Wawrinka, Halep through to second round

Stan Wawrinka serves during his match against Fernando Verdasco. Photo: Reuters
Stan Wawrinka serves during his match against Fernando Verdasco. Photo: Reuters
Two-time grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka 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(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.

Halep crushes Flipkens

Fifth seed Simona Halep blasted her way into the second round of the US Open by demolishing Kirsten Flipkens 6-0 6-2, underlining her credentials as a potential grand slam winner.

Halep, who won her third WTA Tour title of the season at a US Open tune-up in Montreal, carried her superb form into Flushing Meadows as she needed just one hour on a sun-splashed but almost vacant Arthur Ashe Stadium court to dismiss the 56th-ranked Belgian.

Flipkens, a former grand slam semifinalist who advanced to the last 16 at the Rio Olympics, look headed to a humiliating double bagel defeat as Halep swept through the opening 11 games.

But with Halep serving for the match Flipkens finally broke her Romanian opponent before thrusting her arms into the air in mock triumph.

Flipkens would then hold serve for the first time but her late bit of resistance only prolonged the inevitable as Halep closed out the rout to setting up a second-round meeting with Czech Lucie Safarova.

"I was nervous to finish the match, 6-0, 5-0 match point against a top 50 player is not that bad," Halep said. "Maybe I was scared that it's too good.

"Then I just wanted to do too much at that point, to hit maybe an ace, which is not my favorite shot.

"I tried too much and then I got a little bit upset with myself and I was rushing.

"But then I just said that I had to calm down and to finish the game."

Since losing her opening round match in her first visit to Flushing Meadows in 2010 Halep has made steady progress. She reached the semifinals last year where she lost to eventual champion Flavia Pennetta.

Having reached the French Open final in 2014 Halep has been on the radar as future grand slam champion but was unsure if her time will come at this year's US Open.

"I'm 100% ready, I feel good. I feel confident," declared Halep. "I wish I could win it, but is not easy to think about that.

"It's just the first round. I have many matches ahead, and the next round is going to be very tough.

"Maybe in my career I will win a grand slam. I'm not sure and I don't know if it's going happen but I'm here just to work hard, to get better, and to dream for it."

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