Former champion Marin Cilic, a popular pick to make a deep run in the year’s final grand slam, opened his US Open campaign with a solid 6-4 7-5 6-1 victory over Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil yesterday.

The Croatian seventh seed, fresh off a win over world number two Andy Murray in the Cincinnati final, came from a break down in the first set and was pushed in the second before easing past the world number 108.

“It’s my second home, I feel great here,” said Cilic, who won the only grand slam title of his career here two years ago. My best memories come from here in 2014.

“Winning Cincinnati just shows me I am in good form but it’s an extremely tough tournament, over two weeks. There are a lot of contenders for the title so I will take it step by step.”

Cilic, who banged down 12 aces, now plays Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine who beat Gastao Elias, of Portugal, 6-1 3-6 2-6 6-3 7-6(4).

Britain’s Kyle Edmund pulled off the first shock of the US Open and secured the biggest win of his career as he knocked out 13th seed Richard Gasquet in straight sets.

Edmund was playing his first ever match in the main draw at Flushing Meadows but it was the 21-year-old who looked the seasoned campaigner, thrashing Gasquet 6-2 6-2 6-3 to reach the second round.

He will now face either American Ernesto Escobedo or Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko, giving him a very realistic chance of making round three.

Other results: Kerber bt Hercog 6-0 1-0 (Hercog retired); Kuz-netsova bt Schiavone 6-1 6-2.

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