adminSwiss third seed Stan Wawrinka overcame a mid-match lapse to beat Tomasz Bellucci 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-1) and reach the US Open last 32.
The Australian Open champion went a break down in the fourth set, but recovered with some fine shot-making.Earlier, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska became the event’s first high-profile casualty, losing 6-3 6-4 to China’s world number 39 Peng Shuai.
The Pole has failed to advance beyond the last 16 in nine visits to New York.
Fifth seed and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova survived the loss of the first set to see off world number 95 Alexandra Dulgheru 4-6 6-3 6-2.
But American 21st seed Sloane Stephens also suffered a shock defeat, beaten 5-7 6-4 6-2 by Sweden’s Johanna Larsson.
Wimbledon semi-finalist, and Sharapova’s off-court partner, Grigor Dimitrov made easier work of his second-round tie, dispatching American Ryan Harrison 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in a little over two hours.
Two-time champion Venus Williams, seeded 19th for in this year’s draw, made the third round for the first time in four years as she beat Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky 6-1 6-4. The American will play Italian 13th seed Sara Errani next.
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Johanna Larsson (Swe) beat Sloane Stephens (US) (21) 5-7 6-4 6-2
“Missed opportunities,” said Stephens. “I didn’t take advantage of the times I could have. That’s definitely something I will look back on, but I won’t dwell on it too much. There is room for improvement and I can do a lot of things better.”
Tomas Berdych (Cze) (6) beat Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) 6-3 6-4 6-3
“The conditions were extremely tough today. The heat, the wind, and facing Lleyton for the first round, it’s nothing that you really want to have,” said Berdych.
“But otherwise, when you are prepared and feel good, that’s a perfect start.”
Maria Sharapova (Rus) (5) beat Alexandra Dulgheru (Rom) 4-6 6-3 6-2
“We started under the sun and finished under the lights,” said Sharapova.
“It was tricky conditions, a tough opponent so I’m very happy I was able to come back and come through and win this match.”
Venus Williams (US) (19) beat Timea Bacsinszky (Swi) 6-1 6-4
“I feel like I play my best when my opponent pushes me really,” said Williams.
“Once we start to, you know, really start to get into a slugfest, I feel like I really relax. Sometimes I feel like when they aren’t pushing me as much maybe I’m a little too passive at times.”
Stan Wawrinka (Swi) (3) beat Tomasz Bellucci (Bra) 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-1)
“I tried to focus more on my game and not on what he was doing,’’ Wawrinka said. “I was playing a little bit smarter at the end of the match.”
Wawrinka’s next opponent is Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia, ranked one place below Bellucci at 92 in the world.
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Peng Shuai (Chn) beat Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) (4) 6-3 6-4
“I didn’t play bad today,” said Radwanska. “I think it was just her day. Of course I could do something different maybe or try something else, but I really tried my best and I was fighting until the end. I just couldn’t do it.”
Marin Cilic (Cro) (14) beat Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) 6-3 3-1 (Baghdatis retired)
Simona Halep (Rou) (2) beat Jana Cepelova (Svk) 6-2 6-1
“I started a little bit too slow, but then I started to be more aggressive and hit the ball,” said world number two Halep, who won in 56 minutes. “I feel great now that I could win so fast because it’s so hot outside.”
Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) (7) beat Ryan Harrison (US) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2
Grandstand
Feliciano Lopez (Spa) (19) beat Ivan Dodig (Cro) 1-6 7-5 2-6 6-4 1-1 (Dodig retired)
Jelena Jankovic (Srb) (9) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) 7-5 6-4
Caroline Wozniacki (Den) (10) beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Bel) 6-3 6-4
“She wasn’t an easy opponent. She’s young and hungry,” said Wozniacki. “She didn’t have anything to lose, so she was going for her shots.”
The former world number one will play Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, who she beat in the 2011 quarter-final, in the next round.
Ernests Gulbis (Lat) (11) beat Kenny de Schepper (Fra) 6-1 6-4 6-2 — BBC Sport
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