Sabalenka Storms into U.S. Open Third Round

Aryna Sabalenka comfortably defeated Lucia Bronzetti to advance to the U.S. Open third round. The Belarusian, a tournament favorite, showcased her strong serve. Despite facing challenges this season, including a shoulder injury, Sabalenka remains unstoppable, next facing Iva Jovic or Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Aryna Sabalenka faced little resistance from Lucia Bronzetti as the hard-hitting Belarusian eased past the Italian 6-3 6-1 on Wednesday to claim her spot in the U.S. Open third round.

Sabalenka, one of the favourites to win the tournament, put her punishing serve to good use, pounding five aces to just one double fault while never facing a break point. The second-seeded player needed a few games to settle in against the world number 76 but took control of the match when she outlasted Bronzetti in a rally to break for a 4-2 lead in the first set.

Sabalenka broke again to open the one-sided second set and cruised to the finish in just over an hour on a hot day at Louis Armstrong Stadium. "I'm happy I was able to manage this win in two sets," she said.