Sep 2, 2021
Andreescu, Shapovalov advance to third round at US Open with straight sets wins
Canada's Bianca Andreescu downed American Lauren Davis, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday, and remains undefeated at the Grand Slam following her 2019 title at Flushing Meadows. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., earned a straight sets win over Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain to advance.
The Canadian Press
NEW YORK — Bianca Andreescu is into the third round at the U.S. Open.
The sixth-seeded Canadian downed American Lauren Davis, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday, and remains undefeated at the Grand Slam following her 2019 title at Flushing Meadows.
Andreescu failed to hold serve twice in the opening set but broke right back both times to avoid any sort of early trouble.
Despite 11 unforced errors and opening the match down 2-0, she quickly turned it into a 3-2 lead and finished the set by taking six of the last eight games.
Both players continued to struggle holding serve in the second set, but the Mississauga, Ont., native battled through and ended the match in one hour 35 minutes.
Andreescu overcame 23 unforced errors with six aces while winning 6-of-8 break points.
Next up for Andreescu is 104th-ranked Greet Minnen of Belgium, who got into the tournament as the lucky loser.
Andreescu missed the 2020 U.S. Open, withdrawing from the tournament after battling various injuries that set her back.
Later Thursday, men's seventh seed Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., earned a straight sets win over Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain to advance.
Shapovalov got stronger as the night went on, firing nine aces and taking the match 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-0.
He will face Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the third round.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil is out after a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) loss to Ilya Ivashka of Belarus in second-round action on the men's side.
Pospisil had 12 aces in the match and outscored Ivashka 35-23 on winners. But the Canadian was undone by mistakes, committing 46 unforced errors, compared to just 19 by Ivashka.
Pospisil was looking to build on his comeback win over Fabio Fognini in the first round. Pospisil was down two sets before rallying to eliminate the 28th-seeded Italian.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2021.