The 2023 US Open began on Monday with African-American favourites Frances Tiafoe, Christopher Eubanks and Coco Gauff securing first round victories and progressing to the next round.
The 10th seed Tiafoe, who is of Sierra Leonean descent, wasted very little time as he dispatched teenage compatriot Learner Tien 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in a time of two hours, nine minutes and will face Austria’s Sebastian Ofner in the second round.
No trouble for Frances Tiafoe ???? pic.twitter.com/EUk6oMWzjm
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2023
Eubanks meanwhile needed four sets to get past South Korean Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 in two hours, 29 minutes. The world number 30 will tackle Benjamin Bonzi of France in the second round.
Gauff came into the US Open off winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open last week and had to work hard against her German opponent Laura Siegemund on Monday evening, needing two hours and 52 minutes to overcome from a set down 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
No stopping Coco!
She's onto Round 2 after a hard-fought third set. pic.twitter.com/5kcrGqJg5B
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2023
Some of the first round upsets of the day saw Danish fourth seed Holger Rune knocked out by world number 63 Carballes Baena in four sets 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6. American Mackenzie McDonald also stunned 15th-ranked Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is of Togolese descent, in an almost four-hour battle that ended 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in favour of the California native.
Felix Auger-Aliassime makes another early exit at a Grand Slam, this time it's a defeat from ???????? Mackenzie McDonald. pic.twitter.com/Qt5PST40jl
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2023
On the women’s side, 2017 US Open champion and world number 36 Sloane Stephens was ousted by 19th seed Brazilian Beatrice Haddad Maia in three sets 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a game that was just a minute short of the three-hour mark.
Egypt’s Mayar Sherif also lost her first round match in straight sets to China’s Lin Zhu 3-6, 5-7.
