New York, Aug 31 (IANS) Iga Swiatek overcame a slow start to defeat No. 29 seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 56 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to the Round of 16 at the US Open for the fifth straight year.

Kalinskaya built a 5-1 lead in the first set—thanks, in part, to Swiatek’s 15 unforced errors and the No. 2 seed only landing 41% of her first serves. Leading 5-2, Kalinskaya had four set points. But she double faulted on two of them, enabling Swiatek to go on a tear.

Kalinskaya also double faulted away the 10th game to let Swiatek tie the set 5-all. The players traded breaks in the next two games, forcing a tiebreak. When Swiatek went up 5-0, Kalinskaya finally lost her cool, smashed her racket and kept playing. Swiatek punctuated the set, 7-2, by winning a seven-shot rally.

The pivotal game in the second set was the ninth. At 4-all, Kalinskaya allowed Swiatek a break point with her 11th double fault of the match. Swiatek seized the moment, went up 5-4, and served (successfully) for the match.

Swiatek, who is trying to be the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to win Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year, will now face No. 13 Ekaterina Alexandrova in Round 4.

Earlier, two-time US Open champion and No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka defeated Daria Kasatkina

6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round.

Osaka’s return to the Round of 16 in New York is her first trip to this stage since she last won the title in 2020. She advances into Round 4 for a highly anticipated fourth-round matchup with No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, who was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Magdalena Frech.

Elsewhere, No. 8 seed American Amanda Anisimova edged past Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Next up for the American is the winner of the match between Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, the No. 18 seed, and the unseeded but dangerous Greek player Maria Sakkari.

–IANS

bc/