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New York - Former world number one Maria Sharapova battled back on Wednesday to reach the third round of the US Open while next-generation rising stars Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios crashed out.
Sharapova, who downed second-ranked Simona Halep in her first Grand Slam match after a 15-month doping ban, defeated Hungary's 59th-ranked Timea Babos 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"It wasn't my best tennis," Sharapova said. "It was scrappy tennis but sometimes those kind of matches are a lot of fun and this was one of those days."
The 30-year-old Russian, who next faces Russian-born US teen Sofia Kenin, tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, her most recent Grand Slam appearance until this week.
"Every day I have the chance I have to play at the US Open is a special day and I'll look forward to the next one," 146th-ranked Sharapova said.
Sharapova, whose five Grand Slam titles include the 2006 US Open, played only one Open tuneup match after a forearm injury but wore down Halep and Babos to prove she's a threat for a deep run, with Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova her top-ranked potential semi-final obstacle.
Fourth seed Zverev, whose five ATP titles this year include a win over Roger Federer in this month's Montreal final, fell to 61st-ranked Croatian Borna Coric 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/4).
The 20-year-old German had been the highest-ranked player in his half of an injury-hit Open draw.
"It's upsetting because the draw is pretty open in the bottom part," Zverev said. "I felt like I should have been the favourite there. I just played a very, very bad match, so it's unfortunate."
Coric, who faces South African Kevin Anderson for a last-16 berth, was one point from a fifth set before winning five in a row to force the deciding tie-breaker.
"I was just thinking to keep the points shorter," Coric said. "And yeah, I was a little bit lucky."
Zverev's ouster left US 10th seed John Isner the top-ranked player in his draw quarter and Croatian fifth seed Marin Cilic the best in his half of the draw.
Wimbledon runner-up Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, reached the third round by beating Germany's Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Kyrgios, the 14th seed and former top-rated obstacle in Federer's quarter-final path, hurt his right shoulder in a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 first-round loss to 235th-ranked fellow Aussie John Millman.
"Early in the third set I hit one serve and I never felt the same after that," Kyrgios said. "Something didn't feel right in my arm."
Kyrgios, 22, dropped eight of the last nine games.
"Nick's shoulder deteriorated as the match went on," Millman said after his first US Open triumph. "It's a victory but slightly hollow."
Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem ousted Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. Thiem is the highest-ranked rival on the Federer and Nadal side of the draw.
Canadian 18-year-old qualifier Denis Shapovalov defeated French eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to book a third-round date with Britain's Kyle Edmund.
"It's a dream come true for me," Shapovalov said.
Shapovalov became the youngest man in the third round of a Grand Slam since Bernard Tomic at the 2011 Australian Open and at the US Open since American Donald Young in 2007.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza reached the US Open third round for the first time by beating China's 92nd-ranked Duan Ying-Ying 6-4, 6-0.
"I had like a curse and I broke it finally. I'm so happy," Muguruza said. "I just put the heart on the court. I knew I had to be all the time fighting for the ball and in the end I won."
Beating Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova to reach the last 16 would put the third-seeded Spaniard atop a fight for world number one that was trimmed to six women when Danish fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki lost to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1.
Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, rescued three match points in defeating 67th-ranked Czech Marketa Vondrousova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to stay in the hunt for number one.
Ukraine's fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina did as well, downing 42nd-ranked Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
Another top spot hopeful is seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, the 37-year-old US ninth seed who beat France's Oceane Dodin 7-5, 6-4.
Results from day 3 of the US Open on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):
Men
Second round
Sam Querrey (USA x17) bt Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4
Radu Albot (MDA) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-2, 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 0-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Mischa Zverev (GER x23) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5
John Isner (USA x10) bt Hyeon Chung (KOR) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 2-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Gilles Muller (LUX x19) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Kevin Anderson (RSA x28) bt Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Borna Coric (CRO) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x4) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/4)
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)
Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Albert Ramos (ESP x20) 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x12) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) bt Jared Donaldson (USA) 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
Diego Schwartzman (ARG x29) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-2, 6-4, 7-5
Marin Cilic (CRO x5) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
First round
Taro Daniel (JPN) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-1, 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt Geoffrey Blancaneaux (FRA) 6-2, 6-2, 6-0
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x26) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Stefano Travaglia (ITA) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x22) 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), 3-6, 6-0
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Norbert Gombos (SVK) 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
Tomas Berdych (CZE x15) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)
David Goffin (BEL x9) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Guido Pella (ARG) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 6-1, 6-2, 6-0
Donald Young (USA) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
Gael Monfils (FRA x18) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-4
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x27) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) bt Nicolas Kicker (ARG) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x7) bt Vaclav Safranek (CZE) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-2, 0-0 abandon
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x33) bt Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Vincent Millot (FRA) 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4
Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
John Millman (AUS) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x14) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x11) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)
Dustin Brown (GER) bt Thomaz Belluci (BRA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Adrián Menéndez-Maceiras (ESP) bt Patrick Kypson (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x24) bt Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA x30) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4)
Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
Dominic Thiem (AUT x6) bt Alex De Minaur (AUS) 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
Women
Second round
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x5) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO x29) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Arina Rodionova (AUS) 7-5, 6-3
Venus Williams (USA x9) bt Ocane Dodin (FRA) 7-5, 6-4
Petra Kvitova (CZE x13) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-1, 6-2
Caroline Garcia (FRA x18) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK x31) bt Kristyna Pliskova(CZE) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3)
Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3) bt Ying-Ying Duan (CHN) 6-4, 6-0
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-3, 6-2
Julia Goerges (GER x30) bt Saisai Zheng (CHN) 6-2, 6-1
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-1, 7-6 (9/7)
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x11) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x16) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-4, 6-4
Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Peng Shuai (CHN x22) 6-0, 6-2
Sofia Kenin (USA) bt Sachia Vickery (USA) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/0)
Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-1
First round
Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Vernica Cepede (PAR) 6-0, 1-6, 6-1
Risa Ozaki (JPN) bt Danielle Lao (USA) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5)
Zhang Shuai (CHN x27) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0
Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Ana Bogdan (ROM) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Monica Niculescu (ROM) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x14) 6-3, 6-2
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x10) bt Petra Martic (CRO) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Sofya Zhuk (RUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Ons Jabeur (TUN) bt Brienne Minor (USA) 6-1, 7-5
Coco Vandeweghe (USA x20) bt Alison Riske (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Anett Kontaveit (EST x26) 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-4
Nao Hibino (JPN) bt Catherine Bellis (USA) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
Kurumi Nara (JPN) bt Sara Sorribes (ESP) 6-1, 6-2
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Markta Vondrousov (CZE) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3
Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Kayla Day (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Daria Gavrilova (AUS x25) bt Alexandra Kiick (USA) 6-2, 6-1
Elena Vesnina (RUS x17) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-1, 6-3
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-2, 6-3
Tatjana Maria (GER) bt Ashley Kratzer (USA) 6-1, 6-1
Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Wang Qiang (CHN) 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-3
Christina McHale (USA) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x19) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 0-6, 6-4, 6-2
Denisa Allertova (CZE) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
