World No.1 Roger Federer launched his quest for an 18th career grand slam title by defeating American Donald Young 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round of the US Open.
The 31-year-old, seeking a record sixth title on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts, showed the form he used to win last month at Wimbledon by advancing in only 94 minutes.
That lifted Federer to 22-0 in night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium before a typically raucous New York crowd, but the Swiss master insisted he doesn’t deserve favouritism.
“For me, Novak (Djokovic) goes in as the favourite because he’s the defending champion,” Federer said.
“He’s probably won most titles on hard courts in the last couple of years. It’s where he feels most comfortable.
“He’s beaten me the last couple of years here as well. It’s strange for me to be the favourite just after beating him a couple of times.”
Olympic champion Andy Murray, who beat Federer for London gold, battled into the second round while Australia’s defending women’s champion Samantha Stosur, top seed Victoria Azarenka and third seed Maria Sharapova cruised in their openers.
Three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters stretched her US Open win streak to 22 matches while Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova and Chinese ninth seed Li Na also advanced on a day where rain halted play for more than two hours.
Top seed Federer broke Young in the eighth game of the match and held to claim the first set in 27 minutes and then broke him three times to claim the second after only an hour on the court.
Even Federer, who next faces Germany’s Bjorn Phau, can feel some first-match tension against an opponent who should fall with ease.
“All of us, even Federer, have to get a feel for the tournament,” Clijsters noted.
Britain’s third-seeded Murray, still seeking his first grand slam title, struggled at times in dispatching Russia’s 73rd-ranked Alex Bogomolov 6-2 6-4 6-1.
Murray suffered from cramps in the fifth game of the final set of the match which lasted two hours and 15 minutes.
“Struggling a little bit,” Murray said. “There were a lot of long points, especially at the beginning of the match.
“I have to stay better hydrated for the next matches.”
Next up for Murray will be Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, who dispatched Japanese qualifier Hiroki Moriya 6-0 6-1 6-2.
Seventh-seed Stosur began her repeat bid with a 6-1 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Petra Martic.
Russia’s Sharapova dispatched Hungary’s Melinda Czink 6-2 6-2.
Clijsters, playing in the final event of her career at age 29, defeated US teen Victoria Duval 6-3 6-1.
Azarenka needed only 50 minutes to oust Russia’s Alexandra Panova 6-0 6-1 while Kvitova downed Slovenia’s Polona Hercog 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
Li, a first-round US Open loser the past two years, beat Britain’s Heather Watson 6-2 6-3 to book a date with Aussie Casey Dellacqua.
Marin Cilic held off determined Australian Marinko Matosevic in five sets.
