US Open: Top seed Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Sofia Kenin through to Round 2

NEW YORK: Top seed Iga Swiatek overcame a slew of unforced errors to secure her spot in the second round of the US Open with a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory over Russian lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova on Tuesday.

Swiatek, who counts the 2022 US Open among her five Grand Slam titles, converted three of six break-point chances but also racked up 41 unforced errors en route to securing the victory in one hour and 52 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Rakhimova, who was added to the main draw as a lucky loser after another player pulled out with injury, nearly pushed the first-time meeting to a decider but squandered a trio of set points in the second-set tie-break.

Swiatek built a 4-0 double break lead and looked poised to run away with an easy win but Rakhimova consolidated a break to get within a game before Swiatek went on to seal the first set with her third love hold of the match.

The Pole consolidated an early break with another love hold for a 3-1 lead in the second set but suddenly started showing signs of frustration as her shots were off target and Rakhimova refused to back down from the challenge.

Swiatek had a chance to serve out the match but Rakhimova broke to get to 5-5 as the second set went to a tie-break where the Russian jumped ahead 6-3 before a slew of untimely mishits gifted her opponent the match.

The reigning French Open champion will next face Japan's Ena Shibahara, who beat Australia's Daria Saville 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6).

Japan's Naomi Osaka beat 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 on Louis Armstrong Stadium in a rare first round clash between former major champions.

A laser-focussed Osaka held serve throughout and fired nine aces in a surgical takedown to kick-off her return to Flushing Meadows following a maternity leave year off in 2023.

Miscues including six double faults and 21 unforced errors plagued an uneven performance by the hard-hitting Latvian.

Jelena Ostapenko committed six double faults and 21 unforced errors in an uneven performance.

American Sofia Kenin sent former champion Emma Raducanu packing in the first round with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory at the Grandstand.

Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner, put on an aggressive display with six aces and 45 winners to set up a meeting with either Jessica Pegula or Shelby Rogers.

Britain's Raducanu has struggled to recapture the magic of her fairytale run through New York three years ago when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam and she was no match for Kenin's firepower.

Kenin ripped through the opening set by winning six straight games after Raducanu's routine hold, as she fended off all three break points she face with a rowdy crowd cheering her name repeatedly throughout the match.

Raducanu, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, upped her level in the second set and got the critical break in the fifth game.

She broke the American again with a forehand winner to close out the set but then ran out of steam, dropping serve with a double fault in the fifth game of the decider before Kenin went on to seal victory with a hold to love in the final game.

Meanwhile, another Grand Slam champion, No.4 seed Elena Rybakina, also notched a first-round victory on Tuesday night, fending off Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava 6-1, 7-6(1) on the Grandstand.

Rybakina needed 1 hour and 22 minutes to get past Aiava, who was making her US Open main-draw debut and was also playing in her first tour-level main draw of the season.

In the men’s doubles, Ryan Seggerman and Yuki Bhambri beat Patrik Trhac and Albano Olivetti 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round. Agencies

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