NEW YORK — Daniil Medvedev had an easy start to his US Open title defense, beating Stefan Kozlov 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. Andy Murray was another early winner, 10 years after winning the first of his three Grand Slam titles.
Serena Williams won her first match Monday night in what’s anticipated to be her last US Open.
Williams defeated Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows in New York City — the site of Williams’ first US Open win in 1999, when she was 17.
Ukrainian Daria Snigur stunned No. 7 seed Simona Halep 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 in the round.
Medvedev advanced to face Arthur Rinderknech of France. The Russian is trying to become the first repeat champion at the US Open since Roger Federer won five straight from 2004-08.
“I need to be at my best on Wednesday and I´m going to try to make it,” Medvedev said according to AP.
Murray had one of the first upsets of the tournament by beating No. 24 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.
“It seems like a long time ago,” Murray said of his victory over Novak Djokovic in 2012. “A lot´s happened since then in my career.”
Djokovic couldn´t travel to the tournament this year because he isn´t vaccinated against COVID-19.
Many fans arriving for the day session at the final Grand Slam event of the season were focused on the match that would lead off the action at night. Williams, the 23-time major champion who has said she is preparing to end her tennis career, was scheduled to face Danka Kovinic.
Williams figured to face more comfortable conditions after a hot start under sunny skies in Flushing Meadows. Leading 3-0 in the third set, Medvedev told the chair umpire he wanted a bag of ice so he could put it on his head.
“Pretty hot and humid here,” Medvedev said after the match.
The 20-year-old Daria stunned No. 7 seed Halep 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 in the first round of the US Open, then struggled through tears to explain what the victory meant to her family and her country during its war with Russia.
Snigur wore a pin in the colors of Ukraine’s flag on her chest and put her hands around it after the final point.
No. 29 seed Tommy Paul overcame the heat to outlast Bernabe Zapata Miralles 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, 7-5 in 3 hours, 10 minutes. Fellow American Sebastian Korda also got his first win at his home Slam, beating Facundo Bagnis in four sets.
Another American advanced in an upset, with J.J. Wolf ousting No. 16 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets.
Third-seeded Maria Sakkari and No. 17 Caroline Garcia were among the early winners on the women’s side, with Sakkari overcoming Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria in three sets.
American Coco Gauff also eased into the second round with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 victory over France’s Leolia Jeanjean.
Gauff, the 12th seed and home favourite, had the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium firmly behind her as she wrapped up the match in 79 minutes on the back of a strong first serve.
“I’m super excited because this is my first win on Ashe. I think this is my fourth match here on this court and it’s my first win,” she said in her on-court interview according to Reuters.
The 18-year-old, who was French Open runner-up earlier this year, fired eight aces and lost only two points on her first serve.
Wu Yibing has become the first Chinese man to win a US Open match in the professional era.
Wu upset No. 31 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. He had played his way into the field through the qualifying tournament, joining countryman and fellow qualifier Zhang Zhizhen as the first Chinese men in the US Open main draw since the open era began in 1968.
Wu won the 2017 US Open boys singles and doubles titles.
Earlier this month, Williams, now 40, announced her plans to retire from tennis, after a decades-long career in which she dominated and transformed the women’s game and that includes 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
“Just keep supporting me,” Williams said after the match, “as long as I’m here.”
“With her powerful serve and return of serve and athleticism, she really set that standard in the women’s game,” NPR’s Tom Goldman told Morning Edition.
“Her story of the early years in Compton, California, with sister Venus, under the tutelage of their dad, ‘King Richard,’ now of movie fame, that all became part of her legend and paved the way for more young people of color to pursue what had traditionally been a white sport,” Goldman said. “And she brought more people of color into the stands to watch as well.”
