Last year’s US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula cruised into the third round in New York with a comfortable victory over Anna Blinkova.
The American fourth seed breezed past world number 80 Blinkova 6-1 6-3 in just 65 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Pegula, 31, was beaten by world number one Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s showpiece at Flushing Meadows.
Prior to that run Pegula had not gone past the quarter-final stage at any of the four Grand Slams in singles.
She has struggled for consistency since then, going out before the last eight in all three majors this year – including a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon.
Pegula also went out early on the hard courts of Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati as part of her build-up to the US Open.