Key events
Jessica Pegula rattles off another service game against Elena-Gabriela Ruse for a 5-3 lead in the first set on Arthur Ashe.
Jasmine Paolini (19) beats Veronika Erjavec 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Paolini is just too good. She dismantles the Erjavec serve to take a 0-40 lead and wins it at the second time of asking. The Italian looked understandably rusty after a seven-week layoff (quarter-finals of Wimbledon) but gutted it out superbly. Forza!
Paolini dumps a backhand into the net for 15-30. Not what she wanted but a huge serve saves her bacon. 30-30. A lovely whipped forehand creates the match point. Here we go. Deuce. Break point. A weak drop shot gives Erjavec the advantage in the rally but can’t take the chance and Paolini makes no mistake to take it back to deuce. Just like that the Slovene has another break point with a devilishly deep return of serve. Cracking play from Erjavec seals the break after saving a match point. 5-4 to Paolini with Erjavec serving to stay in it.
Paolini has two break points for 5-3 in the decider and crushes a forehand to clinch it. The 19th seed is serving for the match!
Jessica Pegula is up 30-15 against serve and will be hoping to get the job done this time but is pegged back to 30-30. After fighting back to deuce she breaks at the first opportunity to take a commanding 3-2 lead in the opening set against Ruse.
Meanwhile after taking my eye of the ball, it is 3-2 to Rakhimova over Krejcikova against serve in their second set. The two-time grand slam champion and 27th seed is on the ropes.
Erjavec is fighting hard but Paolini rushes the net for 30-30. She throws in a serve/volley but it fails and Erjavec has the break point. Paolini defends magnificently and goes on the offensive to send it to deuce. A magic rally finishes off with a lob at the net from Erjavec after a beautiful drop volley brings Paolini into no mans land. The Italian sends a forehand long and Erjavec is back on serve at 4-3.
Pegula is in trouble and is break point down to Ruse. The Romanian shanks one out the back though, oops. The American serves it out for 2-2.
Jasmine Paolini is piling on the pressure at 4-1 up in the third at deuce on Erjavec’s serve but she nets to give up a game point. Erjavec expertly leaves a volley and the ball flies out the back to get up to 4-2 down with the Italian serving.
Pegula whiffs on two early break point chances against Ruse but the Romanian can’t convert either. We go back for a second deuce. Pegula is gift wrapped a third break point chance. No good. Deuce again. Fourth chance for Pegula after a weak forehand from Ruse into the net.
The American gets a look at a second serve … steps inside the baseline but the Romanian stands strong for deuce … again. Fifth try for Pegula. Another second serve. Error. Deuce. Sixth try. Deuce. Seventh break point. Second serve. Error. Deuce. Eighth BP. Second serve. Saved with incredible defence. Hats of to Ruse withstanding this intense pressure.
Game point, Ruse!!! Deuce. Game point again. This game is 15 minutes long now. C’mon Rusey! You got this. She does it!! Saves eight break points for a … 2-1 lead first-set lead. Oh, tennis. Never change.
Meanwhile Pegula might be quietly fuming.
Paolini is racing again and breaks for 4-1. No looking back now?
Paolini is back on top with a break of serve in set three to lead 3-1 over Erjavec.
Paolini v Erjavec: the decider is up and running. The Slovene holds to love to make it 1-1 in the third set. Paolini is refinding her rhythm though after the reset with a quick hold for 2-1 after an ace.
Third seed Jessica Pegula has started the day on Arthur Ashe against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. That is 1-1 in the first set after the home favourite Pegula holds serve.
Oh no, Rakhimova hits the deck on the opening point. She goes down but is unhurt. Unfortunately gives the mini-break up though and fights back to immediately take it back to 1-1 then 2-1 as Krejcikova hits her 11th unforced error on the forehand side. Huge chance for Rakhimova here. A double fault sends it to 2-2 in the breaker but goes 3-2 ahead after another overhit ball from the Czech. And another gives Rakhimova a vital 4-2 lead. A weak serve and a poor return give the Uzbek four set points. One saved after a failed drop shot. Two saved with a huge forehand. Kamila Rakhimova wins the first set 7-6 (4) at the third time of asking. Upset o’clock well halfway anyway.
16 winners for Krejcikova but also 19 errors.
Jasmine Paolini is huffing and puffing as she dumps a forehand into the net to lose the second set 3-6. Veronika Erjavec squares the match up and a decider is on the way.
Paolini is struggling mightily on serve on Armstrong as she gifts another way. Erjavec takes the 4-2 lead and motors quickly through for 5-2. A deciding set may likely be on the way.
No pressure for Krejcikova as she holds her own for a tie-break in the opener with Rakhimova.
Krejcikova deviates from her neutral power hitting position to stay in a rally and it saves a game point to send it to deuce at 5-5. She reverts to type though and misses a big ball to allow Rakhimova a crucial hold of serve. 6-5. Krejcikova serving to stay in the first set. Nail biter.
Paolini is in a hole at break point down after missing a chance for 2-2. The Italian sends down a second serve and misses the next ball with a wild forehand out wide. Erjavec takes control of the second frame 3-1. That is until she succumbs to Paolini’s power hitting to gift the break back at 3-2 with the Italian serving next.
Krejcikova goes big on a second serve at 15-15 as she is trying to stay in the set and it works perfectly. From there she stays patient on a moon ball and crushes a winner down the line. Two chances to get to 5-5 and she takes the first with another winner down the line.
Erjavec is fighting hard on Armstrong as she saves two break points and smashes an ace out wide to create a game point. The next serve is unreturnable. 2-1 to Erjavec. Nice.
Trouble for Rakhimova after a double fault puts her 30-15 down but a big serve gets her back level. Another horror error from Krejcikova sets up the game point but the Uzbek fails to convert. Pressure on at deuce. Another two unforced errors from the Czech takes the pressure off immediately. 5-4 Rakhimova.
Meanwhile Paolini drops serve for 1-1. What was that about all gas no brakes?
Paolini is all gas no brakes as she takes control with a break of serve to start the second set on Louis Armstrong. One way traffic.
Krejcikova levels it up against Rakhimova at 4-4 with an easy hold.
I am hearing in my earpiece that 19th seed Casper Ruud has withdrawn from the US Open through injury. The men’s draw continues to open up.
Krejcikova battles back quickly to set up two break points. Rakhimova goes ham on an attempted winner but just misses the line out wide. Back on serve at 4-3 to the Uzbek.
Paolini has just broken serve too and is serving for the set at 5-3. The 19th seed is just too good and is quickly 40-0 up after hitting her 10th winner. An ace seals the set 6-3.
Paolini responds with an ace to put those wasted chances in the rearview. A couple of missed returns and the Italian is 4-3 up.
Krejcikova is in a hole at 30-15 down on serve but whips a huge forehand winner down the line to and follows it up with an unreturnable serve. A lazy error sends us to deuce and Rakhimova has a look at a break point after a horrible double fault. Krejcikova already has four in the match. That second serve looked was maybe two feet out the back of the box. Another second on the way. Aaaah it hits the tape but goes in. Another and Rakhimova breaks for 4-2 after the Czech smashes another out the back of the court.
Jasmine Paolini is hitting the ball so hard and Erjavec cannot stay in the rallies. Paolini cannot convert a break point though after catching the tape. The Italian quickly sets up another with a rocket that hits the line. Another error from Paolini sends it back to deuce. A brutal backhand creates a third break point but again Paolini hits the tape. A wry smile, another error and Erjavec stands strong for 3-3.
Rakhimova rolls through her service game to take a 3-2 lead over Krejcikova.
Krejcikova gets in a muddle after squandering a 40-0 lead on serve. Deuce. She fights back though. Wins the game with a lovely serve down the T. All square at 2-2.
Paolini delivers a dominant effort on serve to change ends at 3-2 up.
Over to Louis Armstrong and Erjavec defends superbly to set up two game points to level the first set at 2-2 against Paolini. The underdogs holding their own early doors.
The gameplan looks clear for Krejcikova. Max power. She is trying to hit Rakhimova clear off the court and it goes rather well as she gets the 30-15 lead against serve. Critical early point incoming and she nails the return to set up two break points. A big serve saves one and an error saves the other. Rakhimova gets a boost with the hold from deuce for 2-1. Nice serving under pressure.
A pair of big aces for Barbora Krejcikova kicks her off nicely for the easiest of holds and 1-1. Your move, Kamilla.
Meanwhile, Paolini and Erjavec have traded breaks of sevre for 1-1.
Barbora Krejcikova leads the head-to head 1-0 over Kamilla Rakhimova with a win at this very tournament in 2021. A third round 6-4, 6-2 stroll for the Czech.
And they are underway, Rakhimova takes a 30-0 lead but Krejcikova takes control with some heavy hitting to square it up. A shank after some moon ball antics hands the Uzbek the game point and she takes a 1-0 lead after the return is dumped into the net.
Barbora Krejcikova and Kamilla Rakhimova are on Court 17 as they take their picture at the net. They start rolling through some groundies as we are almost nearing the start of play. Serves now, come on, get going!
Jasmine Paolini is warming up on Louis Armstrong. Her opponent Veronika Erjavec is ranked 106 in the world but is enjoying a strong year getting up to a career high of 84 in May. The 26-year-old Slovene has only won one match at a slam and is featuring for the first time in the main draw at Flushing Meadows.
Meanwhile Paolini’s best result in New York is the fourth round in 2024, the same year she was a beaten finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
More reading comes Novak Djokovic who is chasing down a 25th grand slam title at Flushing Meadows. The 39-year-old Serb, who is playing in the third match on Arthur Ashe tonight, is hungry to make a mark with the men’s draw wide open without Jannik Sinner in New York. Can he do it?
If you missed it here is Tumaini Carayol’s preview of the tournament. He promises drama. Let’s go!
Preamble
Hi, hello and welcome to the last grand slam of the season. After the mixed doubles hors d’oeuvre, comes the two-week feast of singles for us to get stuck into. And I can’t wait, so what is on the menu today.
Jessica Pegula, Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic are the big names opening their US Open accounts while a handful of British hopes – Cam Norrie, Toby Samuel, Jacob Fearnley and Katie Boulter – also will be getting down to business in the next few hours. Nine Brits are in the main draw, the most since 1981, which is fantastic considering Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu are missing in action.
Our early focus will be on the women’s singles where 19th seed Jasmine Paolini faces Veronika Erjavec and 27th seed Barbora Krejcikova who meets Kamilla Rakhimova for a place in the second round. Two-time slam winner Krejcikova is in a bit of a slump having not won a match for over a month so will be keen for a hot start. Both matches begin at 4pm BST/11am local time.
I’ll do my utmost to keep across everything, of course, but drop me a line with big moments I’ll inevitably miss. Share your thoughts on what might happen and who might be crowned champion when the dust settles. Cheers to a cracking couple of weeks.