US Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka breezes into 3rd round, Qinwen Zheng progresses
Aryna Sabalenka showed her class once again as she breezed past Italian Lucia Bronzetti to make it to the third round of the US Open 2024 on August 28, Wednesday.
Qinwen Zheng overcame a big scare from Erika Andreeva in the second round on Wednesday to make it to the next one. Sabalenka was in prime form on the day as she was able to defeat Bronzetti in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1 to move to the third round.
Both Sabalenka and Bronzetti was able to hold their service games for the entirety of the set, apart from one break point that the Belarussian was able to get in the 6th game. Sabalenka was able to show off her power game against Bronzetti and ultimately was able to serve and clinch the first set. The second set seemed to be one-way traffic from the beginning as Sabalenka was able to break Bronzetti twice and raced into a 4-0 lead.
While Bronzetti was able to win one game back, it seemed to be a mere consolation in the end as Sabalenka was able to close the game just after the one-hour mark. The Belarussian is currently on a 7-match winning streak, after having won the Cincinnati Open before the tournament at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka will face either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Iva Jovic in the third round.
Zheng overcomes Andreeva
Olympic champion Zheng overcame a tough challenge from Russia’s Erika Andreeva in the second round of the U.S. Open, rallying from a set down to secure a 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2 victory in scorching conditions on Wednesday.
Despite a strong start from Andreeva, who claimed the first set in a tiebreak, Zheng’s powerful serving game proved decisive as she fired 36 winners and 20 aces to turn the match around.
The match began with Zheng struggling, dropping the first two games of the opening set. Although she managed to break back, she remained on the defensive as Andreeva maintained her lead. At 6-5 down, Zheng battled to force a tiebreak, but a third double fault in the set handed Andreeva the momentum, and the 20-year-old Russian capitalized, closing out the set when Zheng’s backhand went wide.
However, Zheng found her groove in the second set, dominating with her first serve and winning five consecutive games from 1-1 to take control of the match. Andreeva’s game faltered as errors crept in, allowing Zheng to level the contest.
The third set saw Andreeva continue to struggle, with one of her returns going so wide it ended up in the crowd. Meanwhile, Zheng’s confidence grew as she piled on winners and aces. By the time Zheng led 5-2, Andreeva’s resistance had faded, and the Chinese number one sealed her place in the third round with two more aces. She will next face Germany’s Jule Niemeier.