| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 31 Aug-13 Sept |
| Protection: Chosen reside radio and textual content commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Dwell Sports activities Further, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport web site and app. |
Six-time champion Serena Williams progressed to the third round of the US Open with a 6-2 6-Four win over Russian Margarita Gasparyan in New York.
The American, 38, cruised by way of the opening set however discovered the world quantity 117 a harder proposition within the second below the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.
The pair broke one another twice earlier than Williams secured a vital third break within the 10th recreation to seal victory.
Williams now faces compatriot Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion.
“She’s such a superb participant – she performs so easy,” Williams mentioned of Stephens. “She seems like she’s not taking up power, then ‘blam’ – there’s 5 winners. It isn’t simple.”
A handful of the 11 unforced errors Gasparyan made within the first set got here in her opening service recreation when she was damaged regardless of having led 40-0.
Williams then broke once more with a superb overhead to go 5-1 up; though she misplaced her serve to like within the subsequent, the American bounced again within the following recreation to interrupt for a third time and seal the set in 35 minutes.
Gasparyan improved markedly within the second set at Flushing Meadows regardless of going a break all the way down to fall 3-1 behind. The 26-year-old, who recovered from three knee operations earlier in her profession, twice broke again and had Williams on the ropes once more at 4-4, earlier than the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion finally held her serve.
The American, who final gained the US Open in 2014, broke Gasparyan within the subsequent recreation to keep away from probably being dragged into a third set.
Williams, used to a big help cheering her contained in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, mentioned: “I really like the gang right here, however that is one thing cool. I play within the trendy period. There’s one thing extra calming about it.”
This was Williams’ 103rd singles win at Flushing Meadows, having handed Chris Evert’s Open period file of 101 earlier within the week. She is searching for to equal Margaret Courtroom’s file of 24 Grand Slam singles title.
