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New York - Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, a first-round US Open loser the past two years, felt a load had been lifted on Tuesday after advancing to the second round.
"Definitely I feel lighter now," Halep said. "I feel much better that I could win a match finally in this tournament."
Romanian fourth seed Halep defeated US lucky loser Nicole Gibbs 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at Louis Armstrong Stadium to book a second-round match on Thursday against US qualifier Taylor Townsend.
Halep lost to Russian five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in the 2017 first round and fell to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi last year.
"Well, the pressure was tricky today. Winning one match in three years, it's pretty tough," Halep said with a smile. "But it's good that I could go over that.
"I was stressed before the match, also on this court that I lost last year. Was not easy. But I'm really happy that I could manage in the end to play better than before."
Halep said she was thankful for a tough fight in her opener, thinking it better prepares her for the tests to come.
"I'm not feeling great at the beginning of the tournament, but always when I played tough matches at the beginning, then I went through the semi-finals or quarter-finals," Halep said.
"So I'm confident. I feel like my game, it's there. I'm moving well. I just need a little bit of mental confidence. Now I'm trying to get it."
Halep hopes to match the level she reached in last month's Wimbledon final, where she outplayed 23-time major champion Serena Williams to collect her second Grand Slam title after the 2018 French Open.
"The good thing is that I believe I can touch that level," Halep said. "If I keep working every day really hard, I'm able to do it again. So that's why I'm motivated. I'm still hungry of results, of titles. I'm sure that with matches and with tournaments I can get back there."
Halep says winning at Wimbledon has made her more relaxed.
"You just have to believe and go ahead. You have nothing to lose now in my position," she said. "I've done everything I wanted, extra winning Wimbledon. I'm pretty relaxed. But still I have expectations for myself. I'm trying to get better day by day."
Halep could become the world number one by winning the US Open title and could chase for the year-end number one ranking she held last year.
"If I'm healthy, I will go for it 100 percent," Halep said. "I want to finish number one. I still have chances, so I'm going to work for them. I'm confident I have actually a big chance. I will fight."
Results from Tuesday's second day of the US Open tennis championships: (x denotes seed):
Men
First round
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x8) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x24) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x10) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Gael Monfils (FRA x13) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-3
Marius Copil (ROU) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (13/11), 4-6, 6-1
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x18) 6-1, 6-1, 6-4
Pablo Andujar (ESP) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR x30) 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5, 5-7, 6-2
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 2-6, 6-0, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x4) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Alexander Zverev (GER x6) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2
Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-2, 6-3, 1-2, retired
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) bt Jozef Kovalík (SVK) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Benoît Paire (FRA x29) bt Brayden Schnur (CAN) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Diego Schwartzman (ARG x20) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0
Egor Gerasimov (BLR) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3)
Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 1-6, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x9) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
John Isner (USA x14) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)
Marin Cilic (CRO x22) bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x32) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Chung Hyeon (KOR) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Ilya Ivashka (BLR) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2
Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt John Millman (AUS) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Antoine Hoang (FRA) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-3
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x28) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
Women
First round
Naomi Osaka (JPN x1) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
Magda Linette (POL) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-3, 6-4
Cori Gauff (USA) bt Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Timea Babos (HUN) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x28) 6-2, 0-0, retired
Anett Kontaveit (EST x21) bt Sara Sorribes (ESP) 6-1, 6-1
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt Marie Bouzková (CZE) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-2, 6-3
Belinda Bencic (SUI x13) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-3, 6-2
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Julia Görges (GER x26) bt Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/1)
Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Kiki Bertens (NED x7) bt Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2
Simona Halep (ROU x4) bt Nicole Gibbs (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 7-5, 6-2
Aliona Bolsova (ESP) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE x31) 6-3, 0-6, 6-1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x19) bt Wang Yafan (CHN) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
Danielle Collins (USA) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Wang Xiyu (CHN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Bianca Andreescu (CAN x15) bt Katie Volynets (USA) 6-2, 6-4
Kristie Ahn (USA) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 7-5, 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-3, 7-6 (9/7)
Alison Riske (USA) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x24) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Elise Mertens (BEL x25) bt Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-2, 6-2
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) bt Diane Parry (FRA) 6-4, 6-3
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU) 6-3, 6-4
Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Denisa Allertova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4
Donna Vekic (CRO x23) bt Richel Hogenkamp (NED) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x9) bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x11) 6-3, 6-4
