Reuters
New York, Sept 1: World No. 1s Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic launched their US Open title bids in ruthless style Monday, while Kei Nishikori’s hopes of making another magical run to the final came to a shuddering halt.
Opening day at Flushing Meadows produced plenty of shock and awe as Djokovic delivered a jaw-dropping performance, speeding past Joao Souza of Brazil 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 as if the Serb had a taxi meter running outside the National Tennis Center.
Williams also played as if she had an appointment to keep as she began her final push towards a calendar year Grand Slam by pounding Vitalia Diatchenko 6-0, 2-0 before the ailing Russian waved the white flag and retired injured.
“It’s been really amazing, I can feel the support and the love on my journey for this milestone,” said Williams, who won the first of her 21 majors at Flushing Meadows 16 years ago.
Eighth seed Rafa Nadal, needed a bit more time to get the job done, the Spaniard taking nearly three hours to fight off a challenge from 18-year-old Croatian prospect Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Frenchman Benoit Paire provided the big shock of the day, grinding out a 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-6) 6-4 win over Nishikori, after the Japanese fourth seed squandered two match points in the fourth set tiebreak.
“It’s always very sad to lose in the first round, but I think he was playing good tennis,” Nishikori lamented. “I don’t think I played badly. Didn’t play great, but still, it’s never easy first match.”
Marin Cilic, who beat Nishikori in last year’s final, had no such opening day hiccups as the ninth-seeded Croat began the defence of his title with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) win over Argentine qualifier Guido Pella.
There were more shocks to come in the form of Serbian seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, eighth seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova and 10th-seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.
Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova dispatched Ivanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
Anna Tatishvili gave the home fans a reason to get excited as the 121st-ranked American qualifier destroyed Pliskova 6-2, 6-1 while Frenchwoman Oceane Dodin kept the upsets trending with 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Jelena Jankovic, the 21st seed and 2008 US Open runner-up.
Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic, one of just two players to beat Serena Williams this season, strolled past Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva to stay on track for a quarterfinal showdown with the 33-year-old American.