(Reuters) -The U.S. Open’s first round continues on Monday with world number two Carlos Alcaraz facing a difficult test against Reilly Opelka, while former champion Venus Williams returns to Grand Slam action in the women’s tournament. Teenaged sensation Victoria Mboko will be making her Flushing Meadows debut.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: REILLY OPELKA V CARLOS ALCARAZ
The rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has become a chief attraction at Grand Slams this year, with Spaniard Alcaraz beating Sinner at the French Open final and world number one Sinner getting revenge at the Wimbledon final.
The prospect of a third major final between the two is one of the main storylines at the U.S. Open, and 2022 champion Alcaraz underlined his Flushing Meadows title credentials by surging to a 5-0 lead in the Cincinnati Open final before Sinner retired due to illness.
Alcaraz will also be cautious to avoid a repeat of his 2024 U.S. Open campaign after he surprisingly exited in the second round.
The world number two’s first opponent, Reilly Opelka, will fancy his chances on Monday after the six-foot-11 American, known for his lightning-fast serves, defeated Novak Djokovic on hardcourt earlier this year.
“It’s going to be really difficult playing Opelka for the first time. We all know his game style… I have to be ready for that, have to be focused on the return,” Alcaraz said on Saturday.
“Trying to get good rhythm in the match… let’s see. The confidence is high right now.”
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: BARBORA KREJCIKOVA V VICTORIA MBOKO
Canada’s Victoria Mboko was ranked no. 333 in the world at the start of the year. But the 18-year-old quickly rose up the rankings ladder as she made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the French Open, played at Wimbledon and won the Canadian Open.
Wildcard Mboko made waves as she beat a string of Grand Slam champions in Montreal this month, defeating Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina before stunning Naomi Osaka in the final.
“These past two weeks have been insane… I would have never thought that I would have made it to the final let alone win the tournament,” Mboko said after winning her first WTA event.
Mboko, now ranked 23rd, faces another former Grand Slam winner in her U.S. Open main draw debut, being drawn against former French Open and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round.
“Everything has happened super quickly,” Mboko told reporters on Saturday. “There’s so much athleticism, so much great ball striking… there were so many girls that hit so much harder than me. So having to get used to that, I had to change that really fast and try to keep up with them.
“But I feel like I didn’t have to change much about myself… I think it’s just getting used to it, and with repetition and playing more matches, you kind of adapt yourself and change.”
WILLIAMS UP FOR THE BATTLE IN AGE-DEFYING COMEBACK
Seven-times Grand Slam winner Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to competitive tennis last month, as the 45-year-old became the oldest WTA match winner in over two decades in her first singles clash following a 16-month layoff.
“I have the same fire and the same want to win,” Williams said after beating Peyton Stearns, who was ranked 35th in the world, in straight sets.
The win earned Williams a wildcard entry to the U.S. Open, a competition she has won twice, having reached the singles final four times between 1997 and 2002.
But a deep field of contenders awaits Williams as she faces 11th seed and 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova in the first round.
Williams, who has 49 career titles, has not won a U.S. Open main draw match since 2019. Muchova got the better of Williams in their only prior meeting, handing the American a first-round exit at Flushing Meadows in 2020.
“It won’t be easy. It’s not easy for anyone out here. So I know I’ll have to fight for every match, but I’m up for that,” Williams said.
U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON MONDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1530 GMT/1130 AM ET)
6-Madison Keys (U.S.) v Renata Zarazua (Mexico)
17-Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) v Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan)
Venus Williams (U.S.) v 11-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic)
Reilly Opelka (U.S.) v 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (1500 GMT/11 AM ET)
Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) v 22-Victoria Mboko (Canada)
Federico Agustin Gomez (Argentina) v 5-Jack Draper (Britain)
Sebastian Ofner (Austria) v 12-Casper Ruud (Norway)
Alycia Parks (U.S.) v 5-Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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