2020 US Open: Sofia Kenin posts a strong start, Pironkova marks comeback with a win

Second seed Sofia Kenin advanced to the second round of the 2020 US Open. Playing her first-round match in the day session on Tuesday, the 2020 Australian Open champion defeated Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-2 in 68 minutes.

After the match, Kenin said the one-sided score-line did not reflect how well Wickmayer played. She said, “Winning the first game, it was close. Just really happy to have gotten that. Then serving, I was up 2-Love, I was, like, ‘Okay, I really feel my serve, I'm feeling the game.’ She's got a big serve, so I felt it right from the beginning and I'm just really proud of myself. She was playing really well. The score was 2 and 2, but it was really close and she played really well.”

Kenin will play Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 7-5 in their opening-round meeting.

2020 US Open: Day Session begins with earnet

The day’s proceedings began with Spanish 10th seed Garbine Muguruza getting past Japan’s Nao Hibino. The former world no. 1 won in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 but had to overcome humid conditions and the Hibino’s tricky game.

Post-match, Muguruza acknowledged that lack of match practice, too, had had its say in the proceedings, initially. “I was happy to go on the court. Of course, you know, the lack of matches, it's there. I had a slow start. I think Hibino started very fast, very well, and she took the first four games very fast. Then I started, little by little, feeling better, and starting to feel a little bit more my game. I could turn it around,” she pointed out.

Muguruza will take on Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova, who is playing her first comeback tournament at Flushing Meadows since taking a sabbatical on account of motherhood. Pironkova beat Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the first round 6-2, 6-3.

Ninth-seeded Johanna Konta, 16th seed Elise Mertens, and the 22nd seed Amanda Anisimova also reached the second round. Konta won against Heather Watson 7-6(7), 6-1, while Mertens beat Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-2, and Anisimova defeated Viktoriya Tomova 7-5, 7-5.

Sorana Cirstea, Sara Sorribes Tormo, and Katrina Scott will be Konta, Mertens, and Anisimova’s round-of-64 opponents, respectively at the 2020 US Open.

Photo Credit: Sofia Kenin Twitter

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