• Australian World No. 1 beats Danish teenager Tauson, while Czech 10th seed downs compatriot Kristyna Pliskova
Australia’s top-ranked Ashleigh Barty rolled into the third round of the US Open yesterday while New York struggled to recover from a deadly storm and flash flooding.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida killed at least eight people and triggered a rare state of emergency for the city, flooding subways and turning roads into rivers.
With abandoned cars scattered across streets near the National Tennis Center and many highways shut down, only a smattering of spectators watched in a cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium as Barty dispatched Danish 18-year-old Clara Tauson 6-1, 7-5.
Barty send a backhand long to surrender a break in the 10th game of the second set while serving for the match but held her nerve, broke back and held again to win in 90 minutes.
“I’ve always been quite a calm person,” Barty said. “That’s certainly part of my game.”
Barty, who next plays American Shelby Rogers or Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, seeks her third career Grand Slam title, her second in a row after Wimbledon, and her sixth trophy of the year as well as her first US Open quarter-finals appearance.
Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, the Tokyo Olympic champion, beat Italy’s Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 in windy conditions.
“That was a little bit tricky but after yesterday’s bad weather I’m not complaining,” Bencic said. “Thanks to everyone for coming. I know it was not easy.”
Above the US Open grounds, there were sunny blue cloudless skies. Outdoor furniture scattered by high winds had been restored or replaced. High water that flooded plazas the night before had drained away.
“Thank you for your patience with last night’s events and we hope that you are safe,” the tournament tweeted.
“The safety of our fans, players and staff is of the utmost importance,” said a statement from the US Tennis Association, which delayed outer court starts by an hour to allow extra time for cleanup.
Petra Kvitova, the 10th seed, powered past fellow Czech Kristyna Pliskova with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory.
Russian Varvara Gracheva stunned 24th seed Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4 while compatriot and French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
Tsitsipas rolls on after another long toilet break
Late Wednesday, Stefanos Tsitsipas took another trademark long bathroom break then credited it for advancing to the third round.
The 23-year-old Greek third seed was booed after taking more than eight minutes between the third and fourth sets but dominated after his extended toilet trip to flush Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I think taking a break and going to change — I was completely wet — I was refreshed,” Tsitsipas said when asked about the key to sweeping the final set in 30 minutes.
“I was much more able to deliver good tennis in the fourth set. I was able to stay resilient on each and every point.”
Tsitsipas, who matched his deepest US Open run, has been ridiculed by Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev for extended bathroom breaks seen as gamesmanship.
French Open runner-up Tsitsipas, who says he’s only following ATP rules that have no time limit on toilet breaks, fired a career-high 27 aces, five more than his previous best, in winning his ATP-best 50th match of the year.
High winds and water drenched the grounds and wind-blown rain entered through upper corner openings under the closed roof of Louis Armstrong Stadium to suspend a second-round match between South African Kevin Anderson and Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.
Anderson and Schwartzman resumed in Ashe after Tsitsipas’ victory, with the South American winning 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner who could meet Osaka in the fourth round, beat 21st seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in an all-American showdown.
“I’m really pleased with how I played,” Stephens said.
Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic returns the ball against compatriot Kristyna Pliskova (not pictured) during their second round match yesterday. (AFP)
