Zheng, Wang move to R2 at US Open; Bublik ousted
NEW YORK, AUGUST 26: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen overcame a spirited challenge from American Amanda Anisimova to breeze into the US Open women’s singles second round while her compatriot Yafan Wang progressed when ninth seed Maria Sakkari withdrew from the opening round due to a shoulder injury.
The world number seven from China contained her unforced errors and began to move her rival a lot more after losing the first set. It was far from an easy opening round Zheng but she knew how to quell the challenge of the American at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Zhang finished the match with a wide serve that Anisimova could not return.
Wang had not fully-fit Sakkari across the court and took the first set 6-2. The Greek player took a medical time out but found it tough to continue.
Another women player from Asia to move to the second round was Japan’s world number 64 Moyuka Uchijima, who knocked out Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 3-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours and 15 minutes. This is for second time this season that Uchijima has made it to the second round of a Major, having reached the same stage at the Roland Garros.
But it was curtains for world number 37 Yue Yuan (CHN), who lost 3-6 6-7(7) to world number 75 Erika Andreeva, who fired 35 winners in the nearly two-hour contest. Also making an exit was Xiyu Wang (CHN) as the world number 53 lost a tough first round 6-7 (5) 6-7(5) to Frenchwoman Diane Parry (Ranked 60).
In the men’s singles, a classic five-setter unfolded between Asian rivals Alexander Bublik (KAZ) and Shang Juncheng (CHN) in which the latter prevailed 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 in a gruelling three hour and 34-minute contest at Court 11.
The 27th seed Bublik fired 22 aces and 54 winners but Shang found a way to go past his fancied rival.
However Bublik’s compatriot Alexander Shevchenko, ranked 61, advanced to the second round with a 6-3 7-5 5-7 6-2 win over Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.
Another five-setter, involving an Asian player, unraveled at Court 8 but the match had to be stopped in the fifth set when Japan’s Nishioka Yoshihito appeared to have suffered cramps. He conceded the opening round 6-7(2) 6-2 7-5 5-7 0-1 to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
Nishioka, ranked 53, fell on the ground before serving for first time in the decider, clutching his left thigh. He received treatment but decided not to continue, allowing world number 54 Kecmanovic to move to the second round.
However, it was curtain for Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon, China’s Yunchaokete Bu, and India’s Sumit Nagal.
Kwon, ranked 340, lost 5-7 2-6 3-6 to world number 28 from Australia Alexei Popyrin while Bu lost to eighth seed Casper Ruud 6-7 (2) 2-6 2-6 in two hours and 14 minutes. Nagal made an exit following a 1-6 3-6 6-7(8) defeat against Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor.
Nagal became first player from India since 2019 to compete in singles main draws of all Grand Slam tournaments in a single season.
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