▲ Aryna Sabalenka during her second-round match
Women's tennis world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus secured her spot in the third round of the 2026 US Open, keeping her quest for a third consecutive tournament title alive.
On the fourth day of the tournament held at Flushing Meadows in New York on September 2 local time, Sabalenka overwhelmingly defeated Polina Iatchenko, ranked 160th from Russia, 2-0 (6-1, 6-1) in just 54 minutes.
Having suffered consecutive round-of-16 exits in her three most recent tournaments, Sabalenka is cruising smoothly through the current event, dropping only eight games across her first two matches.
Sabalenka is aiming for her third straight US Open women's singles title, a feat not achieved since Serena Williams of the United States accomplished it from 2012 to 2014, 12 years ago.
After the match, Sabalenka said, "I am satisfied with my performance and focus today, and I am glad to get through this match," adding, "The atmosphere in this stadium is always the best."
Sabalenka will face Kamilla Rakhimova, ranked 92nd from Uzbekistan, in the third round.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 men's singles champion ranked 8th from Russia, advanced to the third round by defeating Sebastian Gozny, ranked 731st from the United States, 3-0 (6-1, 6-3, 7-5) in the second round.
During the second set of their match, two sparrows landed on top of the net, but both players continued the rally for a brief moment.
Just as Medvedev hit a winning shot toward the corner and Gozny attempted to play a ball that was practically unreturnable, the chair umpire halted the match and ordered a replay of the point, prompting an immediate protest from Medvedev.
Medvedev said after the match, "It was one of the most ridiculous calls I have ever seen in my life," adding, "It definitely ranks in the top five of the most unusual moments I've experienced."
Medvedev, who was eliminated in the first round last year, will face Arthur Rinderknech, ranked 29th from France, in the third round.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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