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Wozniacki Downs Prozorova to Make Winning Return at US Open 

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reacts during her first round match against Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, US, 28 August 2023. (EPA)
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reacts during her first round match against Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, US, 28 August 2023. (EPA)
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Wozniacki Downs Prozorova to Make Winning Return at US Open 

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reacts during her first round match against Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, US, 28 August 2023. (EPA)
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reacts during her first round match against Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, US, 28 August 2023. (EPA)

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki marked her return to Grand Slam action for the first time in more than three years with a 6-3 6-2 win over Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova on Monday to reach the second round at the US Open.

Wozniacki is competing in her third tournament since returning to the tour in Montreal and playing in Cincinnati this month after retiring in 2020 to start a family, but the Dane's vast experience shone through against 19-year-old Prozorova.

"It feels amazing to be back," said Wozniacki, who booked a place in the next round against Czech 11th seed Petra Kvitova.

"Obviously I was very nervous coming out here, I haven't been here since 2019 and a lot has happened since then.

"It just feels amazing to have the chance out here on this big court, playing a night session and getting a win under my belt. It feels so special."

Both players surrendered serve early in the match before the 33-year-old Wozniacki stepped up the pressure from 3-3, breaking her opponent twice more on the back of some relentless returns to win the opening set.

Wozniacki shifted up another gear following a delayed start to the next set due to Prozorova's medical timeout, as the Dane sealed a crucial point after a 30-shot rally en route to grabbing a 3-1 lead.

The former Australian Open champion wobbled on serve at 5-1 but broke Prozorova immediately afterwards to close out the win.

"Obviously it only gets tougher from here. I'm playing Petra next, someone I know very well and have played many, many times. I kind of know what to expect," Wozniacki said.

"I've got to play better next match to beat her, but so does she. I think it's going to be an exciting one. It's going to be a good match out there."

Kvitova has won eight of their 14 previous meetings.

"Could I have had maybe a little bit of an easier draw? Probably. But at the same time, I'm also a wildcard. We could have met in the first round," Wozniacki said.

"At the same time, I'm just out there to compete. I know myself, my competitiveness. I know if I'm playing my best tennis, I believe that I can beat anyone in the draw.

"It could be anything out there in the next match, but I hope it's going to be a great match. That's why I'm here. I want to compete. I want to play against the best players."

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Olympic Triathlon Mixed Relay Gets Underway with Swims in the Seine Amid Water Quality Concerns 

Athletes jump into the water to compete in the swimming race in the Seine, during the mixed relay triathlon, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in central Paris, on August 5, 2024. (AFP)
Athletes jump into the water to compete in the swimming race in the Seine, during the mixed relay triathlon, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in central Paris, on August 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Olympic Triathlon Mixed Relay Gets Underway with Swims in the Seine Amid Water Quality Concerns 

Athletes jump into the water to compete in the swimming race in the Seine, during the mixed relay triathlon, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in central Paris, on August 5, 2024. (AFP)
Athletes jump into the water to compete in the swimming race in the Seine, during the mixed relay triathlon, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in central Paris, on August 5, 2024. (AFP)

Olympic triathletes plunged into the Seine River Monday morning as the mixed relay event got underway after days of uncertainty over water quality in the long-polluted Paris waterway.

The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlons and the marathon swimming events in the Seine was an ambitious one. Swimming in the river has, with some exceptions, been off-limits since 1923 because it has been too toxic.

Representatives from World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee along with Paris Games organizers and regional and weather authorities met Sunday night to review water tests. The results indicated the water quality at the triathlon site had improved over the preceding hours and would be within the limits mandated by World Triathlon by Monday morning, they said in a statement.

The decision to allow the event to go forward with swims in the Seine came after Belgium’s Olympic committee announced Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon after one of its competitors who swam in the river last week fell ill. It was not clear whether her illness had anything to do with her swim in the Seine.

Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on infrastructure improvements to clean up the river that flows through its center. That included the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

Heavy rains that have fallen off and on during the Games have caused headaches for organizers as they result in elevated levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli and enterococci, flowing into the river.

But organizers have continued to express confidence that warm temperatures and the sun’s ultraviolet rays would combine to kill enough of the germs ahead of each event set to include a swim in the Seine.

Athletes swam in the river for the men’s and women’s individual triathlons Wednesday, though the men’s race had been delayed by a day because of the water quality. Elevated bacteria levels in the waterway have caused cancellations of the swimming portion of training sessions for the relay event.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli. World Triathlon’s water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.

Under World Triathlon’s guidelines, E. coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters can be considered “good” and can allow competitions to go forward.

The triathlon mixed relay involves four-person teams made up of two men and two women, with each athlete swimming for 300 meters (yards), cycling for 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles) and running for 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).