Kerber, Wozniacki through, Gasquet shown the door

NEW YORK, August 29 

Angelique Kerber needed just over 30 minutes to get her pursuit of a first US Open off to a winning start Monday as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal prepared to make their bow.

Second seed and Australian Open champion Kerber was leading Polona Hercog 6-0 1-0 when the Slovenian called it quits, clearly wilting in the crushing 33-degree heat, having won just nine points. 

“It’s not the way I wanted to win, but I am playing well and feeling good,” said the German star.

Hercog, ranked at 120, needed a lengthy medical timeout after five games of the opening set with a doctor and trainer called.

Kerber, who next faces either Alize Cornet of France or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia, insisted she will not be distracted by possibly dethroning Serena Williams as world No. 1 by the end of the tournament. “If the day comes, I will be very happy but for the moment, I am going step by step,” said the 28-year-old, a semifinalist at the US Open in 2011.

Three seeded players lost early on the opening day with French 13th seed Richard Gasquet, a semifinalist three years ago, the biggest casualty. He went down to 6-2 6-2 6-3 to British world No. 84 Kyle Edmund.

Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 champion, eased past Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4 7-5 6-1.

Double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-5 6-3 while former world No. 1 and two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki downed US qualifier Taylor Townsend 4-6 6-3 6-4.

The Flushing Meadows complex was showcasing its gleaming $600 million refit which includes a retractable roof over Ashe and a brand new Grandstand court. However, the old Grandstand court, due to be demolished after the tournament, was pressed into action after Court 10 was deemed unplayable.

Injury concerns

Defending champion Djokovic and fellow two-time winner Nadal start their campaigns but with both men under injury clouds. World No. 1 Djokovic, the 2011 and 2015 champion, admits he is “not 100 percent” after suffering a wrist injury on the eve of the Olympic Games where he was a shock first-round loser. Nadal is also battling the effects of a left wrist problem. — AFP

Results (Round 1)

Women

Cagla Buyukakcay (Turkey) beat Irina Falconi (US) 6-2 6-1; 2-Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-0 1-0 (Hercog retired); Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat Kristina Kucova (Slovakia) 7-6(3) 6-3; 24-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) beat Samantha Crawford (US) 6-7(6) 6-3 6-4; 14-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) 7-5 6-3; Carina Witthoeft (Germany) beat 30-Misaki Doi (Japan) 6-4 6-1; 7-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany) 6-2 6-4 

Men

7-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Rogerio Dutra Silva (Brazil) 6-4 7-5 6-1; Guido Pella (Argentina) beat Bjorn Fratangelo (US) 6-3 6-4 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat 28-Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-2 6-1 6-1; Kyle Edmund (Britain) beat 13-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-2 6-2 6-3