Bianca Andreescu is not the only person to notice that she is making life a little easier for herself as she cuts through the US Open draw.
"I'm getting a lot of, like, messages: ‘Oh, my God, straight sets. What's happening to you?’" the Canadian said after she beat Lauren Davis to improve to 9-0 in main draw matches at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.
The 2019 champion advances to the third round of a major tournament for the first time since winning the title in New York.
And the 6-4 6-4 win was her first straight-sets victory in more than three months - and the first time she has won back-to-back matches in the same span.
After almost two years of physical issues that have impacted her ability to compete regularly and successfully, Andreescu finally feels like she is building some much-needed momentum.
“I'm feeling very good out there. I think as the matches are progressing, I'm starting to feel my tennis more and more,” said the sixth seed.
“Pulling off that first-round match (over Viktorija Golubic) gave me a lot of confidence. I think it progressed towards this match, as well.
“I think it's just match play that I need really. It's good. Two down. I'm hoping I can go all the way, just keep getting better as the tournament progresses.”
Andreescu cracked the top five just a few weeks after overpowering Serena Williams in an assured display in the 2019 US Open final.
But she played only two more tournaments after that breakthrough – the China Open and WTA Finals – before her body gave way.
She missed the entire 2020 season and has struggled since returning in 2021, managing just 22 matches for the entire year prior to the US Open and at various stages struggling with ankle, abdominal and toe injuries – plus a bout of COVID-19.
She had lost six of her most recent eight matches before this week, including first-round defeats at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
But her first-round win over Golubic, the in-form Wimbledon quarterfinalist who led Andreescu 4-2 in the final set, seemed to unlock something.
“A lot of it is mental. I haven't played a lot of matches this year. A lot of practice sets and all that, but it's not the same as actually playing in a tournament,” Andreescu said.
“If I can just keep it going, continue winning, that's really all I need.
“I haven't had easy matches. Even today (against Davis) I know was straight sets, but the games were very tight.
“What I'm very happy about mostly is my serving because I've been working a lot on that. Also my movement on the court, I've been putting a lot of work in the gym and it's really paying off.”
Of Andreescu’s 15 match wins in 2021, 10 of them have required the full three sets to complete.
The last opponent she dismissed in straight sets, prior to Thursday night, was world No.259 Maryna Zanevska in Strasbourg in May.
By getting the job done in just over 90 minutes against Davis, Andreescu, hopefully, preserved her body somewhat as she seeks to re-establish herself at the top of the sport.
“I feel like I have a commitment now to keep it straight sets every match, which adds a bit of pressure on my shoulders,” she joked.
“Honestly tennis is, like, super chaotic and I never try to play three sets. It's not always the best, but I play well in those three-setters. Two sets today, too, so it's great.
“I definitely feel really good.”
Andreescu next faces Belgian lucky loser Greet Minnen for a place in the fourth round.