serve after a break. 

The door remained open for the Spaniard, who found her groove but continued to deal with a challenge from Krejcikova. After three breaks, it was a good run to the net that helped the 27-year-old capture a break and serve to tie the score. Muguruza got behind the ball better in the sixth that saw her finish it with an ace. With the comeback a success, the Spaniard attacked the second serve of Krejcikova, who was rattled with errors but managed to dig herself out and end her opponent’s winning streak. 

The 25-year-old made a huge statement in the eighth when she pulled off a shutout of the former world number one before going for the set on serve in the next. Krejcikova worked Muguruza away from the final shot during rallies. The Spaniard fought to force deuce, but the Czech refused to panic and held firm on her end to take the first in 37 minutes. Of the 18 winners recorded, Krejcikova made 11 of them with 76 percent of points in on the first serve. Despite the weakening second serve, getting a leg up on Muguruza was an important moment when going into the second set. 

Muguruza opened the set with errors and her first double fault that allowed Krejcikova to change the pace. With deuce forced by the Czech, the 25-year-old achieved breakpoint, notching her fourth game win. In the second, the crowd quieted to a pin drop while Muguruza struggled to gain any momentum. She fired too many balls behind the baseline and handed Krejcikova the double break on a return square at the net. 

The Czech added another hold to win her seventh against Muguruza, which put her two games from finishing the match. Muguruza played one point at a time with each point that she won applause from the crowd. It led to her getting a victory on serve that ended the seven-game slide and figure a way to tie it. Catching her opponent off guard resulted in a break back for the ninth seed.

With a second win under her belt, Muguruza served the seventh only to hit the ball long too much. Drawing errors from the Czech, the 27-year-old forced deuce from 0-40 down and scored an important service that put her a game down. The eighth game had a fight for dictating the point and who the first to make a mistake would be. After two breaks, it was Muguruza coming through to overcome the deficit and make her push matter. 

She achieved another hold of serve in the ninth that put Krejcikova in a tight spot to overcome her opponent or face a deciding set. The eighth-seeded Czech battled Muguruza through every point that went to deuce. It was a fight for consistency with each of them having half the power to gain control. After four breaks, Krejcikova found a way to seal up the two key points that made it five-all. 

Before the 11^th, the 25-year-old called for the trainer to check out an issue in her midsection, indicating that she might have trouble breathing. She took a medical timeout off the court for evaluation and returned after eight and a half minutes. When she served in the 12^th, the Czech clinched the victory with ease that sent them to a set tiebreak. It was there that she took a 3-0 lead on errors from Muguruza. 

It was becoming clear that the 25-year-old was taking advantage of the time between points which caused the crowd to boo. Krejcikova remained ahead through six points and moved the Spaniard all over before moving up 5-2. Muguruza caught a break on a net bounce and then sat a point down with a line drive winner. An error brought up a match point for the Czech, who drew a final error from Muguruza to end the night with a straight-set result in 1 hour and 53 minutes.  

Elina Svitolina hammers out Simona Halep in straight sets at US Open

Elina Svitolina clenches her first during a fourth-round match with Simona Halep at the US Open. 

Elina Svitolina smashed away on the court to glide into the quarterfinals of the US Open Sunday. Simona Halep tried to fight her way through the Ukrainian, who held her ground from start to finish and find herself out in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was her first win against the Romanian in slam competition and her second straight appearance in the last eight. 

The two ignited their rivalry for the 11^th time and the first in two years. The Ukrainian leveled the series at the WTA Final that made a statement for her loss in the semifinals at Wimbledon the same year. With a spot in the quarterfinal on the line in New York, both top 20 players would prepare to dig in against one another for a showdown. While Svitolina had an easy win against Daria Kasatkina, Halep fought for her tournament life. A lengthy tiebreak in the opening set that she managed to win kept her in a clash with Elena Rybakina until she pulled away in three sets. With the ability to stay tight in key situations, the Romanian expected to see many more in her battle with the world number five. 

Svitolina breezed through her opening service, allowing Halep just one point in the first game. The Romanian didn’t have it easy against the fifth seed, who forced deuce only to be denied a chance to produce breakpoint. The 12^th seed took her chance in the third when she jumped for a breakpoint against Svitolina and succeeded. Backing the win on serve was not to be as the 26-year-old pressured Halep, moving her around the court and finding the easy points. With the pace even on both sides of the court, Svitolina backed up the break to return to holding serve. 

Halep followed suit with a shutout over Svitolina to level the score after the sixth game. Just when it looked as if she would get a leg on the Ukrainian, errors began to rattle the 29-year-old. The free points got Svitolina to deuce and saved her from giving up another game. She served up a big hit on the 12^th seed, breaking her easily in the eighth to serve for the set. Svitolina allowed Halep one point on serve in the ninth before capping the set in 34 minutes. 

Errors were costly for the 29-year-old to commit despite only recording a dozen, it affected her service that was finding points less than 60 percent of the time. The Romanian regrouped in the second by holding serve in the first game and give it her best competitive spirit to challenge Svitolina. The Ukrainian got the edge needed on serve to contain the second game and keep Halep trailing. 

Errors rattled Halep once again with a double fault becoming part of the problem. Svitolina handled her end while the 29-year-old handed her another break. With the 2-1 lead, the Ukrainian nearly had a two-game gap, but a bad hit off the racket followed by her first double-faulted opened the door for Halep. A good run for the ball allowed her to catch the 26-year-old asleep in the middle of the court to even the score after four. 

Halep gained confidence and comfort in her service that pushed her ahead in the fifth. Svitolina wasn’t going to let her get away and held serve in the sixth to push the 12^th seed back. She fought through every point in the seventh that resulted in a huge break for the fifth seed. She held serve in the eighth to play for a shot at a spot in the quarterfinal with Halep under pressure. Svitolina drew a forced error from the 29-year-old, who answered back with a great lob near the net. 

She overcame the deficit with an ace down the T that forced deuce, but didn’t stop the inevitable from coming. After a net-front crosscourt winner, the Ukrainian was gifted the victory with a Halep return into the net to finish beautifully in 1 hour and 16 minutes. 

“It was a great match,” said Svitolina during her on-court interview. “I was excited going into this because I know how big of a fighter Simona is and I had to bring my best game today. I think it was a great match and I really enjoyed it and am extremely happy with the win.”  Standing in her way would be either former US Open champion Angelique Kerber or 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who took out 2020 champion Naomi Osaka 

Garbine Muguruza edges Victoria Azarenka in thrilling three setter at the US Open

 

Garbine Muguruza clenches her fist during a heavily contested match with Victoria Azarenka during the third round of the US Open. 

Garbine Muguruza finished strong to get into the round of 16 at the US Open Friday. The former world number one ousted three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka in a three-set battle resulting in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was her second win on the hard courts against the 32-year-old and the third overall. 

The two superstars met for the fourth time and first this season which made up for the Belorussian’s withdraw in Doha. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Spaniard wanted to get another hard-court win against the 32-year-old and move into the second week. Neither one had dropped a set so far in the tournament, but in a match with two highly skilled players, there was bound to be a tight battle to every business end of every set. 

The 18^th seed went another direction and fired away at the Spaniard to seal down her opening service. Muguruza didn’t have the best start, committing errors that handed Azarenka three breakpoints. The ninth seed saved two of them, but it was an unforced error that gave her opponent a 2-0 jump. The Belorussian double-faulted in the third but climbed back to even things at 30-all. Her serve toss into the sun continued to be a problem that led to Muguruza scoring the break. 

The Spaniard had to work hard for the hold of serve when Azarenka forced deuce but was denied the AD point twice. With the score tied, the 32-year-old needed two breaks on deuce to get her service game locked. Muguruza was dug in well and sealed the win in the sixth to keep the score level after six games. It remained deadlocked through the next pair of games, but in the ninth game, Muguruza took control on a critical error. The Spaniard had her chance with the breakpoint in hand, scoring the 5-4 lead with a chance to serve for the set. 

The ninth performed beautifully with two ruthless shots that forced errors out of Azarenka. The 18^th seed committed an unforced error that gave Muguruza three set points, but her next shot fell just long of the line. Despite letting one set point get away, Muguruza landed an ace to close out the set in 48 minutes. The Spaniard had 17 winners to Azarenka’s six and bested the Belorussian on first serve and return points. 

Knowing that she was beaten at the end, Azarenka regrouped to start very well in the second set. After holding off Muguruza from gaining a break on her service late in the first, she went into the second, finding breakpoints late. With a break in hand, the 18^th seed scored a shutout over the Spaniard to lead 3-0. The 18^th seed achieved the double break in a set that was all in her hands. Muguruza made a serious change to that in the fifth when she broke back to end the slide and cause the Belorussian to slam her racket to the floor. 

Despite the loss of shutting out Muguruza, she added a third break to her success in the set and earned the chance to force a third on her serve. Azarenka fell behind in the seventh game but got to deuce on a long ball return from the Spaniard. A double fault gave Muguruza the AD breakpoint but was not in place when her opponent painted a winner on the tramline. She blew her second chance to get into set point position but another error cost her, putting Muguruza three games down. 

The 27-year-old continued her climb back, scoring another game on serve that put her two away from a tie with Azarenka again in search of a finish to the second stanza. She had the ninth seed off key in the ninth where she executed two drop shots and forced an error off Muguruza to serve for set point. The ninth seed was in a better place on court to volley a winner and save one, but getting another was out of the question. The two got into a scrappy volley rally near the net where a winner for Azarenka gave her the win that took 45 minutes to complete. 

The 32-year-old improved on her serve percentages and scored more winners than Muguruza, who fell apart at the seams of her offense with four double faults recorded. With the third set left to play, one of them was to remain steady to enter the second week. Muguruza was first to act, scoring terrific winners that zipped by the Belorussian. In response, the 18^th seed dug in to hold serve and work through the motions in the fourth to stay close. 

The sixth was a competitive game between the two as they fought one another for the AD point through four breaks. On her second breakpoint, Muguruza won it on a backhand error from Azarenka. With balls in hand, the Spaniard put it all out on the court with a pair of winners and an ace before getting the shutout. With a 5-2 stance against the 18^th seed, she came into the eighth with a crosscourt winner to begin scoring. 

Muguruza took the next two points on an error and double fault from the Belorussian. Azarenka followed things up with an ace, but her efforts were cut short. Despite gaining a second ace in the game, Muguruza forced deuce and captured match point on the AD point. The 27-year-old got herself into the round of 16 on a double fault that finished the match in 2 hours and 14 minutes. 

The win put her in a spot that she had reached only once (2017) and would give it her all on Sunday when she faces the winner of Barbora Krejcikova or Kamilla Rakhimova. 

Belinda Bencic rallies big in straight sets over Martina Trevisan

Belinda Bencic had her eyes well on every serve during her second-round match at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic was full of focus on the tennis court that helped moved her forward at the US Open Thursday. The Olympic champion of tennis won nine games in a row before winning her match against Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was her third straight win over a left-handed player, which did not seem to bother the 11^th seed.  

Bencic’s win over Arantxa Rus was a good stepping stone to prep for another new opponent, who managed to make her first appearance of the tournament count with a win. The Italian got the best of Coco Vandeweghe early in the match before hanging on in the second set to close out the American. With the ability to pull off a late push, Trevisan would have to hope that the reigning Olympic gold medalist gave her that opportunity. The Swiss star made it to the third round in all but one of her visits to New York and with a focus against new players, it would be the start and control of her offense that would determine their fates. 

Trevisan opened service and watched how well Bencic read her shots. The Italian soaked up what her opponent was using and managed to force deuce. It only went a break before the 11^th seed clinched the fourth breakpoint of the game. The Swiss star served easily for a 2-0 run before going back to pressure the Italian. The 27-year-old had to fight to force deuce on serve but struggled to get Bencic out of the groove of returning every one of her shots. It took a second break to get the AD point on her end and get on the scoreboard. 

Bencic kept the serve consistent while denying Trevisan any leverage to get into a position to break. For the Italian, it was another fight to deuce to hold serve, but her doing so put the gap to a single game after five. Bencic opened the door for the 27-year-old as the second serve came apart, bringing a massive amount of frustration to the Swiss. Trevisan gained her first breakpoint and scored it on an error from the 11^th seed. 

With the score tied, the Italian had a chance to take over the lead on serve but flopped her chance on the second serve. Relieved, Bencic jumped at the chance with gifted breakpoints and serve for a chance to open the gap. She put together four unanswered points in response, setting up a shot to end the set herself. Bencic landed a return winner, drew an error from her opponent, and earned set point on a Trevisan double fault. With the Italian all but out, she closed out the set with a shot wide into the tramlines that ended play in 44 minutes. 

Despite having two double faults, keeping the first serve in check was important for the 11^th seed who had a dismal second but did well at the net and produced only five errors in total. Trevisan had it worse which helped Bencic take her 10-point streak into the next set. The Swiss made it to 12 consecutive points before the Italian put an end to it. She failed to turn things around for a break that allowed the Swiss to cap her fourth straight. She added two more wins for a break and hold that put her up 3-0 on Trevisan, who was slowly coming apart. 

Bencic marched closer as her confidence was at 100 percent, painting the open spots on the court where Trevisan wasn’t. With another break in hand, Bencic moved into place with another shutout, leaving the Italian to stave off the bagel or extend the second set. Bencic made it difficult with her full response on returned shot and delivered a winner to reach match point. A return landing wide of the line brought Trevisan to deuce where she dug in to play three breaks and score the AD point winner. Despite losing out on bageling Trevisan, Bencic made good of her service game, reaching three unanswered points. The 11^th seed made her third point count with a swing and a miss from Trevisan that pushed her into the third round after 1 hour and 11 minutes invested.  

I felt good on the court but it wasn’t easy because the wind blew on one side of the court and then you played against it from the other side,” said Bencic after the match. “That was a little bit tricky but after yesterday’s weather I’m happy that the sun was shining.” When asked about whether she wanted a fourth straight left-hander to go against, the Swiss star chuckled with a response with either Jessica Pegula or Misaki Doi being her next opponent. 

Victoria Azarenka fights her way to a straight sets win over Jasmine Paolini at the US Open

 

Victoria Azarenka expressed her competitive spirit on the court against Jasmine Paolini in the third round of the US Open. 

Victoria Azarenka worked hard to make sure she advanced at the US Open Wednesday. The three-time finalist was tested in the second set by Jasmine Paolini, who pressed the Belorussian to earn her 6-3, 7-6(1) victory on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. 

The Italian had the odds stacked against her more than her opening round at the Open. Facing Azarenka, who was last year’s finalist and put up a strong win over Tereza Martincova was to be an immeasurable task. The 25-year-old confidence got a jump in her second appearance at the slam, making it past the first round. Though the Italian didn’t have a forehand that could match the Belorussian, handling the serve of a former world number one was the key to her coming through with an upset or falling hard and out. 

Paolini opened service and managed to hold against Azarenka, but once the 32-year-old got the balls in hand, she was cocked and locked. The Belorussian cruised through her service and followed into the third, breaking Paolini. She made it three in a row with a service hold in the fourth, but the Italian put her opponent’s winning streak to rest. Feeling settled in, Paolini took the next two games to keep close with Azarenka and not let her run away. 

Azarenka held in the eighth, ready to put the pressure on the 25-year-old and close the first. Gaining two set points, the former world number one played a rally and set up a winner that pained the line to complete the set in 32 minutes. The Italian’s second serve was non-existent in the set, making it a vulnerable problem that led to the early result. 

She followed suit with Azarenka in the second, but the difficulty was still in fine form against her on court. Though she broke the Belorussian after holding in the second, the 31-year-old broke back and made it a 3-2 advantage. Paolini went down another game with her second serve having won a single point so far. She worked the good parts of her game to break Azarenka back and keep her within reach. 

The Italian held on tight during her service in the eighth and score a victory that leveled them at four-all. Azarenka got out of a dramatic finish to the ninth game when she forced Paolini to err and lead 5-4. The pressure was all on the Italian, as she stayed neck and neck with Azarenka until an error brought up match point for the 18^th seed. The Belorussian hit a return long of the baseline that instead took the two to deuce. 

Paolini painted her shot accurately near the far sideline before she scored a winner on the next rally to level the score once more at five-all. The Italian was hitting the forehand harder and with confidence, that was above her size. A couple of hits got away from her that led Azarenka to move ahead 6-5, hoping that she could stop a tiebreak from coming into play. The 12^th was a fight for the two with the Italian playing as the stronger of the two. 

Azarenka tried to break into position for match point, but her second attempt was all she got and Paolini wouldn’t give it to her. After four breaks and nearly nine minutes of play, the 25-year-old pressed the Belorussian into a tiebreak for a shot at sending them the distance. The 18th seed carried an advantage going into a tiebreak as she had the experience handling her Italian opponent. She took the first three points and force an error from Paolini for a fourth. The Italian won the fifth point to get on the board, but Azarenka answered with a net-front smash. They switched sides where the 18^th seed scored back-to-back points on errors from Paolini that earned her a place in the third round. 

 “It was important to play well because she was making some unbelievable shots so I really had to hang in there and try to make opportunities and take them away from her,” said Azarenka after the match. “I felt like I had some to close it out but she played well and felt that I could do a little bit better and I’m glad that I finished really strong.” 

It was a 1 hour and 44-minute battle against an Italian, who made some incredible returns and made her mark on the world stage to be a future threat. For Azarenka, she would not get a break as she moved into Friday facing Garbine Muguruza. “Sometimes it’s easier to play someone you know than someone you don’t so I think it’s just one match at a time, and it will be exciting for both of us.”

Elina Svitolina finishes Masarova in straight sets at the US Open

Elina Svitolina swung well during her second-round match against Rebeka Masarova at the US Open.

Elina Svitolina showed that consistency was key for a quick win at the US Open Wednesday. The fifth seed handled a short rain delay, and Rebeka Masarova, who fell under pressure in a 6-2, 7-5 score on court 17 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Ukrainian won 91 percent of first-serve points and 21 winners down to coast to another win in New York. 

The world number five faced the world number 231 for the first time yet carried an advantage over the Spaniard, who went deep in her match against Anna Bogdan to win. The Ukrainian didn’t exert herself much on one day’s rest in her win over Rebecca Marino Monday. With that standing out well against her next opponent, Masarova needed plenty in the tank if she wanted to be as competitive as she was in the first round. 

Both players breezed through the first four games of the set until the Ukrainian made her push for control. A key break for Svitolina in the fifth chipped away at Masarova, who quickly fell two games by the end of the sixth. The fifth seed was in cruise control on serve quickly getting the seventh done and dusted to lead 5-2. Serving for the set didn’t prove easy as some returns across to Masarova fell wide to eventually bring up deuce. She didn’t let it bother her as her third set point attempt saw her find the open court with the Spaniard moving away, closing the set with a winner in 26 minutes. 

Masarova opened the second set with an important hold that she would build upon against Svitolina. While the Ukrainian had a better output from her offense, Masarova used every skill she had to win service games and maintain a tight set going forward. Eight games were played, with Svitolina winning three shutouts, but the break chance continued to elude her. She had a chance in the ninth on the first break of deuce, but despite producing another, the Spaniard closed her down to take a 5-4 lead. The pressure was on the world number five to hold her end or face another set. 

Svitolina made it five in a row from her end of the court to keep Masarova in her sights and wait for a mistake. She got them in the 11^th with two breakpoints for the win when suddenly the rain fell on the court that suspended play. The two returned to action after 28 minutes, with Svitolina playing for the break. A double fault was how the match resumed for Masarova, who made it her first, opening the door for the Ukrainian to end the match on her terms. 

Svitolina put the pressure on pushing the Spaniard back from any good return position. She scored an ace for 30-0 and fired a long crosscourt for an error. Despite the small hiccup, Masarova gave the 26-year-old two match points, which she handled on a crosscourt to her opponent’s left-hand side to cap the day in 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

With a good handle of her game, and finishing before the heavy rain fell, Svitolina set herself for Friday facing either Olympic silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova or Daria Kasatkina. 

Garbine Muguruza gets key win over Petkovic at US Open

Garbine Muguruza clenches her first during her second-round match against Andrea Petkovic at the US Open. 

Garbine Muguruza finally got the best of a tough competitor at the US Open Wednesday. Andrea Petkovic brought a lot of effort on the court against the Spaniard but gave in to a 6-4, 6-2 result on Louis Armstrong Court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was the first win for the Spaniard against Petkovic to earn an advance to the third round for the first time since 2017. 

Both players met for the fourth time and first at a grand slam tournament. Though it’s been five years since their last face-off, Muguruza came into the second round with a three-match slide against the German. After putting a lot of effort into defeating Donna Vekic in lengthy straight sets, going against Petkovic wouldn’t be easier. The 33-year-old had to work hard for her win in straight sets against Irina Camelia Begu Monday that placed her in the crosshairs of the former world number one. With this being their fourth meeting on hard courts, a small change could benefit Muguruza and give her much to smile about. 

The Spaniard went on the defensive against Petkovic’s service to force deuce. They went two breaks where Muguruza earned AD points twice for the break and got it done. Her offense struggled in the second, giving the German three breakpoints. She managed to save one, land a forehand winner for another and get to deuce on a forehand error from Petkovic. 

A missed net-front shot from Muguruza nearly cost her but a good handle in the next rally kept it going. Three breaks were played until the ninth seed handled the finish of Petkovic to make it 2-0. A double break on Petkovic put Muguruza in a terrific spot as her heavy hitting of the ball overwhelmed the German. With good momentum, the Spaniard let it slip up and get Petkovic on the board with a break back. 

The 33-year-old backed it up with an important hold to put her a game down of the Spaniard. Muguruza answered her with a win back on serve that put her a game from the set. Petkovic knew that every game from her side of the court was key and made it 5-4 with her efforts. Muguruza earned three set points on errors from Petkovic, who made a push to recover lost ground and forced deuce. Petkovic suffered a bad hit that fell just long of the baseline and another error that handed the Spaniard the first set in 51 minutes. 

Petkovic opened the second set with a highly competitive stance on her end, but couldn’t match the energy that Muguruza contained. They went to deuce, where it was another costly error that the German wore to hand the ninth seed the break. Muguruza built a strong run of wins against Petkovic, who gave all her efforts to try and win in her defeats. Sitting a double break down, the 33-year-old had a shot to break back and clinched the lone win on a long baseline return from Muguruza. 

When it looked as if the ninth seed would breeze by with another break back, she watched the German claw back to force deuce, finding her winning moments. Despite the work put in, it was a forehand into the net that inevitably gave Muguruza the 4-1 stand. In the sixth, the German pushed herself to get a jump on the 27-year-old and wait for the error that gave her another break back. 

Petkovic’s chance for momentum went sour when she committed a critical error that gave Muguruza the penultimate fifth win that set her to serve for the match. The Spaniard grabbed an ace during her service game, gave up a point, and was then gifted a match point on a forced error from the German. Muguruza couldn’t get it over the net, but her last attempt came on a backhand error from Petkovic ending the day in 1 hour and 29 minutes. 

“It was difficult because we are great friends and train a lot together so it’s never easy when you play against someone you know a lot,” said Muguruza after her match. “We played three times before when I was very young and she was definitely way more experienced and I think I took my chance today, prepared better and I’m a different player and happy that I played well.”

She’ll await the winner of the next match between Jasmine Paolini or Victoria Azarenka on Friday.