Day three at the US Open was a great one for Venus Williams. She moved on to the third round for the first time since 2010 with a straight set victory over Timea Bacsinszky. Williams used a big serve that reached 117 mph to take command of the match. She won over 70% of her first service points. Williams worked hard but still looked energized when the match was over. Her signature twirl and a wave to the crowd showed that she has confidence as she awaits her third round opponent. 

Maria Sharapova Outworks Alexandra Dulgheru

Maria Sharapova was losing her game, but she never lost her fitness. Sharapova is a superstar but seems to struggle closing out matches more than most and this was another grueling victory. Sharapova came out on top of a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 duel despite 46 unforced errors. Alexandra Dulgheru is the 95th ranked player and has only played twice since mid-July. She wore down as the match went on. Sharapova will face Sabine Lisicki in the third round after she took out American Madison Brengle.

Radwanska Upset

The biggest upset of the day was fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwańska losing in straight sets to Peng Shuai. Radwanska has appeared at nine US Open tournaments and failed to advance past the fourth round. The loss continued a string of sub-par performances. It looked as though the 90-degree heat got to Radwanska. She had better stats in almost every category, but had only 19 winners on the day. Shuai had 28 winners.

Struggles Continue for Sloane Stephens

After her excruciating 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 loss to 96th-ranked Johanna Larsson, American Sloane Stephens said she isn't having fun on the court anymore. She has had a disappointing season and it continued in New York. Stephens was up a set and 3-0 in the second when it all fell apart. She finished with 63 unforced errors and had her serve broken eight times. Her confidence is gone and she often absorbs groundstrokes hoping for a mistake. Stephens needs to step back and find her game once again. 

Looking Ahead

Round two play will continue tomorrow in the women's draw. Serena Williams will take on another U.S. player, Vania King. Eight American women will be in action on Thursday. Sorana Cirstea will have the big challenge of opposing rising star Eugenie Bouchard.

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About the author
Doug Smith
Doug has a communications background that started with a local weekly newspaper as a high school junior. He has experience in both print and digital as a freelance writer. Doug has covered baseball, soccer, golf, tennis and hockey for three different blog networks. His last print assignment was as a Features editor for a regional newspaper in northwest PA. His personal interests include soccer, especially MLS and the German Bundesliga. He also likes to play tennis in his spare time. He appreciate your readership and welcomes any and all comments. Thank you.