With top rank in mind, Pegula foils Ruse to reach US Open second round

NEW YORK, Aug 30 : American Jessica Pegula kicked off her latest campaign for a maiden major title with a little extra motivation on Sunday, cruising past Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 6-2 with a shot at the top of the rankings on the line at the U.S. Open.

The 2024 finalist is one of four players who could walk out of Flushing Meadows as the world number one and third-ranked Pegula tamed early nerves to ease into the second round with 26 winners to just 14 from her opponent, closing it out with an unreturnable forehand.

"To put myself in that position is great, especially with the depth that we have in women's tennis," said Pegula, who would need to win the tournament and have second-ranked Elena Rybakina lose before the semi-finals in order to become world number one.

"It's definitely extra motivation, and I think it's something that would be amazing, but again, it's very, very, very, very far away."

The women's singles main draw kicked off on Sunday with some major question marks in the field, with Aryna Sabalenka's dismal back half of the season clouding her campaign for a third successive title and Rybakina arriving with injury concerns. 

"When I was younger, I never really said I wanted to win Wimbledon or I wanted to win the U.S. Open. I actually wanted to be No. 1 in the world," she told reporters. "When I was seven years old, I was just like, 'Oh, this is the coolest thing, like you're the best in the world at something'."

EARLY NERVES GIVE WAY TO PRISTINE PLAY

She will have two days' rest before the second round under the 15-day schedule the tournament rolled out last year, and will next play the winner of a match later on Sunday on Ashe between American wildcards Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin.

"I felt really