US Open: Naomi Osaka overcomes serving struggles to beat Katerina Siniakova and clinch spot in third round

Naomi Osaka overcame a mid-match wobble to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-2 5-7 6-1 and reach the third round of the US Open.

It wasn't quite as headline-grabbing a display - both on and off the court - from Osaka, who sported a more understated entrance outift, for which she is gaining increasing notoriety.

The two-time US Open champion had turned heads when wearing a long, white skirt and hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her ahead of her tournament opener on Monday night.

Latest US Open scores and results 🎾

US Open news blog | Men's and Women's draws | Order of Play

Download Sky Sports app for analysis, news and video 📺

Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW📱

But on this occasion, Osaka opted for a more understated, shimmery all-white number which wouldn't have looked out of place at Wimbledon rather than Flushing Meadows.

The 13th seed was swiftly into her stride in the first set, breaking Siniakova to love in the fourth game of the opener, which she clinched with a second break of the Czech.

Osaka appeared to be cruising to victory in the second when breaking for 4-2 and 5-3 leads, only for her serve to desert her at that time as she was broken three times in a row to ultimately drop the set 7-5.

The four-time Gland Slam winner found her footing again for the decider, dropping only one game to clinch her spot in the next round.

"The match was definitely really tough, and I just felt like I had to fight," Osaka said in her on-court interview.

"I think I was a little bit too hard on myself after opportunities in the second set. I took the bathroom break, regrouped a little, came back and just tried to have no regrets.

"I just told myself that it's an honour to play on this court. The energy from the crowd, it's very lively and I have the experience of growing up here and playing on this court many times. It's really fun."

Swiatek storms into third round in 71 minutes

Iga Swiatek also stormed into the third round of the US Open, with a clinical 6-3 6-2 win over Nadia Podoroska that took just 71 minutes.

It was only the second meeting between the pair - the previous coming in the semi-finals of the 2020 French Open, with Swiatek victorious en route to claiming the first of her six Grand Slam titles.

The 2022 US Open champion, seeded eighth this year in New York, was back to her ruthless best.

She broke in the fourth game of the opening set and pushed on to take it 6-3, before snatching a crucial break of serve in the first game of the second set to ensure that she stayed firmly in control.

Podoroska showed some glimpses of her best form, but Swiatek was rarely under pressure and converted her first match point to book her place in the third round at Flushing Meadows for the seventh-straight time.

Auger-Aliassime becomes highest seed to fall

Men's third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime became the highest seed to be knocked out of the US Open so far when suffering a shock second-round exit to unseeded Karen Khachanov.

Khachanov, who reached the semi-final stage in New York in 2022, broke ​Auger-Aliassime's serve seven times on Louis Armstrong Stadium ‌and saved seven of the nine break points he faced en route to securing only his ​second top-10 win at a Grand Slam.

The first set was tight, with neither player giving the other any opportunities, but while Auger-Aliassime - a two-time US Open semi-finalist, including last year - edged it in the tie-break, the Canadian was unable to build on that momentum and won just seven further games.

Khachanov, who lost the opening match ‌in his three tournament tune-up events, produced some of his best tennis to reach the third round in impressive style.

The world No 50 will next face either Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi or Peruvian ‌32nd seed Ignacio Buse.

Click here to read article