By Janina Nuno Rios
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Emma Raducanu produced a commanding performance at the U.S. Open on Wednesday as the 2021 champion swept aside Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen 6-2 6-1 to reach the third round.
The 22-year-old, who earned her first victory at the tournament in her opening match on Sunday since lifting the trophy, faced a spirited challenger in Tjen, fresh off an historic upset over 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
Yet Raducanu’s sharp serving and relentless pace proved too much, as she raced to the finish line in just an hour, her quickest Grand Slam win.
“I’m very pleased with how I played today. Janice is a super dangerous opponent, and I thought any ball that I put that wasn’t good enough, she just put away,” Raducanu said.
“Janice is playing some really dangerous tennis and beat one of the top seeds in the first round.
“I’m sure she can build and take a lot of confidence from this. I’m looking forward to the next time I play her.”
Raducanu seemed locked in from the outset, earning a break in her first return game before holding after saving three break points to open up a 3-0 lead.
Britain’s number one never allowed Tjen to find her rhythm, closing out the first set with solid serving and powerful groundstrokes.
She never took her foot off the gas and broke twice in the second set to take another decisive lead before serving out the match, completing a stellar performance that featured 16 winners, eight aces and no double faults.
She will face either Czech teenager Tereza Valentova or 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the next round.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New YorkEditing by Toby Davis)
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