NEW YORK: American teenager Coco Gauff qualified for the third round of the US Open on Wednesday after beating 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.

Sixth seed Gauff, one of the favourites for the title after recent tournament wins in Washington and Cincinnati, will meet Belgium’s Elise Mertens or countrywoman Danielle Collins for a place in the last 16.

After a tough opening round against German veteran Laura Siegemund, Gauff dominated the youngest player in the draw to notch a 13th win in 14 matches since losing in the Wimbledon first round.

The 19-year-old defeated Andreeva for the second time in three Grand Slams after winning their French Open clash in the first act of a potentially era-defining rivalry.

“I just learned to be aggressive, because if you give her something she is going to take advantage,” said Gauff, who was taken to three sets by Andreeva at Roland Garros in June.

“I did well today making her play off her back foot. She has a great future in front of her — I think she is going to be back on this stage many more times.”

Up next for Gauff will be a clash with Belgian 32nd seed Elise Mertens, who was a 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 winner over American Danielle Collins in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Also reaching the third round was Swiss 15th seed Belinda Bencic, who beat Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3, 6-3, while American Taylor Townsend knocked out Brazilian 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.

On Tuesday, Carlos Alcaraz got his title defence off to an easy start as inj­u­red German Dominik Koepfer reti­red against the 20-year-old top seed.

Alcaraz, returning to the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he lifted his first Grand Slam as a teenager a year ago, was always in control after Koepfer rolled his left ankle badly in the opening game.

Koepfer tried to continue despite being in obvious discomfort, but finally called it quits while trailing 3-2 in the second set after dropping the first 6-2. Alcaraz will face Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the second round.

Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, recorded a landmark 200th Grand Slam match win as he turned back the clock to beat young Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-5, 6-3.

The 36-year-old Scotsman said he was playing some of the best tennis on a consistent level since 2017. He faces Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the second round.

Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner handily beat German Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 and will play compatriot Lorenzo Sonego next.

Karen Khachanov — a semi-finalist at last year’s US Open — was on the wrong end of a first-round upset. The 11th-seeded Russian was bounced out in straight sets by American world No.89 Michael Mmoh, losing 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Germany’s 12th seed Alexander Zverev, a beaten finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2020, never looked in danger of following Khachanov out of the tournament, registering a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic.

Meanwhile, China sealed a notable first when Wu Yibing beat Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to join compatriot Zhang Zhizhen in the second round.

It is the first time in tennis’s Open era that two Chinese men have reached the second round of the same Grand Slam tournament.

In the women’s draw meanwhile another semi-finalist from 2022 also made an early exit, with French seventh seed Caroline Garcia slumping to a 6-4, 6-1 reverse against Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan.

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukraine-born Belgian Maryna Zanevska to set up a meeting with Britain’s Jodie Burrage.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, seeded ninth in New York, cruised into the second round on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-0 win over South Korean qualifier Han Na-Lae.

Third seed Jessica Pegula meanwhile kept home hopes alive with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Italy’s Camila Giorgi. Pegula will play Romanian Patricia Maria Tig next.

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams came up short of her goal to make it past the opening round for the first time since 2019, losing 6-1, 6-1 to Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen in her 100th US Open match.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023