Radwanska knocked out of US Open

Agnieszka Radwanska’s US Open woes continued on Wednesday as China’s Peng Shuai toppled the fourth-seeded Pole 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round.

Radwanska, a former Wimbledon finalist who counts this year’s Australian Open among two other grand slam semi-final appearances, had hoped to make it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in her ninth attempt.

But the 39th-ranked Peng put paid to that, breaking Radwanska three times en route to the victory sealed with a backhand winner on her third match point – her 28th winner of the contest.

“She’s tough to play,” said Peng, who beat Radwanska at the same stage of the US Open in 2010. “I kept running, I fought. It was amazing.

“I will try to keep going,” said Peng, whose best prior US Open showing was a round of 16 appearance in 2011.

Although Peng has failed to lift a trophy in six WTA finals appearances, she has tasted victory in doubles.

In February she became the first Chinese player to reach number one in the world when she went top of the doubles charts thanks to her success with Taiwan partner Hsieh Su-Wei.

In other early action, Sloane Stephens lost before the third round for the first time in four trips when upset by 96th-ranked Swede Johanna Larsson 5-7 6-4 6-2.

French 22nd seed Alize Cornet dismissed Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round – matching her best US Open run.

Hantuchova had won six of their nine prior encounters, including at the 2012 Olympic tournament.

But Cornet controlled this one, breaking Hantuchova four times en route to the victory in an hour and 22 minutes.

Former champion Maria Sharapova, who won her fifth grand slam title at Roland Garros this year, was also trying to book her third-round berth on Wednesday, taking on Alexandra Dulgheru.

Sharapova, seeded fifth, has won both of her previous meetings with the 95th-ranked Romanian.

With top seed and two-time defending champion Serena Williams having a day off, world No.2 Simona Halep was the top seed in action.

The second-seeded Romanian, runner-up to Sharapova at the French Open, faced Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova.

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