Action continued on day two at Flushing Meadows with another big upset in the women’s tournament. Yet to get over first round loss of world number 2 Simona Halep, day two recorded the bigger of of the two days, the exit of defending champion Angelique Kerber to 19 year old Naomi Osaka.
Osaka recorded the biggest win of her career by knocking out defending champion Kerber 6-3 6-1 in the first round of the US Open.
Even heavy rain in New York couldn’t halt the momentum of the world number Osaka or could it save the German from avoiding a defeat. The final three games were completed under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof at the end of the day session.
The former world number one has endured a terrible year of tennis after winning her second Grand Slam last year at Flushing Meadows.
The loss to the 2016 WTA new comer will drop Kerber out of the top 10.
World number one Karolina Pliskova started her bid for a first Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-2 6-1 win against 72nd ranked Magda Linette in the first round of the US Open.
Pliskova, last year’s beaten finalist beat Linette in one hour and 18 minutes.
She has to go as far as getting to the finals of the US Open to retain her ranking while six other players could also topple her at the top if they get to win at Flushing Meadows.
French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko beat Lara Arruabarrena 6-2 1-6 6-1 in a match which began on court 17 before heavy rain.
Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, Czech 23rd seed Barbora Strycova and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea are all through to the next round.
In the men’s draw, world number one Rafael Nadal recovered from a shaky start to beat Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 6-2 to reach the second round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
In a match played under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof because of heavy rain in New York, Serb Lajovic served for the first set but Nadal broke back to love.
After taking the first set on a tie-break, the Spaniard dominated against the world number 85.
19 Grand Slam champion Roger Federer needed five sets to overcome American teenager Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the US Open.
The 36 year old won 4-6 6-2 6-1 1-6 6-4 in his first ever match under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.
The heavy rain that came over one hour of play forced the cancellation of other men’s matches scheduled outside the Ashe stadium.
In total, 44 singles matches and completion of 11 others under way were postponed when rain halted play.
