NEW YORK: American No.1 Jessica Pegula dominated an extremely frequent rival — Italy’s Camila Giorgi — to win her opening-round match at her home Grand Slam US Open 2023.
No.3 seed Pegula dispatched Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday to book her spot in the US Open second round. Pegula needed one hour and 22 minutes to top 52nd-ranked Giorgi.
Giorgi had saved four break points in the first game of the set and six break points in that game before finally giving up the break with a backhand error. Giorgi never lost another game in the match. In the second set, Pegula had a flawless 14-for-14 first-service point performance to clinch a spot in the second round.
“Camila is always very tough. You never know what you’re going to get. She’s a great ball striker, good athlete, goes for her shots,” WTA quoted Pegula as saying in her post-match press.
“I’ve played her several times this year already, a lot of times throughout my career. I knew what I needed to do, but sometimes it depends as well on how you’re playing and how she’s playing. I think I was able to kind of execute what I wanted to do today,” she added.
Elsewhere, the No.26 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine joined Pegula in the second round after a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam. Svitolina and Pegula would square off in the third round if they both win their second-round matches.
Svitolina only needed 58 minutes to dismiss World No.90 Friedsam and reach the US Open second round for the seventh time in her last seven appearances.
In other first-round clashes, Ons Jabeur survived a challenge from Camila Osorio, while Leylah Fernandez was edged out by Ekaterina Alexandrova in a three-hour tussle.
Jabeur somehow managed to defeat Camila Osorio 7-5, 7-6(4) in a match that lasted for two hours and 2 minutes.
In another match featuring a former US Open finalist, Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4.
The thrilling match, which lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes, was won by the No. 22 seed with a lunging forehand volley. Alexandrova faces Lesia Tsurenko on Thursday in the second-round encounter. (ANI)