NEW YORK -- World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka is up and running at the US Open after a 6-3, 6-3 win over Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon in the first round. The runner-up last year, Sabalenka improved to 7-0 in the first round at the US Open. 

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After successfully defending her Australian Open title in January, Sabalenka is trying to become the first woman to win both hard-court majors in the same season since Angelique Kerber in 2016. She has made the semifinals or better in her last three appearances in New York. 

Sabalenka will face Italy's Lucia Bronzetti in the second round on Wednesday. Bronzetti advanced after New Zealand's Lulu Sun was forced to retire after losing the first set 6-3. Sun endured a difficult turnaround, having finished runner-up in the Monterrey final on Sunday night. 

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No.203 Hon entered the match seeking her first tour-level main-draw win of the season. The Australian qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw since the 2022 Australian Open with wins over Akosha Urhobo, Daria Snigur and top-seed in qualifying Kamilla Rakhimova.

Hon played a contained and controlled match from the baseline but could not find a way through a confident and in-form Sabalenka, who took home her 15th Hologic WTA Tour title last week at the Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka rolled through the opening set without facing a break point.

Sabalenka earned an early break in the second set before Hon converted her first break point of the match to get back on serve at 3-2. Sabalenka remained unbothered. She sealed her sixth consecutive victory by breaking Hon for a fourth time with a string of clean return winners to lead 4-2 and protected her lead to secure her 40th win of the season. She has won the last 12 sets she has played.

Sabalenka finished with 27 winners to 16 unforced errors. Hon struck 12 winners to 8 unforced errors but was 1 for 6 on her break point chances in the second set. 

Earlier in the evening, France's Clara Burel rallied from a 6-0, 4-1 deficit to oust 2017 champion Sloane Stephens 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the first round. Burel, ranked No.56 on the PIF WTA Rankings, lost the first nine games of the match before winning her first game at 3-1 in the second set. Stephens served for the win twice, at 5-4 in the second and third sets.

Burel will face former No.1 Victoria Azarenka in the second round. The three-time US Open champion mounted a comeback of her own to advance, defeating Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. 

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova earned her first hard-court win since February, defeating Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera 7-6(3), 6-2 in just over 90 minutes. Playing in her first hard-court tournament of the summer, the Czech will face Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse next.