Iga Swiatek, the top seed and reigning champion, commenced her quest to defend her US Open title in emphatic fashion as she dismantled Rebecca Peterson. In a parallel storyline, eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari suffered an early exit, marking a disappointing turn of events.
At 22 years of age and boasting four Grand Slam titles. Iga Swiatek showcased her mastery by surrendering a mere eight points while securing the first set to love against Sweden’s Peterson. Despite Peterson managing to register some points early in the second set,
Iga Swiatek’s dominance remained unassailable. The Polish sensation wrapped up an all-encompassing triumph of 6-0, 6-1, achieving victory in just under an hour.
In the aftermath of her resounding win. Swiatek acknowledged her previous semi-final losses in Montreal and Cincinnati earlier that month, which left her feeling a bit drained. Nonetheless, she displayed a remarkable reservoir of energy as she powered through to set up a meeting with Australia’s Daria Saville.
“I was resolute in my aim to execute the tactics I’ve honed and commence the tournament on a solid footing,” Swiatek affirmed.
For Sakkari, this defeat cast a shadow over what had already been a disappointing Grand Slam year.
Embed from Getty ImagesFollowing a third-round appearance at the Australian Open, Sakkari’s journey through the subsequent majors yielded only first-round exits at the French Open, Wimbledon, and now the US Open.
Four-time US Open champion Martina Navratilova, lending her expertise on Sky Sports, empathized with Sakkari’s challenging draws in the majors, citing a string of tough opponents.
While acknowledging Sakkari’s competent play, Navratilova highlighted Masarova’s raw power and slightly superior performance. She noted that Sakkari struggled to capitalize on crucial opportunities in the first set, attributing it to the pressure that accompanies her seeded status.
In other matches, the Swiss 15th seed, Belinda Bencic, stamped her presence by defeating Kamilla Rahkimova 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
Additionally, Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, secured her 15th first-round victory at Flushing Meadows by overpowering France’s Fiona Ferro with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2.
Azarenka, a three-time US Open finalist, last reached the championship match in 2020, where she succumbed to Naomi Osaka’s brilliance.