Tuesday 28 August 2018 22:07, UK
Caroline Wozniacki opened her US Open campaign with a perfect performance on Tuesday.
The Dane is the highest seed remaining in the women's field after the shock first-round exit of Simona Halep on Monday.
And she laid down an early marker by dispatching former champion Samantha Stosur 6-3 6-2 on a sweltering Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"It's definitely difficult, it's very hot out here today," said two-time former US Open finalist, Wozniacki. "I just tried to cool down between games, used ice. I'm just thinking I'm on the beach, I have a margarita in hand, life is good."
With temperatures in the mid-90s and heat index values in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), Wozniacki stayed cool under pressure to defeat the veteran Australian.
Wozniacki, eager to add another Grand Slam title to the Australian Open crown she captured in January, next faces Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, a 6-3 6-2 winner over Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck.
"She's a tricky opponent, great backhand," Wozniacki said of Tsurenko. "I'm just glad to have won this one. When I saw I was playing Sam I knew it wasn't going to be easy."
No 5 seed Petra Kvitova, who has often struggled with the conditions at Flushing Meadows, looked in ominous form as her massive hitting proved too hot to handle for Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer with the Czech coming through 6-1 6-4.
Latvian 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko was locked in a deciding set battle with Germany's Andrea Petkovic before prevailing 6-4 4-6 7-5 on her fourth match point.
"Today (it) was a very tough match. She (Petkovic) was fighting for every point until the end," said Ostapenko, who will meet American Taylor Townsend in the second round. "It is very humid, very warm and the match was more than two hours."
Former champion Angelique Kerber eased into the second round with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Margarita Gasparyan of Russia.
Fourth seed Kerber, the reigning Wimbledon champion and the 2016 winner in New York, will face Sweden's Johanna Larsson for a place in the last 32.
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Tennis is back on Sky Sports screens with the Laver Cup in September while we will also have coverage of the ATP Finals in November with every match live on Sky Sports. But first, we will be across the final major of the year in New York as the US Open right through to the final with live blogs, reports, features and reaction.
