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 French Open champion Sharapova lost the first set to 95th-ranked
Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania, but the five-times grand slam winner
bounced back to reach the third round with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory in
warm breezes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Radwanska was not so fortunate as she fell 6-3 6-4 to world number
one doubles player Peng, who supplied a shock start to second-round
play in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Men's first-round play was completed with sixth-seeded Czech Tomas
Berdych dismissing 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 6-3 6-4
6-3 and seventh seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov a 6-2 7-6 6-2 victor
over local wild card Ryan Harrison.
Other men's seeds reaching the second round included Ernests Gulbis
of Latvia (11), Marin Cilic of Croatia (14), South African Kevin
Anderson (18) and Feliciano Lopez of Spain (19).
Cilic and Lopez advanced in abbreviated fashion. Cilic was leading
6-3 3-1 when Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus retired with an ankle
injury, while Lopez was at 1-1 in the fifth set when Croat Ivan
Dodig could no longer continue due to cramping.
BEAT HEAT
World number two Simona Halep of Romania beat the heat by hurrying
past Jana Cepelova of Slovakia 6-2 6-1 to reach the third round.
Halep, who overcame U.S. college champion Danielle Collins in the
opening round after losing a first-set tie-break, wasted little time
as temperatures soared.
"I started to be more aggressive and hit the ball," said second seed
Halep, the French Open runner-up. "I feel great now that I could win
so fast today because it's so hot outside."
Johanna Larsson of Sweden, ranked 96th, sent another seed to the
exits with a 5-7 6-4 6-2 upset of 21st-seeded American Sloane
Stephens, a 2013 Australian Open semi-finalist.
Peng used piercing, two-handed groundstrokes to put Radwanska on the
defensive and claimed the biggest scalp of the tournament so far on
her third match point with a backhand crosscourt winner that brushed
the corner lines.
A winner in the Montreal hardcourt run-up event to the U.S. Open and
semi-finalist at this year's Australian Open, Radwanska was
outplayed on critical points.
Peng won three of five break points against Radwanska, who succeeded
only once in seven break opportunities.
"Every game was pretty tight and a lot of rallies," lamented
Radwanska. "Every game could go either way. But in the important
moments, I think she was just playing a little bit better."
FAMILIAR FORMULA
Sharapova looked in trouble after making a massive 22 unforced
errors in losing the first set against Dulgheru, who had risen to a
high ranking of 26 in 2011 before knee injuries set her back.
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But the 2006 champion recovered.
Sharapova broke in the sixth game of the second set to lead 4-2 and
served out to claim the second set and start a run of five games in a
row that took her to 4-0 in the third set and victory in the two hour 38
minute struggle.
It was a familiar formula for Sharapova, who leads the tour with 17
three-set victories this year.
"We started under the sun and finished under the lights. That's what you
call the U.S. Open, I guess," said Sharapova.
"I'm very happy I was able to come back and come through and win this
match."
As for being able to win the long matches, the Russian said: "A lot of
hard work. You have to put in the hours and the miles, I guess."
The 28-year-old Peng, the French Open doubles champion, had 28 winners
in the 96-minute upset of Radwanska.
"I had two match points and didn't make it," Peng said about two
backhand errors that prolonged the match.
"But I just said 'fight, fight' and it's an amazing time for me," added
the 39th-ranked Peng, who in February became the first Chinese player to
become a world number one in tennis.
Peng, who has six career runner-up showings but no singles titles, said
she received positive support from fans.
"A lot of fans (tell) me in the e-mail that I play her four times and
the only time I win was in the U.S. Open four years ago," related Peng.
"So maybe I saw the luck may be coming back today."
Others advancing included sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany,
ninth-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic and 10th-seeded former world number
one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
(Editing by Frank Pingue/Greg Stutchbury)
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