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 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 toward 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.
Following a Broadway-style opening ceremony complete with orchestra
and choir, Williams stepped onto center 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.
"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.
"I'm so ready. Whatever happens I'm here, I'm at home where it all
began in 1999, so this is incredible for me to still be here and
playing well.
"It's kind of awesome that this is the last grand slam of the year,
because if it were in a different country, I think I would still
love it but it's not the same as being an American playing in New
York, playing for that ultimate goal."
NISHIKORI NIGHTMARE
Frenchman Benoit Paire provided the big shock of the day, grinding
out a 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(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 defense of
his title with a 6-3 7-6(3) 7-6(3) win over Argentine qualifier
Guido Pella.
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"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."
The 25-year-old had plenty of company at the departure lounge
following a string of shocks that included Serbian seventh seed and
former world number one Ana Ivanovic, eighth seeded Czech Karolina
Pliskova and 10th-seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.
A hot, muggy day got off to an ominous start when 50th-ranked
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 U.S. 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 quarter-final showdown with the
33-year-old American.
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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