Jankovic led 3-2 in the third set, but failed to convert on two break-point chances. At 4-4 in the third, it was Halep that pulled off the break, and serving at 5-4, she was two points from victory. However, Jankovic ran Halep from side to side before breaking back to pull even at 5-5.

Jankovic held serve to take a 6-5 lead, and a tired Halep made a number of poor errors in the last game, including an ill-timed, missed drop shot.

"It was a tough match. It was, you know, my first match here. For me, those first matches are always the toughest. It was really hot and windy," said the Serb.

"I made a lot of errors. I just tried to move on and play the best I could," Jankovic said. "You just have to fight and try your best, give your maximum and get through. It gives you a lot more confidence for the next round."

While Jankovic has struggled lately, she has been having a solid season until injuries derailed her game. Along with the ankle sprain, she had to default in the fourth round at Wimbledon with a back injury. She hasn't defeated a top-25 player since, and has lost twice to players ranked outside the top 100.

What likely gives Jankovic hope here in New York is that many of her fellow top players -- Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams and Samantha Stosur -- have had nagging health issues of their own.

Halep, who won the French Open juniors in 2008, was once ranked No. 1 in the juniors and has shot up the rankings in the past year, breaking into the Women's top 100 for the first time in July. While she failed to qualify for the three hard court summer events she entered leading up to the Open, she proved today, on a very big stage, that she's a player to keep an eye on.

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