Pegula shakes off slow start for first round win
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Third-ranked Jessica Pegula shook off nerves that contributed to a slow start against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, winning her opening match at the U.S. Open on Sunday in straight sets.
Leading off at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 32-year-old American missed her first nine opportunities to break Ruse but found a rhythm and began dominating. Coming off a trip to the final at the Cincinnati Open, which she lost to Coco Gauff, Pegula won 92% of her first-serve points on the way to a 6-3, 6-2 victory in 83 minutes.
“I was so nervous,” Pegula said. “I was like sending GIFs of what I felt like. It was GIFs of people freaking out and stuff. … The first round of a slam, there’s always a ton of nerves.”
Maybe a little more this time, given what’s at stake.
Pegula leads the women’s tour with 46 wins this season. She has two titles and has reached three other finals. Pegula can become No. 1 in the women’s rankings if she wins her first major title and No. 2 Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinals.
Pegula next faces the winner of the match between Venus Williams and fellow wild card Sofia Kenin. They’re set to play in the nightcap at Ashe, and Williams and sister Serena are scheduled to play doubles together.
A Sunday start but the champions don’t begin until Monday
It was the second year of a Sunday start, though some of the biggest headliners don’t begin until Monday. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka plays her opening match against Camila Osorio, before Carlos Alcaraz, who won his second U.S. Open title last year, plays his first singles match since April after recovering from a right wrist injury.
Past U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, Sloane Stephens and Stan Wawrinka are also on the Monday schedule, along with Wimbledon women’s champion Linda Noskova and men’s contenders such as Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe.
Other early winners Sunday included No. 19 Jasmine Paolini and No. 31 Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up. But No. 27 seed Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, lost 7-6 (4), 6-2 to Kamilla Rakhimova.
On the men’s side, Daniil Medvedev was up next at Ashe against Hugo Gaston. Novak