Greet Minnen, broken from the start, came back to level (2-2) in a first set that she finally won 7-5 by taking her opponent’s serve a second time in the 12th game.
The Belgian would break Frech again on the Polish player’s first two throws in the second set to lead 4-0. Magdalena Frech would then string together four games in a row to get back to level with her opponent who stopped the bleeding to lead 5-4.
Greet Minnen broke her opponent again in the 12th game to secure her qualification for the second round on her first match point.
Frech was playing in his fourth US Open and had reached the second round last year after two tournament exits in 2019 and 2022.
Minnen will meet Croatian Donna Vekic (WTA 24), seeded No. 24, in the second round, who defeated Australian Kimberly Birrell (WTA 147), who went through qualifying, 6-4, 6-4.
The Belgian number 2 has already beaten the 28-year-old Olympic vice-champion from Paris, in the 8th finals of the WTA 250 in Rosmalen last June during their only previous meeting.
Greet Minnen is playing in her 5th consecutive US Open. She has reached the 3rd round in 2021 and 2023, her best performances in sixteen Grand Slam tournaments.
