Karolina Pliskova, the top-seeded woman, suffered a 6/1, 7/6 loss to France’s Caroline Garcia for the first major upset in the bubble that is this year’s U.S. Open.

In a sterling performance, the top-seeded man, Novak Djokovic hit 52 outright winners to defeat Kyle Edmund of Great Britain 6/7 (5), 6/3, 6/4, 6/2. However, it was the end of the tournament for Michael Mmoh, who lost to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6/2, 6/2, 7/5.

Garcia won the opening game of the match on her serve and immediately broke Pliskova’s serve to lead 2-0. With the top seed failing to register her powerful first serves, Garcia secured two more breaks and held serve to clinch the first set 6-1 after 33 minutes of play.
[ad]
Pliskova took a bathroom break before returning to serve first in the second set. The premonitions of an upset showed early as she double faulted on the first point and lost serve after a second double fault.

Garcia held to lead 2-0. Pliskova won her service game to reduce the tally and had a break point to level, but Garcia survived the threat and led 3-1.

The Czech star reduced the tally 3-2 but Garcia held her serve to extend the lead 4-2. Pliskova held serve to take the seventh game and secured her first break of serve to level four games apiece.
[ad]
With her serves registering on target, Pliskova took the ninth game without dropping a point. In the 10th game, Garcia trailed 15-40 on her serve. On the first break opportunity and set point for Pliskova, a forehand service return barely missed the sideline. The French woman battled to deuce and then hit a second service ace to level 5-5.

The two players held serve to reach 6-6. In the ensuing tiebreak, the top seed lost the first point on her serve while a second mini-break gave Garcia a 4-2 lead. After the changeover, Garcia reeled off three points to win the set and match.

In the third round, she will face Jennifer Brady, who defeated fellow American Catherine Bellis 6/1, 6/2.
[ad]