Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, serves to Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31
Karolina Pliskova and Reilly Opelka were among the early winners on the second day of the U.S. Open.
Pliskova, a 2016 finalist, beat Caty McNally 6-3, 6-4 in her first-round match as the former world No. 1 tries continues her rebound from several lean years on the tour. Pliskova lost the Wimbledon final this year and fell to 0-2 in major finals.
Reilly Opelka, one of 15 Americans playing in bottom half of the draw on Tuesday, defeated Soonwoo Kown 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4.
Mackenzie McDonald, another American, beat David Goffin 6-2, 7-5, 6-3. McDonald needed surgery for a torn hamstring tendon a little more than two years ago and couldn’t walk for weeks. He lost the Citi Open final in August in Washington.
Later in the day, Novak Djokovic will open his bid to become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam when he plays 18-year-old qualifier Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune of Denmark in the first match of the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic would break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men if he wins the tournament. They all have 20.
Djokovic is 15-0 in the first round at the U.S. Open and has won eight of the last 12 Grand Slam tournaments.
Women’s No. 1 seed Ash Barty faces Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 U.S. Open runner-up, on Ashe in an afternoon match.
