MATCH REPORT | 2024 US Open: Aryna Sabalenka eases through as Harriet Dart falls apart against Marta Kostyuk

World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka is through to the third round with no problems at all at the 2024 US Open. She eased past Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday night at Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka won in just over an hour in a pretty emphatic display. Given her form as of late, she came into the tournament as one of the favourites for the title. She has continued that onto her actual play easing through the first two rounds.

After previous near misses at Flushing Meadows, she is finding her groove again and saw off the Italian emphatically. It was a pretty even start between the pair but the top names pick their moments to precision. After pretty easy holds on both wings, Sabalenka broke serve overturning a deficit of 40-15 to seal it 4-2 which turned the tie in her favour.

No further break points from either side came as Sabalenka sealed the set 6-3. The second set was a lot more simpler as she upped the tempo. She broke to begin with a double break consolidated for 4-0.

She then broke for a third time with no resolve back for 6-1 and the second set. Next up is likely Ekaterina Alexandrova with Madison Keys who ended the run of Maya Joint likely in the fourth round.

It was an easy 6-4, 6-0 win for Keys in the second round as she showed the rising Aussie who was boss in a lesson of experience winning in just over an hour. After toiling in the first set, she thrashed her in just over twenty minutes in the second. While elsewhere, Harriet Dart fell apart against Marta Kostyuk.

She was beaten 7-6, 6-1 in the end. She served for the set at 5-4 as well as at 6-5. She went 6-3 up in the tie-break and went ahead on serve twice again but still lost the set and fell apart mentally from there as Kostyuk took advantage of the drop off to ease through in the second set. Only Boulter now remains after Emma Raducanu's loss last night too.

A steep learning curve certainly for Dart. While Qinwen Zheng was pushed to the limit by Erika Andreeva in the first set before easing through the next two. She was taken to a tie-break and the Russian won it to set the shock on the cards. But Queenwen found her form and won the next two sets dropping just two games.

It is a day thus far that has also seen Paula Badosa win, Gabriela Ruse also dumped out Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova too.