NEW YORK: World number ones Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic launched their US Open title bids in ruthless style on 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.

“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.”

Serena 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.

Eighth seed Rafa Nadal, a two-time U.S. Open champion, 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 in Monday’s last match.

Frenchman Benoit Paire provided the big shock of the day, grinding out a 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Nishikori, after the Japanese fourth seed squandered two match points in the fourth set tiebreak.

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.

Following a Broadway-style opening ceremony complete with orchestra and choir, Serena stepped onto centre court under a spotlight to loud applause from an adoring New York crowd just seven matches from her quest to sweep this season’s slams.

The six-time champion would exit Arthur Ashe Stadium just 30 minutes later to more applause and her target reduced to six more wins to join the exclusive club of calendar Grand Slam winners Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf.

Next up for the 33-year-old American is Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, who is ranked 110th, only once made it as far as the fourth round at a major, and picked up just the second US Open match victory of her career by eliminating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

As good as Serena has been, it doesn’t hurt to face less-challenging opposition, and several who might have offered a test are gone.

On her half of the draw, four top-10 seeds were gone by the end of Day one.

Third seed Maria Sharapova pulled out Sunday with an injured right leg, and Serbian seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova and 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain lost on Monday.

Anna Tatishvili gave the home fans a reason to get excited as the 121st-ranked American qualifier destroyed Pliskova 6-2, 6-1 while Suarez Navarro fell to Czech Denisa Allertova 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

Three other seeded women in Serena’s side of the bracket departed.

Sloane Stephens, the 29th seed lost to CoCo Vandeweghe 6-4, 6-3.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, a two-time major champion seeded 30th, and 21st-seeded Jelena Jankovic were beaten, too.

Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic, one of just two players to beat Serena this season, strolled past Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva 6-1, 6-2 to stay on track for a quarter-final showdown with the American.

Another 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.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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