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Iga Swiatek got past Daria Saville in their second-round match on Wednesday, at the US Open. Unlike her first-round match though, Swiatek didn’t have it all too easy against the Australian and needed an hour and 34 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Swiatek was able to exploit Saville’s second serve thoroughly. Of the 18 points played on the latter’s second serve, Swiatek won 17 points. The world no. 1 also converted five of six break points that came her way on Saville’s serve although she did fail to save all three break points she faced.
For the match, Swiatek had 23 winners to her rival’s 13 and six more unforced errors than the latter’s 17. In the third round, Swiatek will play one of her closest friends on the tour, Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan.
Juvan, who qualified for the main draw, came from down a set to oust American Lauren Davis, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3. There weren’t any big upsets all across the third day of play at Flushing Meadows until the last match of the evening session.
In the final match scheduled for the day, on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Caroline Wozniacki stunned 11th seed Petra Kvitova in their second-round encounter.
US Open: Twice past runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, up and running!
The former world no.
1, a wildcard entrant in the main draw this year, won 7-5, 7-6(5) after two hours and eight minutes of play. When the match began, Kvitova was the one who seized the initial momentum. She was able to secure a break on two separate occasions in the first set.
The first break came in the opening game of the set but she handed the break right away in the second game. The second break came in the fifth game of the set. That time, although the Czech was able consolidate the break, she conceded it in the eighth game of the set.
A third crucial break came on the left-hander’s serve in the 12th game of the set as she served to push it to the tie-break. She did save a set point but wasn’t able to save the second and Wozniacki got ahead in the match.
As the match progressed, it was Wozniacki who was able to hold on to her serves easily as compared to Kvitova. The latter’s shots were liberally mixed with winners and unforced errors and this helped Wozniacki get quite a few points for herself.
In the 10th game of the second set, on Kvitova’s serve, Wozniacki had a couple of match points but the former world no. 2 struck two powerful winners to stave them both and keep herself afloat in the match. In the tie-break, Wozniacki once again found herself in the lead after Kvitova sprayed errors.
At 6-4 in the tie-break, Kvitova saved a third match point but on her fourth, yet another error off her racquet put an end to her campaign at the US Open. Kvitova had 38 winners, 16 more than Wozniacki’s 22. However, she also had almost thrice as many errors as Wozniacki – 40 to the latter’s 13 that made all the difference in the match, in the end.
Now, Wozniacki will play Jennifer Brady next. The American upset 24th seed Magda Linette 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 in their second-round match at the US Open. 