WHAT HAPPENED: Three-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka fought off Clara Burel and a migraine to advance to Round 3 of the 2024 US Open with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in one hour, 26 minutes.
“It’s very tough to be out here. I don’t know how I played the match. I just tried to hope that it was going to get better,” Azarenka said following the match, donning sunglasses for relief. “I have a chronic migraine sometimes. It couldn’t be a worse time to start in the match. It’s tough to deal with.”
Playing the opening evening match in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the No. 20 seeded got off to a quick start as she played near-perfect tennis to sprint out to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
Burel finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth game when she stroked a brilliant down the line backhand on game point to hold serve. With a commanding 5-1 lead, Azarenka overcame three break points and held serve to close out the opening set in 33 minutes.
In the second set, Burel regrouped and began putting more balls back in play. She then broke Azarenka in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.
On the changeover, Azarenka was treated for a migraine. Despite her ailment, she came back to regain the momentum and proceeded to win five of the next six games. At 5-4, Azarenka served out the match as Burel netted a forehand on match point.
WHAT IT MEANS: Following her second-round victory, former world No. 1 Azarenka moves into the third round where she will meet China's Wang Yafan, a 6-0, 6-4 winner over Diane Parry of France. Azarenka defeated Wang in their only previous meeting, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 on the hard cours of Washington, D.C., this past summer.
With her win this evening in Louis Armstrong Stadium, Azarenka improves her career head-to-head record against Burel to 2-0. She defeated Burel, 7-5, 6-2, earlier this year in the Brisbane third round.
Azarenka is tough to beat in the early rounds of the US Open. Her record in Round 2 matches now stands at 14-2 in New York. She has also enjoyed success against players from France. Today's win boosted her career-record against French opponents to 35-9.
MATCH POINT: If there was a player in this year’s women’s field whose game is perfectly suited for the US Open hard courts, it might be Azarenka. The three-time US Open singles finalist (2020, 2013, 2012) has used her aggressive, hard-hitting baseline game to win 48 matches at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Azarenka, who is making her 17th career US Open appearance this year, has the most main draw wins (48-16) among players in the women's singles draw of the 2024 US Open.
