US Open: Elena-Gabriela Ruse stuns Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova to reach third round of Slam for first time

Elena-Gabriela Ruse made it to her first ever singles round three at a Grand Slam by stunning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-4 7-5 at the US Open. Krejcikova struggled as qualifier Ruse, ranked 61st in the world, battled past the two-time major winner to claim a brilliant victory. Elsewhere, Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk put an end to British contender Harriet Dart's tournament.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse stunned Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the US Open, winning 6-4 7-5 to reach her first ever singles round three at a Grand Slam.

In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, qualifier Ruse, ranked just 61st in the world, was on scintillating form.

She was up against a two-time slam champion in Krejcikova, who struggled to replicate the form that took her all the way to the title at SW19 in July.

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By contrast, the 26-year-old Ruse, who has struggled with injury in recent years, was at her brilliant best, falling to the floor in ecstasy as Krejcikova sent a final backhand long.

“I have no words at this moment,” Ruse said in an on-court interview. “It’s just a dream for me.”

Ruse sped toward a 5-2 lead and had set point before Krejcikova saved it and threatened to turn the tide, only to drop serve in the next game for 6-4.

And in the second set, Krejcikova again threw away the chance to make a match of the encounter.

Serving for the set at 5-4, she saw Ruse produce a series of sweeping forehands as the Romanian broke the Czech twice in quick succession in a three-game streak that took her into the third round.

The win is only Ruse's second ever against a top-10 opponent. In 2021, she beat Spaniard Paula Badosa, who is also her next opponent in round three at the US Open.

At No. 8, Krejcikova is the highest men’s or women’s seed to lose so far at Flushing Meadows.

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Dart bows out to kostyuk

British hopeful Harriet Dart is out of the tournament after losing 7-6(12-10) 6-1 to Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.

The two could barely be separated in an immense first set that went the distance as the pair exchanged breaks on their way to a mammoth tie-break.

Dart looked on the verge of taking the set at 5-3 up before Kostyuk turned the tables with a break of her own before a remarkable tie-break in which Dart threw away a 3-0 lead to lose 12-10.

The Brit struggled to recover from that damaging defeat, and Kosyuk put her to the sword in the second set.

Dart won the first game before Kostuk reeled off six in a row for a place in the third round.

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Sabalenka sees off bronzetti

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka coasted past Lucia Bronzetti on her way to a place in the third round.

The 2023 runner-up eased her way into the match with a couple of comfortable holds before battling to a break of serve for 4-2.

From there, the world No. 2 simply had too much firepower for Bronzetti as she took the first set.

And she remained unrelenting in the second, pummelling forehands at the Italian as she broke serve twice, taking a 4-0 lead in no time at all.

Bronzetti escaped an embarrassing bagel with a hold of serve before Sabalenka saw off her opponent with another hold to love and a third break in the set.

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Badosa downs Townsend in straight sets

Earlier on Wednesday, Badosa had beaten Taylor Townsend 6-3 6-5 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, making the third round at the US Open for the first time.

The No. 25 seed was at her imperious best, spraying dominant ground strokes at Townsend, who hit 19 unforced errors in a stuttering display, while struggling on her second serve.

Badosa's first serve proved the difference as the two battled through a tight first set, before a flurry of errors from Townsend scuppered any chance of a fightback as the Spaniard took the second.

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Zheng battles back to beat Andreeva

China's Qinwen Zheng battled back to beat Russia's Erika Andreeva 6-7(3-7) 6-1 6-2.

Underdog Andreeva made a stellar start to the match, battling her way into a tie-break as the pair exchanged two breaks apiece, before Andreeva clinched the first set thanks to a superior serve.

But Zheng, a quarter-finalist in New York last year, found her form as she raced towards levelling up the match.

Andreeva managed to win only her first service game of the set before Zheng rattled through five games and two breaks to take it 6-1.

Zheng made it seven in a row with a break and hold at the start of the third set, before Andreeva finally stopped the rot to a round of applause.

But Zheng had the bit between her teeth, securing another break with a cross-court winner before eventually taking the second set and match.

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