Two-times grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka has dealt Fernando Verdasco a rare first-round loss at the US Open, sweeping aside the Spaniard in straight sets.
The third-seeded Swiss dominated the left-handed Verdasco with his punishing groundstrokes to claim a measure of revenge with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-4 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Verdasco, ranked 46th, had won 12 of his 13 previous first-round matches at Flushing Meadows.
Wawrinka, winner of last year's French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, had trailed Verdasco 3-2 in head-to-head action after falling to the Spaniard in straight sets in the first round this year at the Queen's Club run-up to Wimbledon.
Earlier, Kei Nishikori held off a fightback from Benjamin Becker and earned a 6-1 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over the German veteran for a convincing start to his title bid.
The Japanese sixth seed stormed through the first two sets but the 35-year-old Becker took control in the third before Nishikori righted the ship in time to secure a spot in the second round.
"He started playing much better so it was tough third and fourth sets but luckily I got out of the last two games," said Nishikori.
Nishikori, the US Open runner-up in 2014, will next play qualifier Karen Khachanov, a 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3 winner over Italy's Thomas Fabbiano.
Reuters
