Barty wins first US Open match in 2 years

Women’s No. 1 seed Ash Barty knocked off Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 7-6 (7) in her first U.S. Open match in two years.

The reigning Wimbledon champion, Barty skipped last year’s open because of the pandemic. Barty’s Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and at the 2019 French Open came on grass and clay. She’s trying to make a major breakthrough on hard courts.

The 25-year-old Barty shook off a lull in the second set and won in a sensational tiebreak. She finished with 31 winners, including 11 aces.

Zvonareva was the 2010 U.S. Open runner-up.