Van Uytvanck beats Venus Williams 6-1, 7-6.
Venus holds to take us into a tiebreak, in which she yomps into a 3-1 lead with a sumptuous crosscourt winner. Van Uytvanck matches it with a shot of similar quality and is soon a mini-break and 5-3 up. Williams responds with two rasping forehand winners to bring it back to 5-5 but a strong return from Van Uytvanck lands her a match point, which she eventually puts away with a backhand volley at the net.
Is this a Flushing Meadows farewell for Venus Williams? She produced some of her best in a gripping second set after being hammered in the first.
And with that, this blog bids you farewell – until the evening one cranks up in a little over an hour or so, with Raducanu, Nadal and more. So do stick around. Bye.
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Sinner has won the second set 6-2 to level the match against Altmaier at one set all. Following a lengthy treatment and comfort break during which seemed to get quite boozy in the stands, they’re back out for the third set.
Venus hands Van Uyvanck an opening at 15-15 with a limp volley at the net, which her opponent larrups past her. Williams rallies to 40-30 though with some smart and forensic serving, and seals the hold for 5-5.
Elsewere in the women’s draw, the No 13 seed Belinda Bencic is into a decider against Andrea Petkovic. They’re at 3-3 in the third set, and Badosa leads Tsurenko 2-1 in the final set, which has gone with serve so far.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium, Van Uytvancnk’s first double fault gives Venus a break point at 4-4, and her first ace saves it. Venus then rolls back the years with a belting forehand down the line to bring it back to deuce, and this time the Belgian secures the service hold. She leads 5-4 and Venus must now serve to stay in the match.
Sinner, who had been moving gingerly in the previous game and had been struggling for his best form throughout, chooses that moment to produce his best returning game so far, clinching a break with an unanswerable and fierce backhand down the line. He’s 4-2 up in the second set now.
The women’s No 4 seed, Paula Badosa, has pulled level in her match against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, winning a lengthy fluctuating second set on a tiebreak.
Some cracking tennis is being played by Daniel Altmaier and Jannik Sinner on Louis Armstrong, with the German producing marginally more of it, and he’s just held again, via a couple of classy winners, in a tricky service game to keep it on serve at 2-2 in the second set. Altmaier leads by a set.
Oh, and Venus has been broken this time by the athletic and powerful Van Uytbanck. We’re back on serve at 3-3 in the second set.
It’s been a good day for Britain’s men, as discussed, and here’s Tumaini Carayol’s report from New York on the progress of Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans:
It took just a few fleeting points of the first-round match between Cameron Norrie and Benoît Paire for it to become clear that the French player was in one of his moods. He shanked forehands into the back fence, then he dumped backhands into the bottom of the net. He had only just arrived, yet he looked determined to get off the court as quickly as possible.
An epic slog of a service game from Williams but she survives it. A misjudged forehand into the net gives Van Uytvanck a break point, but she digs in to save it, then pushes her opponent back to force her to dump a backhand into the net. But we go to deuce for a fourth time before Williams cracks a stunning forehand down the line. Again she can’t consolidate the advantage and Van Uytvanck then earns another break point, again saved. The sixth deuce is a good time to belt down an ace, as Venus does, and another fierce serve finally secures the hold – 3-1, second set, with Van Uytvanck a set ahead.
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Altamier wins first set against Sinner 7-5. A brilliant backhand passing shot gets Altmaier under way. But at 15-15 Sinner comes out on top of a gruelling and incredibly long rally with a fierce forehand winner. But Altmaier matches him by bossing a brilliant rally at 30-30 that he seals with a backhand volley at the net. It gives him set point, which he takes after another compelling rally. Is another shock on the cards? I suspect this one will go a distance few matches today have so far managed.
Oh, and Venus Williams is such a competitor. Having been outclassed in that first set, she breaks Van Uytvanck straight away in the second, consolidates it and currently leads 2-1.
A couple of tired shots from Sinner give the forceful Altmaier a break point, which he takes after a long rally when the German pushes Sinner back and forces him into a miscued forehand. He’ll now serve for the first set at 6-5. As Sweet Child of Mine blasts away over the PA system. They should do that at Wimbledon.
The promising French Open quarter-finalist Holger Rune is through, the No 28 seed from Norway easing past Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets. And Paula Badosa, the No 4 women’s seed, has rallied in the second set against Lesia Tsurenko, leading it 4-3 with a break in her favour, having lost the opening set.
Van Uytvanck wins first set against Venus Williams 6-1. This is pretty one-sided it has to be said, and a cute, nonchalant drop shot that a sprawling Williams can only scoop into the net seals the first set for the Belgian.
It’s much harder to call over on Louis Armstrong, with the wind adding to the challenge for Altmaier and Sinner, who are locked at 5-5 in the first set.
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Raucous cheers reverberate around Arthur Ashe Stadium as Venus gets on the scoreboard, forcing Van Uytvanck to net at the end of an arduous service game. The seven-times grand slam winner trails 1-4, first set.
Meanwhile, Marin Cilic, the men’s No 15 seed, is a set up against Germany’s Maximilian Marterer, and currently leads that match 6-3, 3-2.
Altmaier had started the better against Sinner, breaking for a 3-2 lead on Louis Armstrong, but the Italian responded with some blistering returns and shot-making to break back immediately, to love.
And Venus Williams has been broken for a second time to go 0-3 down against Alison Van Uytvanck.
Elena Rybakina knocked out by Clara Burel, 6-4, 6-4
Rybakina dumps a forehand return into the net to give Burel match point, which the French woman takes with a raking deep backhand down the line. The shocks continue, after the exits of Halep and Kasatkina yesterday.
And another seed in trouble is Paula Badosa of Spain, the No 4 seed losing the first set to Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko. Her compatriot Fernando Verdasco is through though, beating Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon in straight sets.
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There isn’t the hoopla or crowd numbers at Arthur Ashe for Venus Williams that there was for her sister last night, but there’s plenty of noisy support. And Venus will need it as she is eventually broken, on the fourth break point, by Van Uytvacnck, the Belgian looking sprightly and dangerous in that opening game of the match.
Again Rybakina squanders a good position on Burel’s servicce game by turning 0-30 into 40-30 with a couple of overhit returns followed by a decent Burel forehand winner into the corner of the court. That forehand has some venom and precision, and is produced a couple more times as Burel holds, via two deuces. She leads 4-2 in this set and is two games away from a big upset.
Out on Louis Armstrong, the always watchable Jannik Sinner is under way against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, winning his first service game, while those distant cheers must surely be for Venus Williams in Arthur Ashes Stadium. She’s about to start her match against Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium.
Rybakina shows signs of refinding her mojo with a couple of searing returns to start off Burel’s service game but her French opponent, ranked 131 in the world, battles back to deuce and serves out to hold. Burel’s never got beyond the first round here but unless Rybakina can find a break, she’s going to make it this time.
Sloane Stephens goes through 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Greet Minnen. That’s a pretty impressive recovery by the 2017 champion. Meanwhile the Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, seeded 25 here, is in trouble on Court 12 against Clara Burel of France, who is a set and a break up at 6-4, 2-0.
Dan Evans speaks: “I played very well I thought,” he says, “it’s nice to get back on the match court – it’s been a while since Cincinnati so I was a bit nervous but it was nice to get out and play. I’m playing very well but it’s only the first round again and the start of a new tournament and I hit the ball well, which was pleasing. I served well and dictated pretty well. As for the courts, the main courts seem a bit slower but this one was pretty quick I thought but everyone has different opinions, so don’t listen to me.”
An Australian, James Duckworth (ranked No 83) or Chris O’Connell (ranked 118), awaits in the second round.
This is already only the second time that four British men have reached the second round at Flushing Meadows since 1974, fact fans
Evans beats Vesily 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
In the blink of an eye, Evans has two match points at 40-15 on his serve, and he completes the job with an ace to seal a dominant victory, a performance that only grew in conviction over the course of three sets that lasted less than two hours. He looks in very good order.
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Baez retires injured against Alcaraz
Oh this is a desperate shame. After two compelling sets, the Argentinian has had to retire hurt after pulling up with his left leg in pain. Alcaraz showed plenty of glimpses of his class too but Baez made that match. He’ll come again for sure.
Thanks Michael, and I re-greet you with news that Cameron Norrie’s second-round opponent will be Joao Sousa of Portugal, who’s beaten Mackenzie McDonald of the US in four sets. Norries’s fellow Brit Dan Evans, meanwhile, breaks again to lead 5-1 in the third set and is a game away from the second round.
Tom Davies is back from his break, so I’ll hand the blog back over to him. Cheers all and enjoy the rest of the action.
Evans is closing on victory against Vesely. The 20th seed rips a serve out wide to seal a service game to love. He leads 6-4, 6-1, 4-1. The Brit is yet to face a break point and has just two more games for the win.
Another American, Sloane Stephens, has found her groove. She was fading desperately in the second set against Greet Minnen, but recovered to level the match and has romped to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set.
Let’s talk about John Isner, all 37 years of him. The big-shouldered home favourite has roared through his first-round match against Federico Delbonis in straight sets. Can he put a run together here this year? Surprising that he has never gone past the quarter-finals in 15 attempts at the US Open.
There were 19 break points in that set between Alcaraz and Baez, to give you some sort of idea of what a ding-dong battle that is. But a long road back for the Argentinian, who is receiving a medical time-out at the end of that second set. Think his knee is a little sore.
Carlos Alcaraz somehow wins the second set against Sebastián Báez. He leads 7-5, 7-5.
Not sure how Alcaraz has won that second set, to be honest. Baez has had the Spaniard on the ropes for almost the entire set, but just when it looks like the teenager is beaten, he comes up with some ridiculous shot. Here, with Baez at the net, Alcaraz correctly guesses twice before somehow getting to a drop volley, and lobbing his opponent. At deuce, Alcaraz picks the ball off his laces to play a sublime volley at the net, before ripping a forehand down the line to seal break point and the second set. Harsh on Baez, who has been almost the equal of Alcaraz, who in the words of Barry Davies, you have to say has been magnificent.
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Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is underway against Clara Burel. It’s 2-2 in the opening set. You can read Tumaini Carayol’s excellent interview with the 23-year-old right here.
Dan Evans wins the second set against Vesely, 6-1
Evans does indeed close the second set out. He leads 6-4, 6-1.
Should mention how things are in Flushing right now, above 30°C. Having battled to 3-3, Sloane Stephens ran away with the second set against Greet Minnen. So it’s all square there and into a deciding set, with both players withdrawing from Louis Armstrong for a break from the heat.
Back to Evans, who is really motoring in his second set against Vesely, who is looking a little fatigued. Evans breaks to love for the second successive game to lead 4-1. A double break and he looks primed to go two sets up against the Czech hitter.
Carlos Alcaraz is box office, even when he’s struggling. Having won the opening set against Sebastian Baez, the Spaniard faces three break points when 0-40 down, grafts his way back to deuce in a great show of courage. Then, again break point down, Alcaraz serves and volleys before hitting an absolutely outrageous between-the-legs-tweener to save game point! Ooooof! Absolutely sublime stuff. The natural talent is unreal. But then he goes and spoils it all but doing some things stupid like a couple of errant, easy volleys in the net, plus a double fault and after a nice backhand up the line, Baez closes out the game at the fifth attempt. Some of these points are ridiculous. This second set is nearly an hour long, despite it being just 4-3 to the Argentinian.
Hello everyone. Sloane Stephens, 2017 champion here remember, has recovered a bit since her opening first set drubbing (6-1) to Greet Minnen. It’s on serve at 3-3 in the second set. This would be quite the scalp for the Belgian, ranked 110 in the world, if she were to keep up this form.
Evans wins first set against Vesely 6-4
Evans misses a couple of opportunities in a lengthy rally at 15-0, then is outpointed in another long one settled by a Vesely backhand volley to trail 15-30. An ace sets him right then Vesely overhits a forehand return to hand Evans a third set point. This one he takes with a casually dismissive back hand volley.
And with that I’ll hand you over to Michael Butler for a bit. Go nowhere.
Evans earns himself a break and set point on Vesesly’s serve, which he squanders. Then he gets another that Vesely saves with a strong serve, and that strong serves secures him the hold. Evans now serving for the set at 5-4.
The women’s 16th seed, Jelena Ostapenko, is out, beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 by Qinwen Zheng. And Sloane Stephens could be joining her – she’s 1-6, 0-2 down against Greet Minnen.
Evans faces some early struggles on his service game but produces a searing forehand winner at 15-30 to steady himself and then pulls off his shot of the day so far with a pinpoint scooped forehand lob from the back of the court when right up against it in the rally. He goes on to hold and go 5-3 up. That was style and steel.
Dan Evans is quite self-critical in his on-court gestures when he errs, which he does a couple of times in Vesely’s service game, which the Czech wins to 15. But the British No 20 seed is still a break up at 3-2.
Elsewhere, big John Isner has won the first set 6-3 against Federico Delbonis and Sloane Stephens is having a shocker against Greet Minnen of Belgium. The American is 0-5 down in the first set, while Alcaraz has an early break in the second set against Baez and leads 2-0.
Muguruza beats Tauson 6-3, 7-6. An exhaustingly competitive second set between Muguruza and Tauson has been followed by an equally engrossing tiebreak, and a Muguruza ace gets her a match point after more than two and a quarter hours, which she takes when Pausen nets after a long rally.
And Evans has an early break against Vesely at 2-1 in the first set.
Alcaraz wins first set against Baez 7-5. Alcaraz, returning, gets on top of Baez, moving him around the court en route to seizing a 0-30 lead before a wayward return stalls his momentum, but another Baez error gives Alcaraz two set points. He takes the first of them with a forceful display of that precision forehand, and is one set up.
And Dimitrov has beaten Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Baez v Alcaraz continues to absorb, but is yet to be bust open. Another stylish service game from Alcaraz putting him 6-5 up in the first set.
Norrie, courtside, says he “felt like I did a good job today and a good job in the preparation. I’m happy just to be through and I’ll take that first set and the third one. It only gets tougher from here – I want to serve a bit better and work on my first ball and second-serve returns and just being a bit more aggressive. I’m looking forward to the next match and it’s a good start for me.”
He plays Joao Sousa or McKenzie McDonald next.
Norrie beats Paire 6-0, 7-6, 6-0
“Paire’s about a two [out of 10] on the effort scale from Paire,” bemoans Jim Courier on commentary as slack serving swiftly puts him 0-30 down on his serve, before he responds with a glorious backhand lob to show what he can do when he bothers. Another delicious drop shot takes him to 30-30. A genuinely combative back-court rally ensues but ends with Norrie on match point when Paire nets. Norrie ceases it with a mid-court passing shot to wrap up an emphatic win against an opponent who looked only sporadically bothered.
That’s one Brit through. Another, Dan Evans, is about to start against Jiri Vesely.
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Cameron Norrie looks headed for the second round. He’s roared into a 4-0 lead in the third set against Benoit Paire, breaking twice in no time. A slightly more erratic start to Norrie’s next service game gives Paire an opening at 15-30, but a good low double-handed backhand winner at the net gets him back on track. He has to go through one deuce to secure the hold but this is surely done and dusted. 5-0.
A couple of other women’s first-round matches have gone into deciders. Ostapenko has won thee seond set against Zheng 6-3 to level the match, while Linette has taken the 22nd seed, Pliskova, into a third set by winning the second 6-4. But the sixth seed Sabalenka is through, 6-1, 6-3, against Harrison.
Time to nip over to Arthur Ashe to take in a bit of Carlos Alcaraz v Sebastian Baez, the first five games of the opening set having all gone with serve. Baez, serving, moves swiftly into a 30-0 lead in the sixth before Alcaraz unleashes a magnificent backhand return down the line. But Baez responds with a booming angled forehand winner and holds when Alcaraz nets a backhand. This one’s worth keeping an eye on. 3-3, first set.
Norrie wins second set tiebreak against Paire, 7-1
And we’re into a tiebreak between Paire and Norrie in the second set. The first mini-breaks, at 4-1 Norrie, come from a pair of Paire double-faults. Norrie responds by showing his opponent how to do it with a fierce angled ace, and another strong serve earns him five set points. And he takes the first of them thanks to yet another Paire double-fault. After producing some fine and battling tennis in that set, Paire has chucked it away. He trails 0-6, 6-7.
On Court 17, Grigor Dimitrov, the No 17 seed, is cruising 6-3, 6-2, 3-1 up against Steve Johnson of the US.
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Swiatek beats Paolini 6-3, 6-0
Paolini can’t break her run of service-game losses and Swiatek breaks to 30 to seal a comfortable victory. Her performance wasn’t without its blemishes but she looked stronger and more composed as the match went on and the outcome was never really in doubt.
And while I was focusing on that, Paire’s only gone and broken Norrie and is suddenly serving for the second set and to level the match. And it had been coming. But Norrie’s response is impressive, and a backhand pass gives him two break points. Paire saves the first of them, but a double-fault means he squanders the advantage he’d just worked hard to obtain. It’s 5-4 Paire in the second set and we’re back on serve.
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Swiatek’s stepped it up in this set, hitting crisper winners and cutting out some of the errors, against an opponent, Paolini, who’s asked her some questions but just can’t hold her serve. More powerful back-of-the-court tennis takes the No 1 seed to within a game of victory.
She now needs to hold serve for the first time since the opening game of the match to stay in it. 5-0, second set.
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Norrie’s had to work hard in this set and, after coming through a gruelling service hold at 3-3, the next game, also hard fought and featuring fine and at time unorthodox winners from both players, eventually goes to Paire after a length delay while a spectator received medical treatment in the searing heat. It’s 4-3 and on serve.
Swiatek’s now cruising against Paolini in the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead. And the No 6 seed, Aryna Sabalenka, is a set up on Catherine Harrison of the US, winning the first 6-1 and she’s 1-2 down in a second set that’s gone with serve so far.
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Time for another zoom round the courts. Karolina Pliskova has won the first set against Magda Linette 6-2, Muguruza likewise 6-3 against Tauson. But one seed in a bit of bother is Jelena Ostapenko, the 16th seed losing 6-3 in the first set against Qinwen Zheng of China.
Swiatek wins first set against Paolini 6-3
Paolini lazily forehands into the net to give Swiatek set point, which she takes in style with a deft backhand volley at the net. It’s the sixth break of serve in the set, which speaks to the inconsistencies of both players’ performances so far.
Swiatek’s probably going to win this, but she’s not playing flawlessly here, speckling her service games with the odd unforced error, and a misjudged backhand slice from a fine low return to the net from Piolini gives her another chance to break at 15-40. Swiatek saves the first but not the second, as she overhits a forehand to keep this set alive at 5-3.
Norrie’s having a tougher test in the second set against Paire –it’s gone with serve so far at 2-2.
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Paolini’s boost from that break is immediately nullified by Swiatek breaking her serve for the third game in a row, set up by a magnificent backhand winner that kisses the line to give her the break point – the No 1 seed leads 5-2, first set.
And Pegula has won the first set 6-2 against Golubic.
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Piolini grabs a break back against Swiatek. She’s still a break down, at 2-4, but there was some tenacious returning from the Italian in that game.
And Paire is on the scoreboard, winning the first game of the second set, on his serve, but Norrie is serving with power and confidence and cruises through another service game to love.
Elsewhere, Garbiñe Muguruza is 4-1 up in the first set against Clara Tausen of Denmark and Jessica Pegula is 3-2 and a break up against Viktorija Golubic.
Norrie wins first set against Paire 6-0
This one could be over in a jiffy. A merciless Norrie romps through his service game to wrap up the first set in a little over 20 minutes.
Over on Louis Armstrong, Paolini is digging in against Swiatek, winning a couple of points on the Pole’s serve, but an inconsistent service game hands Swiatek another break point, which she squanders with an overhit forehand, but she gets another and takes it, a second break putting the top seed 4-1 up in the first set.
Paire is playing with the air of a stroppy Sunday afternoon club player who just wants to get back to the bar. He backhands into the net to give Norrie another break point, which Paire saves when Norrie is pushed back and nets. Another assertive point gives him his first opening to win a game, but Norrie denies him and then gives himself another break point with a gorgeous angled forehand pass fro out wide. This time he takes it courtesy of another wild forehand from Paire – 5-0 to Norrie.
There’s a casualness to Paire’s play already that the strong and focused Norrie is exploiting. He romps through his service game, and seizes us on that laxity to go 0-40 up on Paire’s serve. The first break point is saved but the second isn’t and Norrie’s 3-0 up in no time.
Swiatek meanwhile hits her groove to break Piolini to love in an erratic service game from the Italian, which was mercilessly punished by that double-handed foreehand. The No 1 seed leads 2-1, first set.
An early break for Cameron Norrie: two errors from Paire put the Briton 0-30 up on Paire’s serve, and an overlong forehand gives him the break point, which he saves with a fierce smash at the net. Norrie gets another, which he takes with a display of controlled hitting from the back of the court. 0-1 first set.
And a confident hold for Piolini in the first game of her match against Swiatek.
It’s pretty hot in New York, as might be expected – 28 degrees C, nudging 29 – as Swiatek and Paolini make their way out before a currently half-full Louis Armstrong stadium.
How will Swiatek deal with the balls she’s been so openly critical of?
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Recommended reading: Rarely if ever can a first-round match have contained an atmosphere quite like that at Serena Williams’ win over Danka Kovinic. Tumaini Carayol captures the occasion:
If there was any doubt about the significance of Williams’ imminent departure, the spectacle that greeted her arrival on Arthur Ashe Stadium for her likely final tournament nailed it home. Mike Tyson sat next to Martina Navratilova. Gladys Knight appeared to Midnight Train to Georgia playing in the background. In Williams’ player box, her daughter, Olympia, emerged in the stands with beads in her braids, a full circle moment.
After Danka Kovinić made her way on to Arthur Ashe Stadium to relative golf claps, Williams’ entrance was preceded by a video narrated by Queen Latifah. She entered in a costume that sparkled from head to toe in diamonds, from her hair to the bedazzled cape that trailed her on to the court. Both Kanye West’s Diamonds from Sierra Leone and a deafening, prolonged roar from he crowd soundtracked her arrival.
And here’s Tumaini on Andy Murray’s win and Courtney Walsh on an impressive start for Nick Kyrgios.
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Preamble
Afternoon/morning everyone, and welcome to day two from Flushing Meadows. After a Monday in which the old stagers Serena Williams and, to a lesser extent, Andy Murray took a sizeable chunk of the attention, we begin with the leading stars of the present today, with the women’s top seed, Iga Swiatek, getting us under way at Louis Armstrong Stadium around 4pm BST (11am local time). She’ll be expected to see off Jasmine Paolini of Italy, the world No 56, though the Pole has looked distinctly fallible lately after an imperious first half of 2022.
Opening up on Arthur Ashe at 5pm is Carlos Alcaraz, the No 3 seed, who has a certain amount of hype to live up to against the unseeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina. Kicking off on Grandstand is the home hope Jessica Pegula, seeded eight, who faces Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.
And then the evening session (starting at midnight UK time) includes the intriguing face-off between the defending champion, Emma Raducanu, and Alice Cornet as well as Rafa Nadal’s opening match, against Rinky Hijikata.
From a British perspective, we’ve also got Dan Evans on in the early session, second on Court 10 against the Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely, and Cameron Norrie looking to build on his success at his most recent slam, when he takes on the unpredictable and colourful Benoît Paire in Court 11’s opening match.
Here’s the show court order of play in full:
Arthur Ashe Stadium (from 5pm BST)
S Baez v C Alcaraz (3)
A Van Uytvanck v V Williams
R Hijikata v R Nadal (2)
N Osaka v D Collins (19)
Louis Armstrong Stadium (from 4pm)
I Swiatek (1) v J Paolini
G Minnen v S Stephens
D Altmaier v J Sinner (11)
E Raducanu (11) v A Cornet
D Schwartzmann (14) v J Sock
Grandstand (from 4pm)
V Golubic v J Pegula (8)
J Isner v F Delbonis
M Cilic (15) v M Marterer
A Ansimova (24) v Y Putintseva
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