Elina Svitolina strolls into US Open third round

Elina Svitolina, who had also reached the third round at Flushing Meadows in the previous two years, was barely troubled by her 89th-ranked opponent Evgeniya Rodina of Russia in a sun-kissed Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina powered into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-4 6-4 win against Russian Evgeniya Rodina on Thursday.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina returns the ball to Russia's Evgeniya Rodina during their 2017 US Open women's singles match in New York on August 31. (AFP)

The 22-year-old, who had also reached the third round at Flushing Meadows in the previous two years, was barely troubled by her 89th-ranked opponent in a sun-kissed Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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Svitolina lost focus in the second set at 5-2 when she allowed Rodina to pull a break back, but she held her following service game to wrap up the victory on the first match point with a backhand winner.

She next faces either American Shelby Rogers or Australian 25th seed Daria Gavrilova.

Nick Kyrgios was fined a total of $5,500 for bad behaviour during his U.S. Open first-round defeat, organisers said on Thursday.

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Kyrgios, seeded 14th, smashed his racket and cursed as he expressed his frustration during a 6-3 1-6 6-4 6-1 loss to fellow Australian John Millman on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old received a $3,000 fine for ‘audible obscenity’ and a $2,500 fine for ‘abuse of rackets and equipments’, said a U.S. Tennis Association statement.