Svitolina routs Sierra 6-1 6-2 in US Open first round

Elina Svitolina needed barely an hour's worth of resistance to sweep past Solana Sierra 6-1 6-2 in the US Open first round, a rout shaped by the gulf in serving efficiency. The Ukrainian landed only 57.8 percent of her first serves and coughed up six double faults, yet she was close to untouchable when she did find the box, winning 92.3 percent of those points and 52.6 percent behind her second. Sierra was steadier at 66.7 percent first serves in, but won just half of them and only 30.8 percent behind her second, with four double faults. For Svitolina, it was a clean, economical start to the tournament.