Former champions Novak Djo-kovic and Maria Sharapova sparkled under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights to end a steamy first day that proved more than a little stressful for several of the US Open favourites on Monday.
Djokovic, who had won only two matches in the hard court run-up to the season’s final grand slam after getting married just days after his Wimbledon triumph, was back to his best once the centre court spotlight shone on him at Flushing Meadows.
The 2011 champion treated his first-round match against unseeded 22-year-old Argentine Diego Schwartzman like a breezy workout, dominating in all phases with 24 winners including seven aces in a 6-1 6-2 6-4 rout.
His fast work followed a scintillating finish by French Open champion and 2006 winner Sharapova, as the fifth seed won 10 straight games to prevail 6-4 6-0 after falling 2-4 behind against her Russian compatriot and old friend Maria Kirilenko.
Despite the night programme starting one hour later than scheduled due to ceremonies featuring bands, speeches and fireworks, Djokovic enabled the New York night crowd to head to the exits shortly before the stroke of midnight.
“I’m very pleased,” the Serbian world number one said in a courtside interview.
“It’s never easy to start a US Open smoothly.”
Several of the favourites at Flushing Meadows could attest to his opinion.
Busy bees made life difficult for two grizzled veterans and a pair of favourites were forced to work overtime on a hot, steamy day at the US National Tennis Centre that drew a combined 57,000 fans to the day and night sessions.
Eighth-seeded 2012 champion Andy Murray fought off cramps to beat Dutchman Robin Haase in four painful sets, while women’s second seed Simona Halep lost an early tiebreak to US debutant Danielle Collins before claiming victory.
And in an intriguing match-up of 19th seed Venus Williams and Kimiko Date-Krumm, of Japan, the oldest players in the women’s draw, some pesky bees joined in and refused to leave them alone.
First the 43-year-old Japanese player and later 34-year-old Williams dipped, ducked and danced away before ballgirls helped usher the stubborn swarm away from the baseline.
When finally left to play tennis on a sun-bathed Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Williams stung her opponent 2-6 6-3 6-3 to advance.
In an upset on the men’s side, twice US Open semi-finalist Mikhail Youzhny, of Russia, the 21st seed, fell to big-serving Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-5 7-6 2-6 7-6.
The 60th-ranked Kyrgios moved on to a second-round match against Italy’s Andreas Seppi.
Advancing with relative ease in straight sets were Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, of Switzerland, and fifth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic, a Wimbledon semi-finalist.
The Swiss third seed beat Jiri Vesely, of the Czech Republic, to set up a second-round test against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, while big-serving Raonic defeated Japan’s Taro Daniel to get to the next round against Peter Gojowczyk of Germany.
Halep survived a scare in the tournament’s first match on stadium court before overtaking Collins 6-7 6-1 6-2.
The 22-year-old Romanian, a French Open finalist, admitted to a bout of nerves in being thrust onto the big stage as the opening act of the season’s last grand slam.
“She played a tough match, I want to congratulate her,” Halep said of her opponent.
“The first set I was a little bit nervous. This court is huge.
“I have to enjoy it, but it’s not easy. Everybody is telling me I have chances to win this title.”
She moves on to face Slovakian Jana Cepelova, a 2-6 7-5 6-1 winner over Spain’s Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, in the second round of the season’s last grand slam.
Also advancing on the women’s side were fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, sixth seed Angelique Kerber, and former world number one Jelena Jankovic, of Serbia, the ninth seed.