Venus Williams stays on course for Serena match-up with straight-sets win
Thursday 30 August 2018 06:32, UK
Defending champion Sloane Stephens survived a huge scare to beat Anhelina Kalinina and set up a third-round meeting with former world No 1 Viktoria Azarenka.
Stephens, champion last year playing under a protected ranking, is the third seed this year and showed all the battling qualities required in fighting back from a set down to claim a 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory against the world No 134 Kalinina.
In searing heat once again, the players produced a high-quality encounter but it was the Ukrainian that blazed a trail from the off, her powerful game unsettling Stephens, who had no answer to opponent's variety and power.
Stephens recovered to step on the gas in the second set, twice going a double break up but twice Kalinina fought back and almost forced the set to go the distance before Stephens struck a decisive break in the 11th game. She still had to fight off another break point before eventually closing out the set.
With the match into a decider, Stephens big-game experience eventually told as Kalinina, in arguably the biggest game of her career, wilted in the New York heat and, on Arthur Ashe Stadium where she lifted the trophy 12 months ago, the American powered across the finish line.
Awaiting her in what promises to be a high-quality encounter is two-time US Open runner-up Azarenka who booked her place in the last 32 with a straight-sets victory over Australia's Daria Gavrilova.
Azarenka has missed the last two US Opens as she deals with injury and off-court issues, but a runner-up in 2012 and 2013 she is a firm favourite with the Flushing Meadows crowd.
Having reached the quarter-finals on each of her last two visits in 2014 and 2015, she lurks as one of several unseeded dangers in the draw.
Azarenka had too much for 25th seed Gavrilova, storming her way to a 6-1 6-2 victory and set up her showdown with the defending champion in the third round. Another seed to perish was ninth seed Julia Goerges, the German went down in straight sets to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova
Serena Williams set up a third round encounter with sister Venus as she defeated Germany's Carina Witthoeft in emphatic fashion at the US Open.
It was a trouble-free afternoon for the rest of the seeds in action as seventh seed Elina Svitolina (7), Elise Mertens (15), Anastasija Sevastova (19) and Barbora Strycova (23) all advanced to the last 32 with straight sets victories.
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