US Open: Jessica Pegula keeps No. 1 hopes alive as Medvedev advances from Badosa

Jessica Pegula kept her hopes of becoming world number one alive with a commanding victory over American Sofia Kenina, while Daniil Medvedev advanced to the third round and Paula Badosa booked her place in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.

Third-seeded Pegula needed just 56 minutes to dismantle Kenina 6-3, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a clinical performance to continue her quest for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Pegula was particularly impressive on the serve. She dropped just three points on her first serve and didn’t face a single break point during the match. After taking the opening set, she cruised through the second by winning the first five games before closing out the match.

Victory holds her she hopes to top the WTA rankings live. Pegula needs to win the US Open and hope Elena Rybakina misses the semi-finals to become world No.1 for the first time.

Her next challenge will be Canadian Leylah Fernandez, a finalist at the US Open 2021. Fernandez reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

THE IMMEDIATE BEAR CONTINUES

Medvedev, meanwhile, looked increasingly comfortable on the New York hard courts as the seventh seed swept American wild card Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5.

The Russian got off to a blistering start, opening the set in just seven games before continuing to dictate play deep down the baseline. His ability to absorb tempo, redirect the ball and extend plays repeatedly left Gorzny searching for answers.

The 22-year-old American, ranked 731, arrived confident after a dramatic first-round victory, but Medvedev showed a completely different proposition. The former champion briefly allowed Gorzny to break back in the third set, but regained control to complete the straight sets win.

Medvedev will face either Jaume Munar or Arthur Rinderknech in the third round, with the second round match determining his next opponent.

BADOSA SENDS KASATKINA

Badosa also continued her run with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daria Kasatkina. The Spaniard, a former world number two and 2024 US Open quarter-finalist, was in control for much of the match after play was interrupted by rain.

The reward is a highly anticipated second-round meeting with fourth seed and 2023 champion Coco Gauff. Gauff had previously defeated Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round before moving into the draw section where Badosa emerged as her next opponent.

But for Pegula, the equation remains the clearest: keep winning and the possibility of becoming the world’s top-ranked player will remain alive.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

02 Sep 2026 23:20 IST