NEW YORK (Reuters) – Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova continued her impressive run at the U.S. Open, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2 6-1 on Saturday to storm into the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in five years.
The Czech ninth seed, who made her Grand Slam breakthrough at the All England Club last month, has flown under the radar in New York and came into the clash with her Russian opponent having dropped only seven games.
The 24-year-old surrendered her serve twice in the first set but showed all her artistry at Louis Armstrong Stadium to break Alexandrova four times and wrap it up easily.
Alexandrova continued to look shaky on her delivery in the next set and allowed Vondrousova to surge ahead 4-0 with a third double fault of the contest before finally producing a hold two games later to avoid a bagel.
But there would be no late comeback for the 22nd seed, with Vondrousova completing the victory in only 56 minutes when Alexandrova fired a backhand wide.
“I felt really good,” said Vondrousova, who will meet American hope Peyton Stearns in the next round.
“I was waiting the whole day, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s actually my first night session here and I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much.
“I’m very happy with my game, it’s a lot of pressure and I didn’t know how it’s going to work. I’m just grateful to be here and play healthy again. I’m enjoying my time in New York.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
