Top seed Jannik Sinner beat American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round of the US Open where the Italian’s doping case remains a focus even though he was cleared of wrongdoing.

Sinner converted eight of his 16 break-point chances en route to dispatching Michelsen in 99 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In the early goings Michelsen proved up for the challenge as he twice came back from a break down in the first set, but when Sinner broke a third time for a 5-4 lead he promptly closed out the tighly-contested frame on serve.

Sinner found another gear in the second set and had a much easier time as he raced out to a 3-0 double-break lead to seize control and never looked back as Michelsen’s serve suddenly abandoned him.

Michelsen made an encouraging start to the third set but Sinner remained all business and continued applying pressure, eventually earning the decisive break for a 3-2 lead and going on to serve out the match with a routine hold.

The victory was in stark contrast when compared to their first meeting two weeks ago during the second round of a US Open tune-up event in Cincinnati where Sinner prevailed in two close sets en route to lifting the title.

All about ‘execution’

Defending champion Coco Gauff advanced to the third round, while Aryna Sabalenka marked her win by taking photographs with a mini version of herself.

Gauff cleaned up early mistakes to beat unseeded German Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-0 to set up a meeting with 2019 semi-finalist Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. The American beat Maria in Auckland last year and she held on to the blueprint, roaring back from an error-riddled first set to sweep through the second and close out the affair with a sublime backhand winner.

Gauff was red hot as she broke Maria in the opening game but helped her opponent to a break point with a handful of clumsy errors in the next game.

The third seed hardly had the run-up to New York that she had hoped for as she crashed out of Toronto and Cincinnati early, and she appeared visibly frustrated at times as she put up 20 unforced errors and seven double faults in the first set.

She turned it around when she broke her opponent from the baseline in the seventh game and clawed her way back from 15-40 in the 10th and had a poker face as she walked back to her bench when Maria sent one past the baseline on set point.

Maria dropped her serve with a double fault in the first game of the second set and Gauff forced the German into an error to make it 3-0, running away with the match as she improved virtually every aspect of her game.

“It was a tricky match. I mean, she’s not someone that sometimes you play and you feel great after,” said Gauff. “It was just about execution.”

Victoria Azarenka said she suffered a migraine during her match against Clara Burel but the former world No. 1 still managed to claim a 6-1, 6-4 victory.

Azarenka was in cruise control as she comfortably took the opening set after winning the first five games but she quickly found herself 3-1 down in the second, appearing to struggle with the harsh lights at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The Belarusian was in tears as she complained of a migraine and then called for the doctor, who checked her blood pressure and gave her medication during a stoppage that lasted nearly five minutes.

That took the momentum away from Burel, who made several errors after the restart as Azarenka won the next four games before sealing victory.

Sabalenka sails

Last year’s finalist Sabalenka is no stranger to hot and humid conditions as a resident of Miami and the big-hitting Belarusian was barely troubled during her 6-3, 6-1 win over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.

She celebrated the win by taking pictures with a young fan outfitted in similar gear to the second seed and sporting a temporary tiger tattoo to match that on Sabalenka’s left forearm. Zheng Qinwen of China was given an early headache by Russian 20-year-old Erika Andreeva before the Olympic champion prevailed 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2 after a 10-minute heat break midway.

Zverev means business

German fourth seed Alexander Zverev wasted little time in blazing conditions earlier in the day as he dispatched Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry vomited on court amid the stifling conditions during a five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo.

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev dropped the first two sets against Arthur Rinderknech but dug deep to secure a 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory, while eighth seed Casper Ruud was dragged into a fight by Gael Monfils.

That evening match on Grandstand was suspended midway due to a lightning warning with supporters asked to leave for their own safety before Ruud later completed a 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3) win.