US Open WTA Day Five Round-Up | Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Alexandra Eala, Iga Swiatek move into third round

The second round concluded at the US Open on Thursday with Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff among others heading through on an action packed day. Elena Rybakina also moved past Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Gauff took down Paula Badosa in an epic straight sets win. The World No.4 booked her fifth consecutive third round in New York with a 6-4, 7-6 win over the Spaniard who had won their last two meeting on the WTA Tour. On Saturday, Gauff will face another Spaniard in Cristina Bucsa.

Badosa pressured Gauff early with a double break point opportunity. Gauff's serve was shaky to start, but she won four straight points to hold that was capped off with a superb 115mph ace. Badosa's backhand was excellent on Thursday. At 2-2, Badosa stretched Gauff wide on serve. The return came right back to Badosa on the baseline. Badosa took a 3-2 lead 30 minutes in. It was pretty even in the opening few games. Badosa though wilted and handed Gauff a breakthrough.

Gauff closed the 52-minute opening set with two strong service games highlighted by a serve and volley on her second set point. Gauff having her break point chance to begin the second saw Badosa attempt to catch Gauff off guard with a drop shot. However Badosa produced an 18th unforced error. Gauff had to finish the job and Badosa remained competitive despite being down a break. Down 4-3, Badosa capitalised getting a break at 4-4. After holds, Badosa dug herself out of a hole and saving break points, it still went to a tie-break which saw Gauff prevail to seal an eighth tie-break win of the season.

Next is Bucsa who prevailed 7-6 (6), 6-7 (0), 7-6 (10-6) against Himeno Sakatsume in one of the matches of the day. Also epic was Madison Keys' great escape as she came from 5-2 down in the third set and saved five match points in a thrilling 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 win over Anna Bondar.

The former Australian Open champion caught a few lucky breaks when Bondar hit two double faults on her first two match points. Keys broke to cut the gap to 5-3 and she saved a fifth match point with a forehand winner before taking the game. Keys took the next two games for the 6-5 lead before Bondar held to force the deciding 10-point tie-breaker.

Bondar jumped out into a 5-3 lead and Keys forehand saved her again, she hit four consecutive forehand winners to take a 7-5 lead and then won the last three points to seal the win and book a spot in the third round.

Alexandra Eala is also through after another top court placing and will face one of her best friends in Iva Jovic next. After dropping just three games in her opening round win on Tuesday, she was equally as impressive in her win on Thursday. She defeated Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour, 4 minutes to reach the third round in New York for the first time.

Eala lost in a three-set marathon to Oliynykova at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in May so got a modicum of revenge. She struck 19 winners to 17 unforced errors and took down a last minute push in the second set. She faces off against Jovic next who saw off Francesca Jones in a pretty comfortable 6-4, 6-4 win.

Other victors included Amanda Anisimova who managed to survive a second set loss against Lili Tagger to win through 3-6 6-3, 1-6 just after her birthday after winning on her big day. Qinwen Zheng, Mirra Andreeva, Yuliia Starodubtseva and NIkola Bartunkova are also through.

Qinwen continues on from qualifying taking down Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. While Mirra Andreeva made light work of Eva Lys in a 6-0, 6-2 win. Sakkari led throughout against Starodubtseva in a 6-1, 6-7, 2-6 win for the Ukrainian but buckled in the decider. While Bartunkova won through against Tatjana Maria 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. Elise Mertens, Marie Bouzkova and Anastasia Potapova are also through. Mertens saw off Timofeeva 2-6, 6-7. While Bouzkova beat Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-2. Potapova also won in three against Leolia Jeanjean 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

Naomi Osaka early in the night recovered from a second set dip to see off Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in 2 hours, 2 minutes. She needed two tie-breaks to get past Anastasia Zakharova in the first round. Osaka did not face a break point for the first service games against Siniakova. After failing to serve out the second set, she was broken three consecutive times and then took control of the decider.

Osaka has reached the US Open third round for the eighth time in 10 main-draw appearances. While Iga Swiatek is also through after easing past Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2. While Elena Rybakina ended the night in a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Certainly one to watch amid her previous injury plight and she concludes the third round line-up.