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Karolina Pliskova, the No. 1 women’s singles seed at the United States Open, was beaten in the second round by Caroline Garcia, 6-1, 7-6 (2), on Wednesday.
A significant upset on paper, it was no great surprise in the grand scheme of women’s tennis, which has become a free-for-all in recent seasons.
Garcia, a powerful French player with a complete game, was once ranked as high as No. 4 in 2018. She already had split her previous six matches with Pliskova, and though she arrived unseeded at this Grand Slam tournament, she was the more consistent and resourceful player in Louis Armstrong Stadium.