Badosa Beats Kasatkina 6-1 6-4 in US Open First Round

Paula Badosa needed only two sets to move past Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-4 in the US Open first round, taking control immediately and never letting the Australian back level. The difference sat in the second-serve column: Badosa won 64.3 percent of her second-serve points, while Kasatkina managed just 39.1 percent, a gap that turned routine service games into constant pressure. Kasatkina actually landed more first serves, 68.9 percent to 65.9, but won only 58.8 percent of those points, and both women coughed up five double faults. For the Spaniard, it was a clean, efficient start to her tournament.