Sabalenka secures 3rd round at US Open to face former runner up Fernandez

In a competitive second-round match at the US Open, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus defeated Russia's Polina Kudermetova with a score of 7-6 (4), 6-2. The victory, which took place Wednesday night at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, moves Sabalenka into the third round.

Sabalenka's win follows her first-round triumph over Swiss player Rebeka Masarova, whom she beat 7-5, 6-1. The Belarusian now faces a significant challenge in her next match: a showdown against Canadian Leylah Fernandez, the 31st seed and a former US Open finalist.

Kudermetova, ranked 64th in the world, had advanced to the second round after her first-round opponent, Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz, was forced to retire from their match.