In a stunning start to the 2022 US Open, Daria Snigur, a qualifier from Ukraine, pulled off a masterclass to eliminate former world number one Simona Halep in the first round. Halep entered the tournament as a heavy favorite to take the crown, but the two-time major champion was stopped in her tracks at Louis Armstrong Stadium by the world No. 124. In her first-ever Grand Slam main draw appearance, Snigur stunned the world No. 7 in the opening set. Halep responded with a dominant second set to tie the match, but the youngster ultimately prevailed with a 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 win.
Snigur secured her first professional tour victory in spectacular fashion on a global stage. The 20-year-old Ukrainian utilized a highly unorthodox playing style to keep Halep off balance, winning six of the opening eight games and outplaying the seasoned 30-year-old in nearly every aspect of the match.
Snigur started fast, breaking in the first and third games to jump to a 3-0 lead. Halep fought back with a break of her own, but Snigur immediately responded with another break to make it 4-1. Leveraging a series of unforced errors from the Romanian, Snigur cruised through the first set with relative ease.
However, Snigur's momentum vanished in the second set as her game completely collapsed. Halep took total control, winning the set in just 24 minutes without dropping a single game. Despite this surge, Halep—who had recently won the Canadian Open but missed Cincinnati due to injury—couldn't hold onto that rhythm during the final set.
The momentum shifted back to the Ukrainian in the decider, as Snigur began hitting winners and matching Halep's agility. After breaking in the first and fifth games, she surged to a 5-1 lead. Halep attempted a late rally, breaking back in the eighth game and saving two match points to bring the score to 4-5. Ultimately, Snigur held her nerve during the final service game, winning the match when Halep's backhand hit the net.
Overcome with emotion, Snigur burst into tears following her career-defining victory. In a touching gesture, she formed a heart with her hands around the Ukrainian ribbon pinned to her clothing. During her on-court interview, she admitted to being incredibly nervous but proud that she gave it her all, concluding that she was simply overjoyed.