Jessica Pegula kept her hopes of becoming world No.1 alive with a commanding victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin, while Daniil Medvedev advanced to the third round and Paula Badosa booked her place in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.
Third seed Pegula needed just 56 minutes to dismantle Kenin 6-3, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, producing a clinical performance as she continued her pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title.
Pegula was particularly impressive on serve. She lost only three points behind her first serve and did not face a single break point during the contest. After taking the opening set, she raced through the second by winning the first five games before closing out the match.
The victory keeps her hopes of reaching the top of the WTA rankings alive. Pegula needs to win the US Open and hope Elena Rybakina does not reach the semi-finals to become world No.1 for the first time.
Her next challenge will be Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist. Fernandez reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
RUTHLESS MEDVEDEV ADVANCES
Medvedev, meanwhile, looked increasingly comfortable on the New York hard courts as the seventh seed brushed aside American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5.
The Russian made a blistering start, taking the opening set in just seven games before continuing to dictate rallies from deep behind the baseline. His ability to absorb pace, redirect the ball and extend rallies repeatedly left Gorzny searching for answers.
The 22-year-old American, ranked No.731, had arrived with confidence after a dramatic first-round victory, but Medvedev proved a vastly different proposition. The former champion briefly allowed Gorzny back into the third set but regained control to complete a straight-sets victory.
Medvedev will face either Jaume Munar or Arthur Rinderknech in the third round, with that second-round contest determining his next opponent.
BADOSA DISPATCHES KASATKINA
Badosa also continued her run with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daria Kasatkina. The Spaniard, a former world No.2 and 2024 US Open quarter-finalist, was in control for much of the contest after play had been disrupted by rain.
The reward is a high-profile second-round meeting with fourth seed and 2023 champion Coco Gauff. Gauff had earlier defeated Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round and then moved into the section of the draw where Badosa emerged as her next opponent.
For Pegula, however, the equation remains the clearest: keep winning, and the possibility of becoming the world’s top-ranked player will stay alive.
– Ends
