Russian Daniil Medvedev has made quick work of second-round opponent Dominik Koepfer to win 6-4 6-1 6-2, soaking up the cheers of the US Open crowd in his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title.
The world No.2 broke his German opponent's serve to kick off the match, but Koepfer levelled with a break in the seventh game, helped by one of two Medvedev double faults in the opening set.
After those few moments of vulnerability, the 25-year-old kicked into high gear in the second set, hitting 10 winners in a clinical performance, with just five unforced errors.
Medvedev, who went from villain to crowd favourite as 2019 runner-up, won all but one of his first-serve points in the third set and struck five aces past Koepfer, closing out victory in 1h 48m.
"I'm really happy to be through in less than two hours," Medvedev says. "I try to take every match as a new challenge.
"The more I win throughout my career... the better I will feel."
The pair played under Arthur Ashe Stadium's retractable roof, which was closed due to inclement weather, two years after Medvedev defeated Koepfer in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in four sets.
"It was a great match from my side, I'm really happy," says Medvedev, who lost to world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final earlier this year.
"I had to stay super consistent. I knew it from the beginning of the match, because two years ago when I played him, it was a tight one."
The performance was encouraging for Cincinnati semi-finalist Medvedev, who picked up his fourth Masters 1000 title last month at Toronto. He faces Spain's Pablo Andujar in the third round.
Reuters
