The 2021 US Open is already underway and the big-time players in the women’s division have all come to play.
Naomi Osaka’s title defence started off on a great note while her Top 10 colleagues join her in the second round since there are no upsets so far.
All of them are ready to vie for the coveted Grand Slam as well as securing more points to try and move up in the WTA rankings.
This event promises to be an exciting one for tennis aficionados. And as the action continues to heat up at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, read on below to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest US Open 2021 news.
Naomi Osaka was invincible in the first round
Naomi Osaka opened her US Open title defence by overwhelming Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the competition.
The Japanese sensation came hot out of the gates despite heading into this tournament with subpar form after bowing out early in the Tokyo Olympics as well as the Cincinnati Masters few weeks ago.
There were questions on whether an upset is in the cards since she has been bothered by injuries and mental health concerns these past few months. However, as the match the wore on, Osaka was looking like her old self.
Overall, Osaka was quick on her feet and she broke down Bouzkova by notching 34 winners to 24 unforced errors, although the Czech put up a valiant stand particularly in the first set.
Bouzkova was unfazed by Osaka’s superb first serve and she stayed with the defending champion all throughout. But momentum swung towards Osaka’s way when she got the first break point of the night on the point that helped her won the first set.
With the first set in the books, Osaka’s confidence grew even bigger while Bouzkova was slowly fading.
The 23-year-old won seven games in a row, spanning from the end of the first set to the second, but Bouzkova won a game in order to avoid ending up at zero in the second set.
In the end, it was a masterful performance for Naomi Osaka and it only took her 93 minutes to seal her place in the next round.
The No. 3 ranked player holds one of the highest SBOTOP US Open 2021 odds of winning the Grand Slam and she’ll face Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic on Wednesday.
Simona Halep shows no signs of rust
Simona Halep delivered a huge statement victory against 2021 Rogers Cup champion Camila Giorgi, 6-4, 7-6(3) last Monday evening.
The world no. 12, who missed the French Open, Wimbledon, and Tokyo Olympics, looked rejuvenated after being sidelined for some time due to a calf tear.
In the first set, Halep went back and forth against Giorgi to go 4-4 and the turning point came in the ninth game.
With Giorgi serving, Halep quickly took a 30-0 lead in the game which was good enough to go up 5-4. In the following game, the Romanian was solid in the serve by firing two aces to secure the set, 6-4.
The two went at each other once again in the second set as it was pushed to a tiebreaker with the score ending at 6-6.
Momentum was on Giorgi’s side heading into the tiebreaker especially with her equaliser in the second set, but Halep came out strong by scoring the next four points to win the sudden death and the match.
Next up for Simona Halep will be Kristina Kucova, who is having a fine week in New York after coming through the qualifying and winning 7-5, 6-1 against Ann Li in the first round.
Some marquee matches ahead
Day 3 of the US Open will headline some high-profile second round matches. Along with Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep, several top seeds are to be featured too.
No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is going to lock horns with Tamara Zidansek for the third time ever. They are 1-1 in the head-to-heads with Sabalenka winning the most recent match at 2019 Eastbourne.
No. 4 Karolina Pliskova is going to square off against No. 11 Petra Kvitova, while the top-seeded Ashleigh Barty faces 18-year-old Clara Tauson next.
Two Americans will duel at their home court as Sloane Stephens meets Coco Gauff for the first time in a battle of the present and the future.
It will be a clash of contrasting styles as Gauff possesses a strong backhand while Stephens has the superior forehand, and there’s no doubt that this is the matchup to watch out for come Wednesday night.
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