Safina rallied to beat No. 167 Olivia Rogowska, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. She would have become the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the US Open.
Safina trailed 0-3 in the third set and had to fight off two break points in the fourth game. She trailed 2-4 until breaking the 18-year-old Aussie twice, and went on to win the last four games.
There were 15 service breaks in the match, including six in the first set, 113 unforced errors and 24 double faults. Safina will play Kristina Barrois in the second round.
Rogowska broke Safina three times in the first set and was down a mini-break early in the tiebreak, but eventually took the set when Safina double-faulted on set point. Safina took control in the second set, breaking Rogowska three straight times, but battled from behind again in the third.
Rogowska broke Safina in the second game and fought off three break points in the third for a 3-0 lead. Safina then faced the reality of a 4-0 deficit before fighting off two break points in the fourth game.
Rogowska again broke back for a 4-2 lead and again seemed headed for what would have been the Open’s biggest upset in years. But Safina broke twice more and ultimately held serve at love to wrap up the comeback.
She came to the US Open after losing to Aravane Rezai, then ranked No. 39, in the round of 32 at Toronto. She had reached the final the week before at Cincinnati before losing to No. 5 Jelena Jankovic.
Rogowska was making her debut in the main draw at the US Open. She had moved up more than 500 places in the rankings in the past year. Her biggest ever win came earlier this year when she beat, No. 47 Maria Kirilenko, in the first round at Roland Garros.
Safina survives – barely
Safina rallied to beat No. 167 Olivia Rogowska, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. She would have become the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the US Open.
Safina trailed 0-3 in the third set and had to fight off two break points in the fourth game. She trailed 2-4 until breaking the 18-year-old Aussie twice, and went on to win the last four games.
There were 15 service breaks in the match, including six in the first set, 113 unforced errors and 24 double faults. Safina will play Kristina Barrois in the second round.
Rogowska broke Safina three times in the first set and was down a mini-break early in the tiebreak, but eventually took the set when Safina double-faulted on set point. Safina took control in the second set, breaking Rogowska three straight times, but battled from behind again in the third.
Rogowska broke Safina in the second game and fought off three break points in the third for a 3-0 lead. Safina then faced the reality of a 4-0 deficit before fighting off two break points in the fourth game.
Rogowska again broke back for a 4-2 lead and again seemed headed for what would have been the Open’s biggest upset in years. But Safina broke twice more and ultimately held serve at love to wrap up the comeback.
She came to the US Open after losing to Aravane Rezai, then ranked No. 39, in the round of 32 at Toronto. She had reached the final the week before at Cincinnati before losing to No. 5 Jelena Jankovic.
Rogowska was making her debut in the main draw at the US Open. She had moved up more than 500 places in the rankings in the past year. Her biggest ever win came earlier this year when she beat, No. 47 Maria Kirilenko, in the first round at Roland Garros.
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