French Open women’s champion Maria Sharapova and Australian Open men’s winner Stan Wawrinka survived some shaky moments on Wednesday to book their third-round berths at the US Open.
Sharapova, who lifted her fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year, fought back from a set down in a gritty 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over 95th-ranked Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru.
The fifth-seeded Russian was reluctant to blame the windy conditions in the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium court for her difficulties, which included 46 unforced errors.
And after two hours and 26 minutes on court — in a match that began in hot sunshine and ended under the floodlights — she had her 17th three-set win of the season, the most on the WTA Tour.
Sharapova and Wawrinka were the day’s headliners as two-time defending women’s champion Serena Williams and the top men Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all had the day off.
Wawrinka, the third seed from Switzerland, turned back the challenge of Brazilian left-hander Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(1) to become the first men’s seed into the third round.
Wawrinka was untouchable on his serve through two sets, not facing a break point until Bellucci broke him twice to take the third.
The Brazilian broke Wawrinka in the third game of the fourth, but the Swiss broke back to knot the set at 3-3. After holding at love for a 5-4 lead, Wawrinka had two match points against Bellucci’s serve in the 10th game but couldn’t convert either.
He grabbed the tiebreaker by the throat, however, and finished it off with a service winner after two hours and 36 minutes with the hands of the clock creeping toward 1 am.
Most of Wednesday’s men’s action was wrapping up the first round, and the exits of Steve Johnson and Ryan Harrison meant just three American men reached the second round — the fewest in US Open history.
Men’s sixth-seed Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic brought Lleyton Hewitt’s 62nd Grand Slam appearance to a quick end, downing the former world No. 1, and 2001 champion, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Seventh-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov finally ended his US Open jinx.
After coming up empty in three straight appearances, he defeated US wildcard Harrison 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-2.
South African Kevin Anderson rallied from a break down in the final set to defeat Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(1) in just over four hours.
But three men’s matches were cut short by injury retirements.
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Marin Cilic of Croatia advanced when a right ankle injury forced Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis to retire while trailing 6-3, 3-1.
Spain’s Feliciano Lopez advanced when Croatian Ivan Dodig retired with cramping and muscle cramps also left Johnson unable to continue against Japan’s Tatsuma Ito.
Paes, Sania advance Meanwhile, defending champions Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek had to work hard to cross the first round hurdle in men’s doubles even as Sania Mirza moved to second rounds of her two events.
The sixth seeded pair of Paes and Stepanek overcame a spirited challenge from Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 7-6(5), 6-2 in their campaign opener.
In the mixed doubles, the top seeded pair of Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares quelled the challenge of the American team of Tornado Alicia Black and Ernesto Escobedo 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 in a gruelling first round contest.
Sania’s victory came after she and Cara Black, seeded third in the women’s doubles, routed Czech pair of Karolina Pliskova and Kristyna Pliskova 6-3, 6-0.
The two-time winner Venus Williams , who hadn’t made it past the second round the past three years, reached the third round with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Timea Bacsinszky.
Fourth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska became the tournament’s biggest upset victim, falling 6-3, 6-4 to China’s Peng Shuai.
World No. 2 Simona Halep needed less than an hour to book her third-round berth, with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Slovakian Jana Cepelova.
Halep was broken early to trail 0-2, but won 12 of the next 13 games to secure the win.
Sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber also advanced on cue, downing Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2, 6-4.
