A HUGE opening day of US Open action proved that the top talent is here to play, with just one of the day’s 16 women’s seeds falling. That being said, wins did not always come easy, with a flurry of three set tiebreaker contests setting the tone.

Apart from a second set slip up from Aryna Sabalenka and an escape from Garbine Muguruza, the top five seeds of the day – second, third, fifth, eighth and ninth – all fired up to open their US Open accounts for the year. Sabalenka had the toughest match of the five, requiring two hours and 24 minutes to claim her first round win over Serbian Nina Stojanovic, 6-4 6-7(4) 6-0. But a 13 ace ball game from Sabalenka coupled with an 86 per cent win rate on her first serve paved the way for the second seeded Belarusian, who fired off a whopping 43 winners for 42 unforced errors in a shaky encounter.

Muguruza may have only played the two sets, but it was gut-busting from start to finish between the ninth seed Spaniard and Croatian Donna Vekic. The 7-6(4) 7-6(5) clash took two hours and 19 minutes as Muguruza only just earned the upper hand, as Vekic hit more aces (10-8) and winners (36-30) but also hit marginally more unforced errors while Muguruza was much more convincing on serve and was only broken twice from Vekic’s seven chances. Third seed and reigning champion Naomi Osaka required 93 minutes in comparison to take out a 6-4 6-1 victory over Czech Marie Bouzkova – winning 81 per cent of her first serve points in  the process – while fifth seed Elina Svitolina continued her current winning run with a 63 minute blitz of Rebecca Marino, and eighth seed Czech Barbora Krejcikova outclassed Australian Astra Sharma 6-0 6-4.

The next group of seeds saw six top 20 seeds join the first five, as 12th seed Simona Halep returned to the fray with a 6-4 7-6(3) sweep of in-form Italian Camila Giorgi, joined by fellow straight set victors in Victoria Azarenka, Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur. 15th and 16th seeds Elise Mertens and Angelique Kerber did not have it quite so simple though, both facing third set tiebreakers. Mertens survived a huge three hour and 40 minute clash with Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, using every ounce of her experience to clinch the 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(5) victory in a highly error-ridden encounter. Mertens fired off 10 aces but racked up 13 double faults, only narrowly leading the winner count (41-39) and unforced error count (44-48). Kerber also dropped the first set before coming away with a hard-fought win, defeating Dayana Yastremska 4-6 6-4 7-6(3). Despite only hitting six winners, Kerber was patient and weathered the Yastremska storm which saw the Ukrainian pule o 42 winners for a whopping 57 unforced errors.

Of the day’s remaining five seeds, it was 31st seed Yulia Putintseva who was the first to fall, going down to hard-hitting Estonian Kaia Kanepi 2-6 7-6 6-2. While Kanepi dropped the opening set, she fired up from then on with 29 winners to her name to Putintseva’s 20, and just one more unforced error (35-34) as she ran away with victory off the back of a solid 70 per cent first serve win rate off just a 46 per cent clip. Teen 21st seed Coco Gauff also faced three sets before reigning supreme over Pole Magda Linette, while Daria Kasatkina, Danielle Collins and Ekaterina Alexandrova rounded out the remaining seeded victories on day one. Kasatkina and Alexandrova both claimed quick wins in under 90 minutes, while Collins overcame fan favourite Carla Suarez Navarro in what appears to be her last major event, 6-2 6-4.

Of the unseeded battles, just two Americans reigned supreme, and both knocked out compatriots in the process. It was a repeat encounter of the 2017 US Open final between Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys with the former earning a 6-3 1-6 7-6(7) victory while the other clash saw Christina McHale dispose of wildcard Emma Navarro. Alycia Parks, Ann Li and Bernarda Pera all fell in straight sets to join Keys and Navarro on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Kamilla Rakhimova upset Kristina Mladenovic and Maria Camila Osorio Serrano returned to the winners list after a solid start to the season, as Valentini Grammatikopoulou earned a second round berth and teen Leylah Fernandez disposed of fellow qualifier Ana Konjuh with relative ease. Rounding out the remaining winners were Kaja Juvan, Marketa Vondrousova, Anhelina Kalenina, Rebeka Masarova, Andrea Petkovic, Caroline Garcia and Jasmine Paolini.

US OPEN ROUND OF 128 RESULTS: 

[2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) defeated Nina Stojanovic (SRB) 6-4 6-7 6-0
[3] Naomi Osaka (JPN) defeated Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 6-4 6-1
[5] Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated Rebecca Marino (CAN) 6-2 6-3
[8] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) defeated Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-0 6-4
[9] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) defeated Donna Vekic (CRO) 7-6 7-6
[12] Simona Halep (ROU) defeated Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4 7-6
[15] Elise Mertens (BEL) defeated Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 3-6 7-6 7-6
[16] Angelique Kerber (GER) defeated Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 3-6 6-4 7-6
[18] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Tereza Martincova (CZE)  6-4 6-0
[19] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-2 6-3
[20] Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated Alize Cornet (FRA) 7-5 7-5
[21] Coco Gauff (USA) defeated Magda Linette (POL) 5-7 6-3 6-4
[25] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) defeated Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-2 6-1
[26] Danielle Collins (USA) defeated Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-2 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST) defeated [31] Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 2-6 7-6 6-2
[32] Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) defeated Sara Errani (ITA) 6-3 6-2
Christina McHale (USA) defeated Emma Navarro (USA) 6-1 7-6
Sloane Stephens (USA) defeated Madison Keys (USA) 6-3 1-6 7-6
Kaja Juvan (SLO) defeated Heather Watson (GBR) 6-1 6-4
Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) defeated Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 2-6 6-2 6-3
Olga Danilovic (SRB) defeated Alycia Parks (USA) 6-3 7-5
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 7-5 6-0
Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) defeated Ivana Jorovic (SRB) 6-2 6-2
Anhelina Kalenina (UKR) defeated Mayar Sherif (EGY) 4-6 6-1 6-1
Valentini Grammatikopoulou (GRE) defeated Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-3 6-2
Rebeka Masarova (ESP) defeated Ana Bogdan (ROU) 6-7 7-6 7-6
Kristina Kucova (SVK) defeated Ann Li (USA) 7-5 6-1
Andrea Petkovic (GER) defeated Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 6-2 7-6
Leylah Fernandez (CAN) defeated Ana Konjuh (CRO) 7-6 6-2
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) defeated Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-4 7-6
Caroline Garcia (FRA) defeated Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-7 6-4 6-2
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) defeated Yulia Shvedova (KAZ) 6-3 6-4

Picture credit: Darren Carroll/USTA