Unseeded teen-ager Christina McHale has struck a blow for emerging young American women players by beating France's eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli 7-6 6-2 to reach the third round of the U.S. Tennis Open.
In the grand slam event where 29-year-old, 13-time major winner Serena Williams is the highest American seed at number 28, 19-year-old McHale has attracted attention by ousting the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up.
The state of U.S. women's tennis has been a talking point in recent years but McHale says a lot of young American women are starting to make an impact.
And later 21-year-old American Irina Falconi upset 14th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in three sets to join McHale in the third round.
