Halep advances at US Open with Osaka, Murray waiting to start

NEW YORK: Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, battling back from injury, advanced to the second round of the US Open on Monday (May 30) as the hardcourts showdown began before full-capacity crowds.

The 29-year-old Romanian 12th seed defeated Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to book a second-round match against Slovakian lucky loser Kristina Kucova, who ousted American Ann Li 7-5, 6-1.

Halep, the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion, tore a left calf muscle at the Italian Open, missed the French Open and Wimbledon, then suffered a right thigh injury at Cincinnati, but made a solid New York start.

Halep fired six aces and won 83% of her first serve points, hitting 14 winners against 16 unforced errors while taking advantage of 31 unforced errors by Giorgi.

Defending champion Naomi Osaka, seeking her third US Open crown in four years, was set for the feature night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium against 87th-ranked Czech Marie Bouzkova.

Osaka won their only prior meeting in the first round of this year's Australian Open on the way to her fourth Grand Slam title.

The 23-year-old Japanese star could become the first back-to-back US Open women's champion since Serena Williams won her third in a row in 2014.

Osaka enters on a 15-match Grand Slam win streak, having skipped the French Open last year and Wimbledon this year and withdrawn after a first-round win at this year's French Open over mental health issues.

Also on the night schedule is second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Serbia's Nina Stojanovic.

Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys meet in a first-round rematch of the 2017 US Open final won by Stephens.

On the men's side, while top-ranked Novak Djokovic waits until Tuesday to begin his quest for a