Agencies
New York
Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini was given the easiest of routes into the third round of the US Open after her opponent Karolina Pliskova retired after just three points.
A tough second-round draw against the 2016 runner-up was in prospect for Paolini but it lasted less than two minutes.
Pliskova appeared to twist her ankle midway through a rally and immediately walked to her chair and took her shoe and sock off.
Physios attended to the 32-year-old but the injury was too severe and she retired trailing 15-30 in the opening game.
Paolini was interviewed on court in a conversation which lasted longer than her match.
Errani, Krueger, Bouzas Maneiro notch upsets
Paolini was joined in the third round by doubles partner Sara Errani, with whom she won the Paris Olympics doubles gold medal less than a month ago. The 37-year-old, a semi-finalist in Flushing Meadows in 2012, defeated Caroline Dolehide 7-5, 7-5 in 1 hour and 50 minutes. Errani’s doubles prowess was evident throughout: she won 27 out of 33 points at net, a number that contributed significantly to her tally of 22 winners.
The result puts the Italian into the third round of a major for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, and at the US Open for the first time since 2015. This tournament marks the 17-year anniversary of her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the 2007 US Open, when she defeated Renata Voracova to reach the second round.
In a youthful second-round clash, 20-year-old Ashlyn Krueger delivered an emphatic upset of 17-year-old No.21 seed Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-4. The No.59-ranked American needed just 64 minutes to wrap up a seventh career Top 30 win, firing 15 winners and dropping just seven points behind her first serve. Krueger, who had not won a match in six Grand Slam main draws before this week, took advantage of 25 unforced errors from Roland Garros semi-finalist Andreeva to reach the third round of a major for the first time.