Aryna Sabalenka Crushes Iatcenko to Reach US Open Third Round

Aryna Sabalenka gave Polina Iatcenko little room to settle, sweeping past the Russian qualifier 6-1, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to move into the US Open third round.

The top-seeded Belarusian needed only 24 minutes to take the opening set. Her power and precision overwhelmed Iatcenko, the world No. 160, and Sabalenka immediately applied the same pressure in the second set by breaking serve in the opening game and holding to love.

She briefly dropped serve in the fourth game, but responded at once by breaking back for a 4-1 lead. Sabalenka closed out the match in 53 minutes, finishing with 24 winners to Iatcenko’s three.

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I’m super happy to play in front of you, the night sessions here are the best.

“I’m super happy to play in front of you, the night sessions here are the best,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. “I’m happy with my level, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match.”

The victory extended Sabalenka’s US Open winning streak to 16 matches and kept her on course for a third consecutive title. If she succeeds, she would become only the third woman in the professional era to win three straight New York titles, joining Serena Williams and Chris Evert. Her next opponent is Kamilla Rakhimova, whom she has beaten in all three of their previous meetings.

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I’m happy with my level, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match.