| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 August-10 September |
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American hope Coco Gauff survived a scare as she fought back to beat German qualifier Laura Siegemund in the US Open first round.
Gauff, 19, was outplayed in the first set but turned things around to win 3-6 6-2 6-4 in the New York night session.
Earlier, Polish top seed Iga Swiatek began her title defence with a 6-0 6-1 win over Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in just 58 minutes.
Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari was the biggest casualty on day one.
Sakkari, 28, has now lost in the first round of the past three majors after she was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Spanish world number 71 Rebeka Masarova.
Elsewhere, fourth seed Elena Rybakina – who had struggled in the build-up with a shoulder injury – beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-1, while Brazilian 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia beat 2017 champion Sloane Stephens.
Danish former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who retired in January 2020 and has since had two children, marked her return to Grand Slam action in style with a 6-3 6-2 win against Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova.
“It feels amazing to be back. I was nervous coming out here but to get a win under my belt feels so special,” said two-time runner-up Wozniacki, who plays 11th seed Petra Kvitova next.
Gauff and Swiatek through in contrasting fashion
Sixth seed Gauff is among the favourites to challenge Swiatek at the final major of the season, having won the two biggest titles of her career – at Washington and Cincinnati – in the build-up.
But she was made to dig deep against 35-year-old Siegemund, who has fallen down the rankings amid injury struggles.
Gauff was unable to match Siegemund’s intensity in a first set where the German played with variety and was particularly clinical at the net.
With a star-studded crowd including former United States president Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, 2006 champion Maria Sharapova and boxer Mike Tyson watching her, Gauff had some problem solving to do.
The teenager broke in the first game of the second set, an epic which lasted 26 minutes and saw Gauff finally convert an eighth break point.
That proved pivotal as she used the momentum to quickly level the match.
Gauff broke twice to lead 3-0 in the decider and, after losing patience with Siegemund’s…
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