Women’s No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova bowed out in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday, losing in straight sets to Caroline Garcia.
Pliskova, who reached the final of the 2016 US Open, lost 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) to Garcia, who is ranked just 50th in the world.
Pliskova Offers No Excuses for Loss
While Pliskova only earned the top seed after world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and No. 2 Simona Halep dropped out of the US Open, she still entered as one of the tournament favorites. That reality made Pliskova’s early exit all the more disappointing.
“I didn’t play good,†Pliskova said in the post-match press conference, rejecting a number of potential excuses. “So that’s it.â€
Other top seeds performed well on Wednesday, even if some of their matches lasted a bit longer than expected.
Novak Djokovic lost his first tiebreak of 2020, but rebounded to beat Kyle Edmund 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
“It was anybody’s game really for a set and a half,†Djokovic said afterwards. “I made some breaks and then, obviously, after winning the second set I felt more comfortable. I was returning better, I started to read his serve better, and I was pleased with my serve. Overall, it was a very good test and I am happy to get through.â€
Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka had an easier time in her second-round match, defeating Italy’s Camila Giorgi by a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 margin.
“I think my serve was pretty good,†Osaka said of the match. “I’m really happy with my attitude. I thought I was really positive throughout.â€
Lower Seeds Tumble in Second Round
In other top matches, men’s fifth seed Alexander Zverev took out American wild card Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-1, while women’s No. 6 Petra Kvitova beat Kateryna Kozlov 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
While most of the top seeds – outside of Pliskova – avoided disaster, several seeded players lost at the US Open on Wednesday. On the men’s side, No. 13 Cristian Garin and No. 24 Hubert Hurkacz saw their runs come to an end, while Elena Rybakina (No. 11), Marketa Vondrousova (No. 12), Alison Riske (No. 13), Dayana Yastremska (No. 19), Kristina Mladenovic (No. 30), and Anastasija Sevastova (No. 31) all fell from the women’s draw.
US Open Odds (Thursday Matches)
- No. 2 Dominic Thiem (-3500) vs. Sumit Nagal (+1200)
- No. 3 Serena Williams (-1800) vs. Margarita Gasparyan (+880)
- No. 3 Daniil Medvedev (-8000) vs. Christopher O’Connell (+1800)
- No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka (+104) vs. Victoria Azarenka (-128)
- No. 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime (-196) vs. Andy Murray (+158)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Second-round singles play will wrap up on Thursday, with favorites on both sides in action throughout the day. The featured matchup sees No. 3 seed Serena Williams continue her chase for a 24th career Grand Slam title when she takes on Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan. FanDuel Sportsbooks lists Williams as an -1800 favorite over Gasparyan (+880).
Also on Thursday, Andy Murray (+158) comes in as a slight underdog against No. 15 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime (-196), while No. 2 seed Dominic Thiem (-3500) should get past India’s Sumit Nagal (+1200).