Aryna Sabalenka delivered a commanding performance at the US Open, dismantling Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes to reach the third round.
The world No.1 dominated with near-perfect serving, winning 15 of 16 first-serve points in the opening set and 21 of 28 overall. Sabalenka, chasing her third consecutive US Open crown, aims to emulate Serena Williams’ 2012-14 streak.
“Happy with the level I played today, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match,” Sabalenka said after her emphatic win.
Third seed Jessica Pegula also advanced swiftly, defeating Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes. “To be out of there in under an hour, it doesn’t always happen,” Pegula remarked.
Persistent rain delays continued to disrupt the tournament, forcing players on outside courts to wait days before completing matches. Spain’s Paula Badosa overcame Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4, while Australia’s Alex de Minaur finally began his campaign with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrea Guerrieri.
“It’s been a couple of tough days. But these tournaments are all about adapting,” de Minaur said.
Organisers scrambled to complete the first round, staging 25 men’s singles matches on Wednesday night. Seeded players including Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, and Karolina Muchova also advanced.
