World No 1 Simona Halep dumped out of US Open in opening round
Simona Halep fell at the first hurdle of the 2018 US Open as she was beaten in straight sets by Kaia Kanepi.
Having broken her Grand Slam duck at the French Open in June she showed good form in the run-up to the final major of the year, and many made her the favourite for Flushing Meadows.
However, the world No 1 was an early casualty as she suffered a 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of world No 44 Kanepi, becoming the first top seed to lose in the first round of the US Open in Open Era.
Stunner on Louis Armstrong Stadium!
Kaia Kanepi knocks out Halep 6-2, 6-4 and it’s now the first time a top seeded woman has lost her opening round match at the #USOpen… pic.twitter.com/NIrKFM7gel
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2018
The Estonian raced into a 4-1 lead in the opening set after breaking twice, and then served it out.
Kanepi then opened a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Halep fought back and broke in games four and eight to level the score at 4-4.
The 33-year-old, though, refused to budge and broke again in game nine and then wrapped it up on her own serve to win in one hour and 16 minutes.
Jil Teichmann from Switzerland was the first female player to advance to the second round of the singles as she blitzed Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic 6-3, 6-0 in 55 minutes.
Meanwhile, Qiang Wang upset 31st seed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-2 while Vera Lapko defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3, 6-3.
Seventh seed Elina Svitolina overcame a second set stumble to beat Saschia Vickery 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.
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