US Open: Federer, Murray ease into second round

Roger Federer glided into the second round on a hot, steamy day at Flushing Meadows, while Andy Murray ushered talented young Australian Nick Kyrgios out of another grand slam event at the US Open.

Second-seed Federer was the envy of a clutch of men’s players made to work overtime in the heat by quickly dismissing his opening opponent.

Federer, who has been in sizzling form since reaching the Wimbledon final, dashed past 34th-ranked Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-1 6-2 6-2 to launch his campaign for a sixth US Open crown and first slam title since the 2012 Wimbledon.

“I feel good now,” said Federer. “I actually wasn’t so confident yesterday and today. I just felt like maybe [this] could be one of those matches I just couldn’t see coming.

“Thankfully I took this match extremely serious.”

Murray had beaten 37th-ranked Kyrgios in straight sets in their three previous meetings, eliminating him this year from two other grand slams, in the Australian quarter-finals and third round of the French Open.

The third-seeded Scotsman sent Kyrgios packing in the first round after playing straight man to the flippant Australian, who unnecessarily tried ‘tweener’ shots through his legs and jumped extravagantly on routine forehands that he buried into the net.

“I expected a very tough match, and that’s what I got,” Murray, 28, said.

But Murray had the last laugh against the clownish Kyrgios as he blasted 18 aces and 46 winners while only committing 23 unforced errors under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Murray next meets French left-hander Adrian Mannarino, while Federer faces Belgian Steve Darcis, who advanced 6-7(2) 6-3 6-2 3-1 when Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus retired.

Baghdatis became the fifth player to retire on Tuesday after seven quit their matches on Monday as the toll of late season injuries and the searing heat presented severe challenges at the US National Tennis Center.

Among other shortened matches, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2001 U.S. Open winner, advanced 6-0 7-6(2) 1-0 when Aleksandr Nedovyseov of Kazakhstan retired.

Results (selected):

3-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 7-5 6-3 4-6 6-1
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Aleksandr Nedovyesov (Kazakhstan) 6-0 7-6(2) 1-0 (Nedovyesov retired)
2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-1 6-2 6-2
12-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Thanasi Kokkinakis (Australia) 4-6 6-1 4-6 6-3 2-0 (Kokkinakis retired)
Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat John-Patrick Smith (Australia) 6-1 3-6 7-5 7-6(4)
30-Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) beat James Ward (Britain) 6-1 7-5 6-3
Donald Young (U.S.) beat 11-Gilles Simon (France) 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) beat Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-4 2-6 6-7(7) 6-1 6-2
6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Bjorn Fratangelo (U.S.) 6-3 6-2 6-4
13-John Isner (U.S.) beat Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) 6-2 6-3 6-4
Steve Darcis (Belgium) beat Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-7(2) 6-3 6-2 3-1 (Baghdatis retired)
24-Bernard Tomic (Australia) beat Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 5-7 7-6(4) 6-4 6-3
5-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-5 6-4 7-6(6)
22-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) 7-5 6-4 6-3
Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Jared Donaldson (U.S.) 7-6(7) 6-0 7-6(4)