Pegula, Medvedev, Kostyuk advance to US Open second round

Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk both secured commanding victories in their opening matches at the US Open, benefiting from the tournament's early start schedule on Sunday. Pegula, who competed among the first wave of players, emphasized the tactical advantage of winning early. "It is a little bit weird, but I did kind of enjoy that I could breathe for the next couple of days and everyone else is still freaking out about whether they're going to win their first round," she said.

Kostyuk, seeded 11th, echoed similar sentiments while acknowledging the psychological risk of early elimination. "We were just talking about it, and I said, it's so nice to play on Sunday when you win. But if you lose it's not nice, because you feel like the tournament didn't even start and you're out of it," she noted.

Both players now enjoy an additional day of rest before returning for their second-round encounters. The early schedule has traditionally offered winners a competitive edge through extended recovery time, though it can prove demoralizing for those who falter in opening matches. Elsewhere at the tournament, Daniil Medvedev also advanced through his first-round fixture, maintaining steady progress in his quest for Grand Slam success.