Saisai upsets gold medalist Puig in 1st round of US Open
Anthony Gruppuso / USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK - Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig has lost in the first round of the U.S. Open.
The 32nd-seeded Puig was upset by 61st-ranked Zheng Saisai 6-4, 6-2 on Monday. Puig had insisted Saturday that she was mentally ready for the year's final major after the whirlwind of the past couple of weeks, when she stunningly beat three Grand Slam champions to become Puerto Rico's first gold medalist and was feted at a parade on the island.
Still, she recognized it was quite possible her U.S. Open trip wouldn't go well, reminding herself that she's just 22 years old. She's now 1-3 at Flushing Meadows.
Zheng, also 22, upset Agnieszka Radwanska at the Olympics. She'll be seeking to make it to the third round at a major for the first time.
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