Naomi Osaka recorded the biggest win of her career by knocking out defending champion Angelique Kerber in the first round of the US Open.
Kerber has endured a disappointing year after winning at Flushing Meadows last year for her second Grand Slam title.
The German sixth seed has failed to win any titles in 2017 and will drop out of the top 10 after suffering a 6-3 6-1 humbling at the hands of the Japanese-American youngster in just 65 minutes.
The 19-year-old Osaka, the 2016 WTA newcomer of the year, was rarely troubled by Kerber. She broke for 5-3 in the opening set and never looked back to claim her first victory against a top-10 player.
Osaka surrendered a 5-1 third set lead on the same court in losing to Madison Keys 12 months ago.
“At 4-1, I was hoping I don’t do what I did last year,” said Osaka, who admitted suffering a brief flashback to her tearful loss to Keys. “So that helped me focus and concentrate, which I needed as Angelique gets everything back.”
Kerber insisted she would return to the level that won her two Grand Slams in 2016, adding: “I’m still the same player and the same person.
“I think it’s just the matches and how I played last year from the beginning and how I’m struggling this year. But I know that I’m strong and I know that I will come back stronger, for sure. I know that I will not give up like this.
“I will try to forget the match as soon as possible and look forward again.”
Osaka, world No 46, will now face either Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson or Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic for a place in the last 32.
World No 1 Karolina Pliskova eased into the second round with a no-nonsense 6-2 6-1 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette as rain began to fall at Flushing Meadows.
The Czech outclassed her 72nd-ranked opponent after the roof on Arthur Ashe was closed just before the second set.
Pliskova, who reached the final here last year, broke twice in the opening set to take a commanding lead with a fine backhand passing shot as Linette struggled on serve.
After fighting off six break points in the fifth game of the second set, Pliskova rolled on to prevail on her first match point with a second-serve ace to set up a meeting against Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg or American qualifier Nicole Gibbs.
French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko recorded a 6-2 1-6 6-1 victory over Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena. She will meet Sorana Cirstea in the next round after the Romanian beat Lesley Kerkhove 6-1 6-3.
In the day’s other matches, Czech 23rd seed Barbora Strycova dispatched Misaki Doi 6-1 6-3 and Yanina Wickmayer upset 28th-ranked Lesya Tsurenko 6-3 6-1
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