Djokovic and Serena had an easy time in the first round, but Nadal dropped a set before rallying. PHOTOS: AFP
The world number one was a 6-0, 2-0 winner after only 30 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium when Diatchenko retired with a left foot injury, advancing Serena into a second-round match against Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens.
The 33-year-old American chases the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988 and a 22nd career major title to match Graf’s Open Era record, two shy of Australian Margaret Court’s all-time mark.
Serena praised the loud New York crowd, which has adored her since she captured her first major title at the 1999 US Open as a teen prodigy.
“I felt the support and love on this journey and milestone I’m trying to take one match at a time,” said Serena. “I feel so good. I’m so ready. I’m at home, where it all began for me in ‘99. It all feels great.”
Serena lost plenty of potential obstacles in her march to history on day one as top-10 women’s seeds Ana Ivanovic, Karolina Pliskova and Carla Suarez Navarro exited with opening-match losses.
That left 12th seed Belinda Bencic — who ousted Bulgarian Sesil Karatancheva 6-1, 6-2 — as the top-rated foe in Serena’s half of the draw. Serena, who lost to Bencic in the Toronto semi-finals, could see the Swiss teen again in a quarter-final.
Slovakia’s 50th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova ousted seventh-seeded Ivanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, delivering the Serb star’s earliest US Open exit since 2009. One Serena rival who advanced was her older sister Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam champion. The US 23rd seed outlasted Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3.
At the men’s front
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and eighth seed Rafael Nadal also cruised into the second round on the men’s side but Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori crashed out after his US Open runner-up effort last year.
Djokovic needed only one hour and 11 minutes to capture a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Brazil’s Joao Souza.
“There’s something I love about number one for sure,” said Djokovic, who plays Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer next. “Hopefully I can keep it up. If I can, I feel I have a really good chance against anybody.”
Nadal, in his first US Open match since winning in 2013 after missing 2014 with an injury, avenged a loss last year at Basel to Croatian teen Borna Coric with a 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory, booking a date with Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.
“I missed this fantastic crowd that gave me unbelievable support,” said Nadal. “I’m very happy to be back and through.”
Djokovic’s highest-ranked possible semi-final foe had been Nishikori, but the Asian number one exited the US Open at the first match for the third time in five years as France’s 41st-ranked Benoit Paire saved two match points to win 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.
“To beat Nishikori was impossible for me to imagine,” said Paire. “I’m really happy.”
Reigning champion Marin Cilic of Croatia won his opener 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) over Argentine qualifier Guido Pella.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2015.
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