Iga Swiatek Outclasses Shibahara in 65-Minute Victory

Iga Swiatek advanced to the third round of the US Open with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara. Swiatek, the five-time Grand Slam champion, allowed just one game and faced no break points in her 65-minute match. This performance came after a challenging first-round match where Swiatek had to fight through 41 unforced errors to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).

In contrast, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from her second-round match against Jessika Ponchet due to injuries, giving Ponchet a walkover. Rybakina, the fourth seed, expressed disappointment but prioritized her health, hoping to finish the year strongly. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini advanced after Karolina Pliskova retired just three points into their match due to an injury.

Pliskova, a 2016 finalist was forced to leave Louis Armstrong Stadium after requesting medical treatment for her foot. Paolini, who has been a finalist at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, will next face Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. Iga Swiatek, who won the US Open in 2022, will meet Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her next match. Pavlyuchenkova secured her place with a comeback win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, finishing 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

In other matches, Russian 21st seed Mirra Andreeva suffered a surprising defeat to American Ashlyn Kreuger, losing 6-1, 6-4. Sixth seed Jessica Pegula won 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 against Sofia Kenin, who had previously ousted 2021 champion Emma Raducanu.