Nadal cruises to US Open second round

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal cruised to victory in his first round match over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin at the US Open tennis tournament.

The Spaniard dominated in the match-up against Istomin, vanquishing him in three straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 here on Monday, reports Efe.

Nadal was assured and focused throughout the 126 minute match, consistently placing his shots well.

The Spaniard will next go up against Italy's Andreas Seppi, who won his first match against French player Stephane Robert 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Nadal's compatriot Garbine Muguruza, ranked No.3 in the women's competition, lost her first set against Belgian 21-year-old newcomer Elise Mertens, but came back in the next two sets 6-0 and 6-3 to take the match.

Muguruza will next play Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova, ranked No.48, who defeated Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 and 6-3.

The tourney has more than $36 million in prize money up for grabs and is being played on hard courts at the remodelled Arthur Ashe complex, which now has a retractable roof and cost $150 million to reconfigure.

--IANS

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