US Open: Rafael Nadal cruises past Dusan Lajovic in first round match

World number one Rafael Nadal dismissed Dusan Lajovic in straight sets, to move into the second round of the US Open 2017.

After struggling in the first set, the ten-time French Open winner comfortably won the second before he rebounded strongly to register a 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Lajovic in the opening-round encounter, reports Express.co.uk.

Reflecting on his win, Nadal admitted that his Serbian opponent played really well.

"When I was down in the first set, I just tried to be there as he was playing well and controlling the points. But the end of the first set was very important. I got the break back and after that, everything changed," Nadal said following the match.

A ruthless Nadal delivered the young Serb another tennis lesson, breaking his opponent at the first opportunity in both the second and third sets to improve his record in first round U.S. Open matches to 13-0.

Nadal's second-round opponent will be either American wild card Tommy Paul or Taro Daniel of Japan.

While the year's final grand slam is just underway tennis fans have circled September 8, when, if all goes to form, Nadal and Federer would meet to decide a place in the final.

One of the great rivalries in sport, Federer, a five-time US Open winner and Nadal, twice champion, have clashed 37 times over the years but never have they stood across the net on Flushing Meadows' hardcourts.