NEW YORK :Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a rocky start to roar into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 7-6(4) 6-2 win over unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova on Wednesday.

In their only previous meeting, Sabalenka rallied from a set down to win the Brisbane final in January and the world number one was on the back foot early again in New York.

"The first set was super tight and super aggressive," Sabalenka said. "I felt like it was more about the serve and first shot. It was super quick.

"The second set felt much better on the return game. I'm really glad that I stayed strong in that first set."

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