New York. Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff made a great start to their campaign to defend the title at the US Open tennis tournament by winning in straight sets. Second seed Djokovic defeated Moldova qualifier Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round match. He equaled Roger Federer’s record by winning the 89th match at the US Open. Djokovic is in pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title. Djokovic will next face his compatriot Laslo Djere of Serbia, who won 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-2 over Jan Lennard Struff.
A year ago, Djokovic lost the first two sets to Jarry in the third round of the US Open but then he made a comeback and won the match in five sets. Gauff defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0 in the first round match here on Monday. Gauff was struggling with poor form recently but here she dominated from start to finish. She said after the match, “The last few weeks were difficult. I was committed to perform well but I do not have to prove anything to anyone except myself.”
Another American and 13th seed Ben Shelton, who reached the semi-finals last year, defeated 2020 champion Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. This was Thiem’s last match at the US Open as he has already announced that he will retire after this season. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion at the US Open, won the first nine games against Clara Burel but then lost her rhythm and suffered a 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 defeat.
Other seeded players in the women’s category who made it to the next round include seventh seed Zheng Qinwen, who won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, Olympic silver medalist and 24th seed Donna Vekic, 12th seed Daria Kasatkina and 14th seed Madison Keys. Ninth seed Maria Sakkari withdrew from the match after one set due to a right shoulder injury. The only seeded player to lose in the first round in the men’s category was 15th seed Holger Rune, who was defeated by American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Players advancing in the men’s category include fourth seed Alexander Zverev, sixth seed Andrey Rublev, eighth seed Casper Ruud, ninth seed and 2022 runner-up Grigor Dimitrov and 12th seed Taylor Fritz.
