WHAT HAPPENED: Former college standout Francesca Di Lorenzo kicked off her US Open rookie campaign in surprising style, earning a spot in her first Grand Slam main draw as a qualifier and then defeating fellow American Christina McHale in straight sets in the first round. But following a No. 97-ranked opponent with a No. 13 seed at a major is often a completely different task.
No. 13 Kiki Bertens presented a much tougher challenge to the young American, as the Dutch dominated play to clinch a 6-2, 6-1 victory and advance to the third round of the US Open for the first time in her career.
Di Lorenzo held her own against Bertens for the first half of the opening frame, but when a netted backhand volley off the American’s racquet pushed Bertens ahead 4-2, she ran away with the set and followed by breaking Di Lorenzo three more times to put away the match. Bertens finished with 17 winners, 5 aces and 17 unforced errors, and she wielded a solid return game that saw her win 61 percent of the points.
The 21-year-old from Ohio State University dressed in red and white as a subtle nod to her home-state Buckeyes, and she played as if she had been on the big stage of a major before, attacking the net and hitting sharp winners past Bertens during the rallies. But her 28 unforced errors, 8 winners and 33 percent on first-serve winners proved too little to take down the World No. 13.
WHAT IT MEANS: Bertens continues her successful summer swing by reaching her first US Open third round. In the US Open tune-up event in Cincinnati, Bertens earned her second title of the season and sixth of her career, defeating World No. 1 Simona Halep to take the title. Prior to that, she had reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and Montreal. Bertens will face either eugenie Bouchard or Marketa Vondrousova in the third round.
Di Lorenzo goes home with a wealth of experience at the Grand Slam level, and it certainly will not be the last we hear of her. The former Buckeye set the school record for most singles wins in two seasons at 74-7, and she finished her 2017 sophomore year with a No. 1 ranking in NCAA singles. That same season, she and partner Miho Kowase claimed the NCAA doubles title. At the start of her junior year, Di Lorenzo opted to forego college and join the WTA.
MATCH POINT: Prior to her win on Thursday, this was the only Grand Slam at which Bertens had never advanced past the second round.
