Konta wins 12 successive games en route to a spot in the third round at Flushing Meadows
Thursday 29 August 2019 23:10, UK
Johanna Konta crushed Margarita Gasparyan in under an hour to advance to the third round of the US Open on Thursday.
Konta, who got her US Open campaign up and running with a battling three-set win over Daria Kasatkina, continued her solid form against another Russian in Gasparyan, winning comfortably 6-1 6-0 in 54 minutes.
The match was rescheduled from Wednesday after rain prevented any play on the outside courts, and Konta revelled in sunny conditions to dispatch the world No 61 in emphatic fashion.
Konta, the British No 1, took immediate control by using her powerful groundstrokes to break three times in a quick-fire first set.
Gasparyan crumbled under the mounting pressure coming from the other end of the court as 16th-seeded Konta produced more punishment to run away with the match, hitting 24 winners in a one-sided encounter on Court 5.
"I'm pleased with how I was able to just play the level that I did," said Konta.
"I think I adapted to her quite well quite early on, and I thought our games matched up well for me. Yeah, I'm just pleased with how I played."
The Brit will now face Shuai Zhang in the third round. The Chinese player came through a lengthy match against Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova and prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 25 minutes.
Petra Kvitova became the first top 10 seed in the women's draw to be knocked out as Germany's Andrea Petkovic toppled the sixth seed 6-4 6-4.
Although Kvitova had 23 winners, nearly twice the number of her opponent, it was Petkovic who converted three of six break points to move into the third round.
Another was the fourth seed Simona Halep who was embroiled in an incredible encounter with the qualifier Taylor Townsend who is ranked 116 in the world.
Townsend came into the net over 100 times during the match and her serve-volley tactic was an integral part of her 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) triumph.
Haelp had won their last three meetings in straight-sets. However on Arthur Ashe, the American came back from a set down, saved a match point and then held her nerve to put Halep out of the Grand Slam.
Top seed and defending champion Naomi Osaka breezed into the third round. The 21-year-old from Japan beat Poland's Magda Linette 6-2 6-3 in an hour and 11 minutes.
The reward for Osaka's quick work will be a meeting with either Timea Babos or 15-year-old wildcard Coco Gauff.
Sofia Kenin overcame strong early resistance from Laura Siegemund to finish at pace on Grandstand.
Kenin was pushed into a tie-break in the first set, prevailing 7-4, before surging through the second set to produce the 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 victory.
The 20-year-old is seeded 20 in the draw, a career-high ranking, and reached back-to-back semi-finals at the Rogers Cup and in Cincinnati.
Kenin has now created another encounter with her conqueror in Cincinnati, fellow American Madison Keys.
In the second round, Keys dismissed Lin Zhu of China 6-4 6-1 in an hour and nine minutes and put down 31 winners to her opponent's nine.
The 15th seed Bianca Andreescu has moved into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time after her 6-3 7-5 victory over Kirsten Flipkens.
The 19-year-old, a winner in Indian Wells and Toronto, started the year outside of the Top 100 but is making waves in this breakthrough season and will meet either Danielle Collins or Caroline Wozniacki next.
