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Aryna Sabalenka launched the defence of her US Open crown with victory Sunday while Novak Djokovic made a successful start to his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
World number one Sabalenka, bidding to become the first woman to claim back-to-back US Open titles since Serena Williams completed a hat-trick of wins in 2014, was made to work hard en route to a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.
Masarova, ranked 108th in the world, pushed Sabalenka out of her comfort zone with a gutsy performance on the main Arthur Ashe Stadium showcourt at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“Happy to get this win and happy to be in the second round. I feel like I didn’t start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm,” said Sabalenka, who will face unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova.
While Sabalenka advanced safely, Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson tumbled out to Alexandra Eala.
Eala, 20, became the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) win, battling back from a 5-1 deficit in the final set.
Another player from Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, also bagged an upset, ousting Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
“I feel proud to be able to do this for my country,” said Tjen, the first Indonesian since Angelique Widjaja in 2004 to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam singles event.
Tjen, ranked 149th in the world, will face Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the second round.
Raducanu, who made history at Flushing Meadows in 2021 by becoming the first qualifier to lift a Grand Slam title, clinched her first US Open match win since that memorable triumph with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Japan’s Ena Shibahara.
With men’s defending champion Jannik Sinner and rival Carlos Alcaraz not opening their campaigns until Monday and Tuesday, all eyes were on the veteran Serbian star Novak Djokovic in Sunday night’s session on Ashe.
The 38-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win against his unseeded 19-year-old American opponent Learner Tien.
Djokovic raced through the first set but was then forced to save a set point in the second after Tien grew in confidence.
A lengthy medical timeout to treat what looked like a blister on his right foot helped revive Djokovic, and he pulled away to wrap up victory in 2 hours and 25 minutes.
“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy,” Novak Djokovic told the crowd. “Hopefully I can keep it going.”
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