Caroline Wozniacki beats 2011 champion Samantha Stosur at US Open

REIGNING Australian champion and world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki has ended Samantha Stosur’s US Open campaign before it really started.

NEW YORK, NY — AUGUST 28: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns the ball during her women's singles first round match against Samantha Stosur of Australia on Day Two of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2018 in the Flushing neighbourhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

WORLD No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki has ended Samantha Stosur’s US Open campaign before it really started.

Undone by eight double-faults and 34 unforced errors, Stosur crashed to a 6-3 6-2 first-round loss to the reigning Australian Open champion in more oppressive heat at Flushing Meadows.

Champion in 2011, Stosur missed last year’s event with a wrist injury and lasted just 84 minutes on Tuesday, leaving Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova, Ajla Tomljanovic and Lizette Cabrera to fly the Australian flag in the women’s singles.

Unforced errors brought Samantha Stosur down in her women's singles first round match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark on Day Two of the 2018 US Open. Picture: Getty Images

Up against the game’s steadiest player, Stosur had stressed the importance of striking a balance between controlled aggression and loose tennis. But she was unable to deliver on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the sport’s biggest stage, where she brought down the great Serena Williams in the final seven years ago. Stosur made a confident enough start, firing down two aces to open the match. But after an easy first service hold, the veteran dropped three straight games to fall behind 3-1.

Caroline Wozniacki returns the ball during her women's singles first round match against Samantha Stosur. Picture: Getty Images

The world No. 67 fought hard to retrieve the break and level the set up at 3-3, only to cough up three double-faults in a horror service game to all but hand Wozniacki the first set.

Stosur did well to hold serve after an epic 18-point fourth game of the second set but was broken for 4-2 and then, somewhat appropriately, dropped serve to love with her eighth double-fault on match point.

RESULTS SO FAR FROM TODAY’S FIRST ROUND DRAW

Women Rd 1 Q-Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-1 7-6(1). Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt 24-CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3 7-6(3). Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-3 4-6 6-3. 13-Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-0 7-5.

Q-Julia Glushko (ISR) bt Monica Niculescu (ROU) 3-6 7-5 6-4. 2-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-3 6-2. Johanna Larsson (SWE) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 4-6 6-3 6-2.

10-Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-4 4-6 7-5. Wang Yafan (CHN) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-1 3-6 6-4. Taylor Townsend (USA) bt WC-Amanda Anisimova (USA) 3-6 6-4 6-3. 20-Naomi Osaka (JPN) bt Laura Siegemund (GER) 6-3 6-2.

Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-3 6-2.

5-Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-1 6-4.