Ons Jabeur had to fight past Elizabeth Mandlik in their second-round match on Wednesday at the US Open. The fifth-seeded Tunisian eventually came through 7-5, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes.
At the start of the match, the American imposed herself and her game on her much-seasoned opponent. Mandlik’s aggressive shot-making set the tone of the proceedings initially and Jabeur found herself playing tentatively. Jabeur lost her serve twice in the set. Once in the third game and then, in the ninth game. In the 10th game, while serving for the set, Mandlik’s nerves got the better of her and she handed the break back to her opponent. Two games later, this time while trying to stay in the set and enforce a tie-break, Mandlik dropped her serve again, giving Jabeur a lead in the match.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist played more assuredly in the second set and was able to bring out the errors from Mandlik’s racquet. She broke the 21-year-old early on to go up 3-0 in the set but handed the break back in the fifth game. However, not only was Mandlik able to consolidate the break back but she was also unable to win any game off her serve thereafter in the match.
US Open: Ons Jabeur lives to tell the tale
Jabeur finished the match with 23 winners and 18 unforced errors while Mandlik had 13 winners and 23 unforced errors. Next up for Jabeur is another American, the 31st-seeded Shelby Rogers. Rogers defeated Viktoria Kuzmova, 7-5, 6-1 in their second-round match.
Earlier in the day session, Xiyu Wang posted the biggest upset of the day. The world no. 75 stunned the third seed Maria Sakkari in a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 comeback win after two hours and 14 minutes of play. Sakkari who’d struggled in her first-round match against Tatjana Maria wasn’t able to replicate the same effort that had seen her surmount the challenge the German had posed.
Wang will play the 29th-seeded Alison Riske-Amritraj next. The American won against Camila Osorio, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(5).
Meanwhile, a day after the defending US Open winner Emma Raducanu exited in the first round, the defending US Open finalist, Leylah Fernandez also exited the event – in the second round. Liudmila Samsonova upset the 14th-seeded Canadian, 6-3, 7-6(3) in an hour and 45 minutes. Samsonova will play Aleksandra Krunic for a chance to reach the fourth round. The Serbian took down 23rd seed Barbora Krejcikova, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in their second-round clash.
Photo Credit: Rhea Nall/USTA