2020 US Open: Victoria Azarenka wins Belarusian derby against Sabalenka; Konta upset

Victoria Azarenka dropped just four games in her 67-minute win against countrywoman and fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka in the second round of the 2020 US Open. The former world no. 1 won 6-1, 6-3 to avenge her 2019 US Open loss to her Fed Cup colleague.

Azarenka dictated the first set so powerfully Sabalenka had no response to counter her game. The second set saw brief retaliation from the world no. 11 but Azarenka ended it before it could prove to be a definite momentum changer in the match.

This is the first time since 2015 that the two-time Australian Open champion has made it to the round-of-32 at Flushing Meadows. This is also Azarenka’s seventh straight win, going back to her title run at the Western & Southern Open last week.

After the match, the 31-year-old said, “Confidence comes before you win. If you really believe in yourself and believe in your work—you're confident. The result is a confirmation of your hard work.”

Azarenka will play the winner of American Sachia Vickery and Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the third round. Vickery had won the first set 7-6(5) before the match was suspended due to rain.

2020 US Open: Sloane Stephens' American derby against Serena Williams

Seventh seed Madison Keys romped over Spaniard Aliona Bolsova 6-2, 6-1 in their round-of-64 match. The American will play France’s Alize Cornet who defeated Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure in the second round. Cornet won 7-6(4), 6-3 in an hour and 46 minutes.

Another upset of the day was marked by Romanian Sorana Cirstea’s win over ninth-seeded Briton Johanna Konta. Cirstea pushed through in an erratically-swinging match, overcoming the loss of the opening set, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 10 minutes shy of three hours.

This is the second time in two years that Cirstea has reached the third round at Flushing Meadows. Overall, it will be the third time in her career that she has made it this far into the draw.

In her post-match media interaction, the world no. 77 said, “I'm very happy with the win. I've felt I've been playing quite well for a while, but unfortunately the results weren't going my way, so the last few tournaments have been a bit frustrating. Even though I lost the first set, I felt like I was there and it was a matter of a few important points. I felt I could win the whole match; I served quite well and that won me the match.”

Cirstea’s next opponent is the Czech Republic’s 20th seed Karolina Muchova. Muchova won against Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 7-6(4).

Lastly, 26th-seeded Sloane Stephens will vie for a place in the 2020 US Open pre-quarterfinals against the third seed Serena Williams. Stephens took a 6-2, 6-2 win over Belarus’ Olga Govortsova in the second round.

Photo Credit: Brad Penner/USTA

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