US Open Briefing – American Results: Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula lock in their third-round spots

Round two of the US Open is underway with several top American names back on the court, delivering key victories in a notable day for the home players. Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula led the local charge with convincing wins that put them into the Round of 32.

The day also featured a couple of All-American clashes, on both the men's and women's sides. Emma Navarro is starting to find her best tennis again, defeating Caty McNally, while Frances Tiafoe is another who will take the court in an all-American showdown against 21-year-old qualifier Martinn Damm.

It was a seamless day for the world No. 11, who again secured a straight-sets victory against Caty McNally and is now into the third round of the US Open. As the 10th seed, Emma Navarro came with the mission of defending her great 2024 campaign where she reached the semifinals. This marks the first time in the American hardcourt swing that Navarro has managed back-to-back wins, as she had only one victory in her last five matches before the US Open.

The 10th seed didn't have to break much of a sweat to take the 6-2, 6-1 victory in one hour and 18 minutes against an erratic McNally. Navarro only had a 53% first-serve rate—winning 60% of those points—but that was enough to stay ahead throughout the match. McNally's errors were key, as she committed a total of 33 unforced errors compared to Navarro's nine. McNally was only able to hold one of her eight service games, winning just 35% of her service points. It was an easy win for Navarro, who will face the winner between Moyuka Uchijima and two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova in the third round.

Jessica Pegula was another who cruised to an easy win, taking advantage of an inconsistent day from her opponent. The 2024 US Open finalist took to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium and once again had no issues advancing, defeating world No. 80 Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3. As usual, Pegula was consistent with her serve (63% first-serve rate, winning 64% of those points), in addition to being especially aggressive with 30 winners compared to her opponent's seven.

In the first set, Blinkova held her first service game, but then Pegula went on a run of six consecutive games to take the set. There were some minor issues with Pegula's serve in the second set, but everything was ultimately just a blip. It was a comfortable win for the world No. 4, who will meet former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the third round.

The 2024 US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz faced a tough second-round challenge against Lloyd Harris (No. 353), but he managed to pull through with his best tennis, winning 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4. The world No. 4 overcame a one-set deficit against the South African, who even came close to taking the second set.

Fritz had a decent serving performance with a 63% first-serve rate and won 75% of those points, though he gave up too many break opportunities. Harris managed to secure three breaks on eight chances, while Fritz converted five of his 14 opportunities.

The first set was close, but in the key moments, it was Harris who capitalized on the tension, saving two break points against him before converting his own on his third try. Relying on his serve, the South African took a one-set lead (6-4) and then forced a tiebreak in the second. However, Fritz showed his experience to get back into the match and level the score by winning the second-set tiebreak (7-6[3]).

While the third set was completely dominated by Fritz, the fourth was a tight "rollercoaster" with breaks from both players. In fact, Fritz wasted four match points on his serve and saw Harris get a break late in the match, although it wasn't enough for a comeback. Fritz closed out a hard-earned victory to advance to the third round, where he will face Swiss surprise Jerome Kym, who eliminated the 30th seed Brandon Nakashima in a fifth-set tiebreak. The Swiss qualifier is in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.