American junior Ashlyn Kruger continued her Grand Slam rise on Thursday, defeating world No. 21 Mila Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the U.S. Open.
“On days like this, you don't have to think too much,” Kruger said, “so it was a lot of really good stuff for me: serving, returning, moving the ball and playing aggressive tennis.”
Making the Round of 32 is a big step for the 20-year-old Texan, but doing it on American soil means even more.
“Of course. It's always special to play in your hometown,” said Kruger, whose mother played tennis at Iowa State and was a tennis star herself. “I'm really excited to play in New York. Of course, there's a lot of pressure, but I'm happy to have made it through.”
Kruger had never won in the main draw of any major tournament prior to Flushing Meadows and was 0-6 prior to this week.
Her confidence is high after beating Zhang Shuai in the opening match and Andreeva in straight sets.
“Yeah, it was a big relief when I played on Tuesday. I had a solid match and it didn't feel like, 'Oh, 0-7,' anymore. It's really awesome and I can continue to play good tennis, so I'm excited,” Kruger said.
“I'm doing the same thing. I'm trying to be more relaxed, have a positive attitude and have fun with my team. … Being relaxed outside the tennis court is a big part of it. And when you win, of course, your confidence increases. But having fun outside of tennis and being yourself on the court is what gives you confidence. That makes you play better tennis.”
Kruger's opponent was even younger, just 17. Still, Andreeva, a French Open semifinalist, was considered the favorite going into Thursday's match.
But unlike Kruger's 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 rally in the first round, there was no need for a comeback on Thursday.
Her next opponent will be 16th seed Lyudmila Samsonova, who beat Czech Marie Bouzkova.
Another upset against the Russian would see Kruger reach her first tour-level quarterfinal since winning her first tournament in Osaka last year.
When asked what her ultimate goal is, Kruger, who credits Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka as her mentors, said: “To be the best I can be. Top 10, winning a Grand Slam, what everyone says.”
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina was forced to withdraw due to injury, and French qualifier Jessica Poncher advanced to the third round.
Ponsier had gone 0-5 in major draws before her opening match win over Zheng Saisai.
This time, she didn't even have to lift her racket on Court 17 and was able to continue playing again.
“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from today's match due to injury,” Rybakina said in a statement. “I did not want to end the last Grand Slam tournament of the year like this, but I have to listen to my body and I hope to finish the rest of the year strong.”
Both top seeds advanced in straight sets: Jannik Sinner beat American Alex Mikkelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2, while Iga Swiatek defeated qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-0, 6-1.
