Top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek surged closer towards a US Open showdown with Coco Gauff on Friday.
Swiatek briefly put sentiment to one side as she demolished 145th-ranked Slovenian qualifier and best friend Kaja Juvan 6-0, 6-1 in just 49 minutes to storm into the fourth round.
“I didn’t like the fact that I was kind of winning with my best friend,” said world number one Swiatek. “It was like playing against a sister because I’ve known her for so long.
“I don’t have many friends but she’s my best friend so that was the toughest part for sure.”
The Pole is bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend her US Open crown since Serena Williams won a hat-trick of titles from 2012-2014.
She could meet 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko next ahead of a potential quarter-final clash with in-form home favourite Gauff. Sixth seed Gauff plays Belgium’s Elise Mertens to kick off the evening session on Arthur Ashe.
Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova qualified for the last 16 courtesy of a 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 win over Taylor Townsend.
She goes on to play China’s Wang Xinyu who battled into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time by coming from a set down to oust Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The 21-year-old from Shenzhen had never been further than the first round at the US Open before this year.
American 14th seed Tommy Paul advanced with a four-set win over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, heading into week two of the tournament for the first time as well.
American No 1 Taylor Fritz later plays teenage Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik, the world number 206 and youngest man to reach the US Open third round since 1990. Mensik celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday.
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who received a walkover in the second round, also faces Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea under the lights on Louis Armstrong.Alcaraz cruises into US Open third roundDefending champion Carlos Alcaraz eased into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) win over South Africa’s Lloyd Harris on Thursday.
The Spaniard retrieved a break in the third set but has been little troubled through his first two matches in New York after his opening-round tie was cut short by injury.
“I think I played a great match,” said Alcaraz. “If I have to keep something from the match I’m going to keep the level from the second set. I had to forget that break (in the third set). I did such a bad game. I had to forget it and focus. To be able to win in straight sets is really important to me in the first rounds.”
The 20-year-old, who will lose the number one ranking to Novak Djokovic after the tournament, plays Britain’s 26th seed Dan Evans in the last 32.
Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man to defend the US Open crown since 2008, when Roger Federer hoisted the trophy for a fifth consecutive year.