Strong start from Sabalenka as she overpowers Zanevska to advance to second round at US Open

Aryna Sabalenka was relentless in eliminating Maryna Zanevska and advanced to the second round of the 2023 US Open.

The Belarusian faced her first match at the US Open, where she entered as the second seed with the mission of reaching the world No. 1 ranking. Sabalenka only needs to progress at least one round further than Iga Swiatek in the tournament.

World No. 2 arrived at Flushing Meadows after being defeated in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open by Czech player Karolina Muchova.

Her opponent was the Belgian world No. 112 Maryna Zanevska, who hadn't secured a victory in a main draw since April at the Madrid Open against Sofia Kenin.

The match started erratically as both players exchanged service breaks twice, keeping the contest even at 2-2. The Belarusian was the first to hold her service and then secured a break to take a 5-2 lead.

The Belgian defended her service for the first time on her fourth attempt, but it wasn't enough as world No. 2 eventually claimed the set 6-3.

At the second set, Zanevska earned a break and took a 2-0 lead for the first time. However, the Belarusian improved her rhythm and overwhelmed her opponent, winning six consecutive games to secure the victory 6-3, 6-2.

Sabalenka has advanced past the first round of the US Open for the sixth consecutive time in her six main draw appearances. Her best results so far have been consecutive semifinals in 2021 (defeat against Leylah Fernandez) and 2022 (defeat against Iga Swiatek).

In the second round, she will face world No. 96 Jodie Burrage, who defeated Anna Blinkova in the first round with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This will be the first encounter between the British player and Sabalenka, who is still in the running to claim the top spot in the rankings for the first time in her career.