Clara Burel, who had eliminated Sloane Stephens after an epic match in the first round of the US Open, failed to continue against Victoria Azarenka, marking only five games against the Belarusian.
Jessika Ponchet, who had never won the slightest Grand Chelem match before Tuesday, is the last Frenchwoman in the running at the US Open (she will face Rybakina this Thursday). Clara Burel, the last tricolor chance at the bottom of the table, was indeed eliminated by Victoria Azarenka. After her epic victory against Sloane Stephens, former winner of the tournament, in the first round (after being led 6-0, 4-1 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium!), The 23-year-old Breton challenged the former tournament triple finalist (in 2012, 2013 and 2020), and she bowed 6-1, 6-4 in 1:23.
Beaten in two sets by the Belarusian at the start of the season in Brisbane (7-5, 6-2), Burel hoped to jost it a little more, but with five double-fautes and 31 direct faults on the clock, she could not dream for a long time. Azarenka started the match very much, leading 4-0, with two breaks on two occasions. She missed a first set ball at 5-0, but not the second at 5-1, on her service.
Belarusian curse for Burel
Clara Burel confirmed her progress at the end of the first set at the start of the second, managing to lead 3-1. But that woke up the former world n ° 1, which aligned four games in a row. At 5-3, she obtained three match balls, which the Frenchwoman saved. At 5-4 on her put into play, Victoria Azarenka did not miss the opportunity, and here she is in the third round of the US Open for the fourteenth time of her career, with a match Friday against Yafan Wang (80th), the tomb of Diane Parry.
As for Burel, after having been eliminated in the past two years in the third round by Aryna Sabalenka, this time it stops in the second, still against a Belarusian. Fortunately, the 56th world should only lose a few places in the standings. Next meeting: in ten days in Monastir, where she must be seeded n ° 2.
