Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina moved a step closer to becoming the world’s No. 1 player for the first time with a straight-sets victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Thursday night to reach the third round of the US Open.
US Open: Scores | Order of play | Draws
Rybakina broke twice to claim the first set 6-2 and was leading 5-2 in the second before a minor hiccup. Bouzas Maneiro broke while Rybakina was serving for the match at 5-3, but Rybakina responded immediately with another break in the 10th game to complete the 6-2, 6-4 victory in 1 hour, 8 minutes.
It was Rybakina’s second win in as many matches against the Spaniard on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
Rybakina hit 22 winners, including seven aces, against 15 unforced errors, while Bouzas Maneiro finished with 13 winners and 12 unforced errors during the match. The Kazakh converted four of six break-point opportunities, while Bouzas Maneiro converted one of two.
The 27-year-old, who won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, is now three wins away from claiming the No. 1 ranking. She needs to reach the semifinals in New York to guarantee herself the top spot at the end of the tournament.
Rybakina gunning for revenge against Starodubtseva in third round
Rybakina, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round in seven previous US Open appearances, will next face Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva in a rematch of their second-round thriller at the French Open, which Starodubtseva won.
Starodubtseva saved three match points en route to a comeback win over No. 22 seed Maria Sakkari 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 earlier in the day to reach the US Open third round for the first time.
In their only previous meeting on tour, Rybakina rallied from 3-0 down in the deciding set to force a tiebreak, but Starodubtseva held on to record the biggest win of her career, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4), in 2 hours, 28 minutes.
With Starodubtseva now ranked No. 58 in the world, Rybakina will look to maintain her perfect record on hard courts this year against players outside the top 50. She is 12-0 in completed matches against such opponents.
Rybakina’s victory also ensured that all 10 top seeds have reached the third round at this year’s US Open, marking the first time that has happened at a Grand Slam since the 2021 US Open.