LEARNING
No.1 seed Karolina Pliskova and former World No.4 Caroline Garcia are all square at three wins apiece in a rivalry dating back to 2013, with the Czech leading 2-1 on outdoor hard courts. Pliskova also won their only previous meeting on American soil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Cincinnati qualifying in 2013 - their first match - and their only prior encounter at a Grand Slam 7-6(3), 6-4 in the 2017 Roland Garros quarterfinals. However, Garcia was the victor in their most recent clash, 7-6(7), 6-3 in the 2018 Tianjin final; the Frenchwoman is aiming for her sixth career Top 5 win today, and first on the Grand Slam stage.
No.4 seed Naomi Osaka won her only previous meeting with Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 in the 2018 Tokyo semifinals. That tournament was also where Giorgi posted her most recent win over a Top 10 player after beating Caroline Wozniacki in the second round; the Italian will bid for her 10th such victory today.
No.8 seed Petra Martic gained her first win over Kateryna Bondarenko at the third attempt. Having lost to the Ukrainian in three sets in the 2014 Macon ITF $50K semifinals and 2015 Stanford qualifying, Martic won 6-2, 7-5 in the first round of Roland Garros 2017 - the first Grand Slam main draw of her comeback from multiple injuries and the springboard for her surge into the Top 20 over the next three years.
No.17 seed Angelique Kerber is yet to lose a set to Lyon finalist and fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam in two previous meetings, in the second round of Nurnberg 2014 and the first round of the 2018 Australian Open. The 2016 champion has won her last 16 matches against compatriots stretching back to February 2013, and 22 of her last 24 stretching back to 2011; the only countrywoman who has defeated Kerber in that time is Mona Barthel, who won their 2012 Hobart semifinal and 2013 Doha second round.
An intriguing all-American derby finds No.28 seed Jennifer Brady taking on former World No.35 Catherine Bellis for the second time. Lexington champion Brady lost their only prior encounter 7-6(2), 7-5 in 2018 Sydney qualifying.
Having defeated one player who made a Grand Slam breakthrough as a 15-year-old, 2018 semifinalist and No.31 seed Anastasija Sevastova will seek to back up her win over Coco Gauff in a first encounter with 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian became the youngest player to reach the third round of a major in over 20 years when she made that stage of the 2018 Australian Open; this is her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw since then.
Danka Kovinic, who has fallen in the second round of a Grand Slam on four previous occasions, is bidding to become the first Montenegrin woman to reach the third round of a major. Also seeking to make their debuts in the next round are 2014 US Open junior finalist Vera Lapko, 2017 Wimbledon junior finalist Ann Li, 2017 Wimbledon girls' doubles champion Kaja Juvan, Grand Slam debutante Varvara Gracheva, Cincinnati quarterfinalist Jessica Pegula and 2018 Taipei runner-up Kateryna Kozlova.
TRENDING
Serving for the first win at @usopen 🎾 pic.twitter.com/XGdhQXAd9I
— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) August 31, 2020
Great first round today, onto the next one ! #USOpen @usopen #FlyWithCaro 💪🏼👊🏼🎾 pic.twitter.com/grPVTM7xcc
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) August 31, 2020
READING
The Guardian reviews Tuesday's opening-round victories by Serena Williams and Madison Keys.
Tennis.com breaks down Serena's record-breaking US Open match-win total.
Carla Suárez Navarro is "fine and calm at the moment" as she announced she will undergo treatment for lymphoma.
ORDER OF PLAY
Click here to view Wednesday's order of play.
WATCHING
