Former champion Iga Swiatek marched into the third round of the US Open on Thursday as men's top seed Alexander Zverev eyed the next step in his bid for a first title at Flushing Meadows.
Swiatek, whose six Grand Slam titles include the 2022 US Open, defeated Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 in the first meeting between the two since Swiatek beat the Argentine on the way to her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2020.
Apart from a brief scare at 5-3 in the first set, when Swiatek saved four break points, the Polish star was largely untroubled by the former top-40 player now sunk to 449th in the world
Swiatek broke twice on the way to a 5-1 lead in the second set and closed it out on her own serve, giving herself a match point with a forehand winner and polishing it off after an hour and 11 minutes with a stinging backhand.
It was another encouraging performance for the former world No 1, who hadn't reached a final in 2026 until her run to the title at Toronto in August.
She then came up short in her title defense at Cincinnati, but said her game is trending in the right direction.
"I'm here with better feeling than any other Grand Slam this year," Swiatek said. "Just trying to enjoy every day and improve the game every day."
OSAKA SQUEEZES INTO THIRD ROUND
Japan's Naomi Osaka survived a second-set swoon to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
The Japanese 13th seed looked in total control against her Czech opponent, racing through the first set and to a 4-2 lead in the second without facing a break point.
But as Osaka's unforced errors began to pile up -- 20 in the second set compared to four in the first -- doubles world number one Siniakova pounced.
Serving for the match at 5-3, Osaka was broken -- the fourth straight break of serve in the set still leaving her 5-4 up.
But Siniakova kept pressing and broke a clearly frustrated Osaka for a 6-5 lead on the way to forcing a third set.
Osaka regrouped in the decider, riding a quick break to a 3-0 lead and fending off a pair of break points in the fifth game to make it 4-1 before breaking Siniakova one more time.
"The match was definitely really tough," Osaka said.
"I just felt like I had to fight. I definitely had a couple of opportunities in the second set, and I think I was a little too hard on myself," said Osaka, who next faces Belgium's Elise Mertens, a 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) winner over Maria Timofeeva of Uzbekistan.
"I took the bathroom break, tried to regroup," Osaka added. "I just told myself that it's an honour to play on this court."
Germany's Zverev anchored the night session on Ashe, taking on 52nd-ranked Frenchman Quentin Halys for a place in the third round.
Zverev won his long-awaited maiden major at Roland Garros in May and was runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon.
GENERATIONS COLLIDE
With Sinner sidelined by a knee injury, Zverev appears to have a strong shot at doubling his Grand Slam trophy collection, but he'll be looking for a smoother ride against Halys than the wild five sets he needed to subdue Lorenzo Sonego in the first round.
Halys, who won his first career title at Kitzbuehel in July, came through in four tough sets against Facundo Diaz Acosta in the first round – his first US Open victory in five main draw appearances.
The night also features former champion Coco Gauff, the world No 4, taking on Spain's Paula Badosa.
Former world No 2 Badosa leads their head-to-head, including a victory over Gauff in Berlin this year.
Generations collide at Louis Armstrong Stadium when 40-year-old Gael Monfils takes on 20-year old American Learner Tien.
Monfils, trying to extend the final Grand Slam of his career before he heads into retirement, fell to Tien at Cincinnati in August in their only meeting to date.
In other marquee matches on Thursday, reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina takes on Spain's Jessica Bouzas and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva plays Eva Lys.