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Nick Kyrgios has cast friendship aside to cruise into the US Open second round with a straight-sets dispatch of his grand slam-winning doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Kyrgios broke Kokkinakis in each of the first two sets, then clinched the win in a tiebreaker to take bragging rights in the all-Australian affair 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Wimbledon finalist was untouchable on serve, not offering a single break point all match and barely giving Kokkinakis a look in on his deadly delivery.
“I thought I played a really good first couple of sets, got on top of the match early. When we both saw the draw it was a nightmare, honestly,” Kyrgios said after his victory.
“We never want to play each other, and he probably beats 80 percent of the draw tonight, he’s been playing really good.
“I can’t wait to get out there and play doubles with him on the right side of the net. We’re going to play each other, hopefully, never again. We’re going to close that.”
As well as clearing one big hurdle with success over his great mate, Kyrgios also had two other danger men removed from his section of the draw.
His projected second-round opponent Ugo Humbert, the big-serving southpaw who stretched Kyrgios to five sets in a Wimbledon thriller last year, crashed to a surprise defeat to fellow Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.
And if he beats Bonzi on Wednesday, Kyrgios won’t be facing 16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut as expected in the third round after the Spaniard slipped up against American wildcard J.J. Wolf.
Bautista Agut thrashed Kyrgios for the loss of only seven games in New York last year but his demise leaves the Canberran with a seed-free path to a possible last-16 showdown with world No.1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev.
Kyrgios wasn’t looking forward to facing Kokkinakis and, true to his word, there were no histrionics from the combustible talent, just the odd laugh between the pair.
But certainly no donations from a focused Kyrgios, aside from perhaps one loose under-arm serve at 40-love up midway through the opening set that Kokkinakis picked off for a winner.
Kyrgios’s otherwise clinical win was the 17th from his past 20 outings as the world No.25 bids to crown his best season year on tour with a breakthrough grand slam title.
The victory, after Serena Williams’ drama-charged triumph in the preceding match, completed a fine opening day for Australia, with Alex de Minaur, Ajla Tomljanovic and Jordan Thompson also advancing.
Kokkinakis, John Millman – in five gruelling sets in scorching heat – and Daria Saville were the only casualties.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Ajla Tomljanovic is fighting against letting her mind wander to a dream third-round US Open showdown with Serena Williams after a super-charged start to the New York grand slam.
Tomljanovic and the retiring Williams remain locked on a third-round collision course following a pair of powerful straight-set victories on Monday.
The in-form Tomljanovic’s 6-3 7-6 (7-5) defeat of Czech Karolina Muchova was somewhat expected, given the Australian No.1 had backed up her latest run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals with nine wins in three weeks on American hard courts.
Williams’s stirring 6-3 6-3 triumph over Danka Kovinic, though, wasn’t really on the script.
Open officials went to extravagant lengths to prepare for the 40-year-old’s farewell, creating an electric atmosphere inside world tennis’ biggest arena and inviting a galaxy of global stars to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson and Hugh Jackman were in the full house as the 23-times grand slam-winning legend produced a vintage display to defiantly fend off retirement for at least another two days.
The Williams show will continue against world No.2 Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
Victory over the Estonian and success for Tomljanovic against Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina would set up a first-time meeting between Williams and Australia’s top women’s hope at Flushing Meadows.
Tomljanovic admits that’s a tantalising prospect, but also one the 29-year-old is desperately trying to block out.
“For me, the next one is going to be a really big task just because I’ve been in a few situations where I’ve had a non-seed and someone would say it’s a good draw and it would kick me in the arse because I would think about it,” Tomljanovic said.
“So I’m taking that as an opportunity but at the same time I’m trying to approach it like I haven’t done before.
“So I’m not even thinking about it (Williams).
“But it would be cool because I’ve never faced her so I don’t want her to retire and me not ever have played her.”
Tomljanovic arrived in New York believing “anything can happen” following her sizzling form over the past two months.
She was still suitably wary of Muchova, who has the distinction of being the last player to topple Ash Barty at Melbourne Park, having taken out the former world No.1 in the 2021 quarter-finals.
And she was equally relieved after repelling a second-set fightback to advance in one hour 48 minutes on rowdy Court 7.
“No matter how well I was playing going into this tournament, playing the first round of a grand slam it’s almost like starting from scratch,” Tomljanovic said.
“With your game, with your emotions so this is always the toughest task for me, getting through the first round.”
Compatriot Daria Saville earlier ran out of steam in a 3-6 6-2 6-4 first-round loss to Romania’s Elena Gabriela Ruse.
Saville was backing up from the final in Quebec on Saturday and said she felt “a bit cooked” after the tight turnaround and a schedule of five matches in a week.
Men’s singles, first round
18-Alex de Minaur bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 7-5 6-2 6-3
23-Nick Kyrgios bt Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4)
Jordan Thompson bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 2-6 1-6 6-2 6-4 6-4
John Millman lost to Emilio Nava (USA) 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-1
Women’s singles, first round
Ajla Tomljanovic bt Karolina Muchova (CZE) 6-3 7-6 (7-5)
Daria Saville lost to Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROM) 3-6 6-2 6-4
© AAP
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