Top seed Novak Djokovic reached the third round of the US Open after defeating Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Djokovic may not have been at his fluent best during the first set, but the Serbian was in a league of his own in the second and third sets.
World number one Djokovic did not dominate the match the way he did against Joao Souza in the first round, but the Serbian, who has won two of the three Grand Slams this season, looks primed to go all the way again.
Austrian Haider-Maurer needs a special mention here after displaying fighting spirit against Djokovic.
Djokovic will face a tricky third round tie against Andreas Seppi, who has the experience to cause an upset.
Earlier, Rafael Nadal had to put up a brave fight against Diego Schwartzman in order to book his third round berth. The former world number one, who gave us some glimpses of his past form against Borna Coric in the first round, was troubled by Schwartzman, who took the first set to a tie break.
But Nadal, with his experience, won the second and third set, with the score reading 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 7-5. Nadal, who is one of the most popular players in the circuit, was encouraged by fans at the Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday with each and every point he scored. Such kind of support should persuade him to perform even better in the future rounds.
Nadal might have been seeded eighth in the competition, but other players in the competition are fully aware of the danger he possesses if he gets his form back in the last Grand Slam of the year. Nadal next faces Italy's Fabio Fognini, who defeated Pablo Gabriel Cuevas in straight sets in his second round match.
In the women's arena, top seed Serena Williams, who is the overwhelming favourite to clinch the US Open title, defeated Kiki Bertens in straight sets, but the defending champion was tested by the Dutch player. Serena won the match with a scoreline of 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
Despite the victory, Serena, who did not serve well in the game, practiced for around an hour after her win with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, focusing on her serves. It is such dedication to improve her game that has helped her win 22 Grand Slams in her career, including six US Open titles.
Serena Williams, who has won the first three majors of the season, is gunning for a historic record -- winning all grand slams in one calendar year -- a feat, which was attained by Steffi Graff 27 years ago.
