74 minutes, and the doubt was gone
Seventy-four minutes. That is how long Elena Rybakina needed on Tuesday in New York to answer three weeks of questions about her left ankle. A 6-3, 6-2 win over 17-year-old American wildcard Thea Frodin, first round of the US Open, no drama at all.
The second seed was never troubled on serve. Three breaks from six chances, 17 winners, 11 unforced errors. Frodin hit 11 aces and 19 winners, which sounds fine until you reach her 21 unforced errors. That was the whole match.
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An ankle, and a player refusing to promise anything
Rybakina had not hit a competitive ball since retiring from her Cincinnati quarter-final against Iga Swiatek in August. The left ankle went, the season paused.
She would not commit to anything afterwards. “We’ll see day by day,” she said. “I’m happy I won. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow, because I had to take a real break and I didn’t do much physically. For now, it’s fine.”
Rain shoved Tuesday’s morning schedule back by three hours and 45 minutes, so the wait was long too.
World No. 1 is genuinely on the table
There is a ranking at stake here, not just a run. Rybakina leaves New York as world No. 1 if she reaches the semi-finals. She also gets there if Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff all fail to win the title.
Mirra Andreeva needed 69 minutes to see off Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2. The 19-year-old Russian, seeded fifth, is hunting a second Slam in one season after Roland-Garros. Germany’s Eva Lys is next.
Madison Keys had a nervier afternoon, edging Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4. “It’s always funny, I still think I’m a teenager, so seeing one across the net doesn’t make much sense to me,” said the 31-year-old, runner-up here in 2017. Twenty-one winners to seven, but 30 unforced errors alongside them.
Maria Sakkari had the worst of it. Down a set and two breaks, the Greek clawed back to beat Robin Montgomery 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
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