NEW YORK: Third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska cruised into the second round of the US Open with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Silvia Soler-Espinosa on Monday.
In the tournament’s first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Radwanska needed only 63 minutes to improve to 28-2 in Grand Slam openers. She won 15 of 21 points at the net.
The US Open is the only major tournament in which the Polish star has never made the quarterfinals.
She has reached that stage at the first three Grand Slam events this year, something no other woman has accomplished.
The 69th-ranked Soler-Espinosa, from Spain, advanced to the third round at the US Open the last two years.
Meanwhile, Li Na needed just 64 minutes to win her first-round match, beating Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-2.
The fifth-seeded Li didn’t face a break point and had 28 winners.
The US Open has been the least successful Grand Slam event for the Chinese star, who has advanced past the fourth round only once. The 2011 French Open champ came in just 4-3 in her first match at Flushing Meadows.
The 88th-ranked Govortsova, from Belarus, reached the third round at the US Open last year.
In the men’s event, there was an early upset as Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded 11th, went down in straight sets to the unheralded Daniel Evans of Britain 4-6, 4-6, 2-6.
Evans’ compatriot Laura Robson also won her first round match, getting past Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 7-5, 6-0.
In a battle between two unseeded players Spain’s Maria Teresa Torro defeated Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-0, 6-4, while the 18th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, also from Spain, double-bageled Lauren Davis of the USA 6-0, 6-0.
There was a stiff three-set battle between Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi and local hero Vania King, with the former triumphing from a set down 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Another American, Coco Vandeweghe did reach the second round, winning against Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 7-6 (5). (Reuters)