Aryna Sabalenka underlined her US Open title credentials with a dominant second-round win over Lucia Bronzetti that she said was inspired by a “mini-me” fan in the crowd.
Second seed Sabalenka, runner-up in New York last year, beat Italy’s Bronzetti 6-3 6-1 in just 61 minutes.
Afterwards she headed straight over to meet a young fan who had come dressed as Sabalenka, complete with a temporary tiger tattoo on her left arm.
“I just looked up, and I saw on the big screen, like, mini me. It was so cute,” Sabalenka said.
“It’s such a motivation to keep going to inspire the young generation. That was a very adorable moment.”
Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka was in control from the outset on a sweltering day in New York.
Bronzetti held her own early on, but ultimately the power of Sabalenka was too much for the world number 76.
The Australian Open champion snatched her only break opportunity of the first set to go up 4-2 and calmly saw it out from there.
She promptly broke twice early in the second set and again to secure victory, finishing the match with an impressive 24 winners.
“I told myself that I had to stay focused from the first point to the last one, and make sure you’re not going to spend a crazy amount of hours [playing] so you’re ready for the next one,” she said.
“It’s tough conditions to play in but I’m happy I was able to manage the win in two sets.”
Gauff shakes off serving struggles to advance
Defending champion Coco Gauff, who beat Sabalenka in last year’s final, overcame a scrappy first set to beat Maria Tatjana later at Flushing Meadows.
Gauff memorably won her first Grand Slam singles title in New York last year and is now on a nine-match winning streak at her home major.
She struggled for rhythm in the first set, making 20 unforced errors and hitting seven double faults before eventually closing it out.
The American was much improved in the second set, approaching the net more and relocating her first serve to see off the veteran Maria.
“I think I played well overall,” Gauff, 20, said.
“If I could have served better that first set would have been a lot easier.”
She will face a tough third-round match against 27th seed Elina Svitolina after the Ukrainian beat compatriot Anhelina Kalinina 6-1 6-2.
Wimbledon champion Krejcikova out as Azarenka overcomes migraine
Earlier, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova suffered an early exit as she lost 6-4 7-5 to Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Krejcikova became a two-time Grand Slam champion in July by adding the Wimbledon title to her triumph at the 2021 French Open.
The 28-year-old reached the quarter-final on her main-draw debut at the US Open in 2021, but has since failed to get past round two in New York.
She was outplayed by Ruse, who struck the ball confidently to set up a meeting with 26th seed Paula Badosa of Spain.
Three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka became tearful after struggling with a migraine during her 6-1 6-4 victory over Clara Burel 6-1 6-4.
Belarus’ Azarenka called for the doctor midway through the second set and said she was struggling to focus her vision with what she felt was an oncoming migraine.
She received treatment and dialled back in to secure victory, before covering her head with a towel and donning sunglasses under the stadium lights.
“It was very tough out there, I didn’t know if I could finish the match,” Azarenka, 35, said.
“I know it looks weird and awkward wearing sunglasses but I have a chronic migraine and it’s really tough to deal with.”
She will face China’s Wang Yafan for a place in the fourth round.
Home hopes Emma Navarro and Madison Keys made quick work of their respective opponents. Navarro beat Arantxa Rus 6-1 6-1 and Keys breezed past Maya Joint 6-4 6-0 to set up a meeting with Elise Mertens.
Meanwhile, for the second match in succession, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen recovered from losing the first set to progress.
Zheng, the seventh seed, beat Erika Andreeva 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-2.
But Great Britain’s Harriet Dart failed in her bid to reach the US Open third round for the first time, losing in straight sets to 19th seed Marta Kostyuk, who will play Navarro next.
Later, defending champion Coco Gauff takes on Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the opening match of the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
