By Harriet Dart was defeated by Marta Kostyuk with a scoreline of 7-6 (12-10), 6-1 in their second-round encounter at the US Open. The British No. 3’s strong start gave the 19th seed a significant challenge in the opening set, but her momentum faded quickly after missing several key chances.
In a first set marred by errors from both sides, Dart broke Kostyuk’s serve three times, but failed to consolidate on two occasions, immediately losing her serve. Both players struggled in the sweltering New York heat, which soared to over 38 degrees Celsius.
Dart was twice broken when serving for the set and failed to capitalize on five set points during a tense tie-break, ultimately losing it 12-10. Kostyuk also missed three set points before securing the set on her fourth opportunity, taking the lead in the match.
The disappointment of losing the first set appeared to weigh heavily on Dart, as she lost six consecutive games in the second set, allowing Kostyuk to close out the match with relative ease.
Reflecting on her defeat, Dart expressed her frustration, noting, “I’m disappointed to not take my chances. Sometimes you don’t even think because you’re so hot and a bit bothered.” She highlighted the need to improve her performance in crucial moments, stating, “Whether it’s matches, sets, certain situations, but the main thing is to be there competing with the very best.”
Sky Sports Tennis analyst Laura Robson observed that Dart seemed to lose confidence midway through the first set, noting, “It felt like she lost heart quickly.” Despite the outcome, Robson emphasized the positives of Dart’s tournament, including her strong first-round performance and competitive showing against a top-20 player.
Elsewhere in the tournament, second seed Aryna Sabalenka progressed smoothly to the third round, overpowering Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-1. The Belarusian, who reached the final at the US Open last year and won the Cincinnati Open earlier this month without dropping a set, continued her dominant form.
However, the event saw a major upset as reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova was knocked out by Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who won 6-4, 7-5. This victory marked Ruse’s first time reaching the third round of a Grand Slam, where she will face 26th seed Paula Badosa.
In other matches, Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng rallied after losing the first set to defeat Erika Andreeva 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-2. US 14th seed Madison Keys, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2017, advanced comfortably by beating Maya Joint 6-4, 6-0.
On the men’s side, fourth seed Alexander Zverev moved into the third round with a straight-sets win over Alexandre Muller, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, overcoming a second-set challenge where Muller was two points away from leveling the match.
American 13th seed Ben Shelton defeated Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a third-round clash with compatriot Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe advanced after Alexander Shevchenko retired in the third set of their match while trailing 6-4, 6-1, 1-0.
Andrey Rublev, seeded sixth, mounted a dramatic comeback from two sets down to overcome Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a match that stretched over four hours. Rinderknech’s level dropped in the last three sets, where he managed only 18 winners compared to the 37 he hit in the first two sets.
The US Open continues with its share of intense battles and unexpected results as players contend with both their opponents and the challenging conditions in New York.
