Swiatek storms past qualifier to reach third round

Top seed Iga Swiatek breezed into the third round of the US Open with an emphatic win over Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara.

The five-time major winner dropped just one game against Shibahara, who managed to hold serve early in the second set to avoid a dreaded 'double bagel'.

Swiatek, 23, didn't face a single break point as she wrapped up the 6-0 6-1 in 65 minutes.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from her second-round match against France's Jessika Ponchet, handing the world number 143 a walkover.

The reason for the fourth seed's withdrawal was not announced.

Earlier, Italy's fifth seed Jasmine Paolini progressed after Karolina Pliskova retired just three points into their second-round encounter.

The 2016 runner-up was 30-15 down in the first game when she pulled up injured.

Czech Pliskova requested medical treatment for her foot, but was unable to continue and limped off Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Paolini, a finalist at this year's French Open and Wimbledon, will face Kazkhstan's Yulia Putintseva next.

Swiatek was made to work hard to beat lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round on Tuesday, committing a remarkable 41 unforced errors before clinching a 6-4 7-6 (8-6) win.

But the world number one was clinical against Shibahara, reducing her unforced error count to six and winning 83% of points on her first serve.

"I was a bit tense in my last match, so today I just wanted to focus on the right things and focus on myself," Swiatek said.

"I just wanted to focus on technicalities and what I practiced yesterday on and trying to convert it to my match. Sometimes when the match goes pretty quick, your mind can drift off and you feel too safe."

Swiatek, who won the 2022 title in New York, will face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy in the third round.