Outside title pick Andy Murray stormed out of the starting gate after waiting three days to play at the US Open, with the fourth seed wasting no time in crushing Slovak Lukas Lacko 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in the first round on Wednesday.
With officials still unsure of how a tropical hurricane approaching the US East coast might affect play on the Labour Day holiday weekend, Murray drew the short straw on a start as the last of the elite players to get onto court three days into competition.
The Scot who lost the Australian Open final this year and the Open title match against Roger Federer in 2008 is searching for his first trophy at a major.
Murray warmed for the hard-court fortnight by beating Federer for the Toronto final last month but exited in the Cincinnati quarter-finals five days later.
The seed was never in trouble against Lacko, a rival from junior days, sweeping up the first two sets with an efficient performance.
Murray went up an early break in the third on his way to completing his opener in well under two hours.
He fired 37 winners and broke six times on the way to victory, his 15th in New York against five losses.
Berdych ousted
Frenchman Michael Llodra stunned seventh-seeded Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-4 defeat.
Spanish 14th seed Nicolas Almagro beat Italian Potito Starace 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). American Ryan Harrison scored a home upset as he put out 15th seed Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4.
The women’s draw suffered a day of drama as tenth seed Victoria Azarenka was taken to hospital for check-ups after collapsing during a match while chasing a shot in her first set against Argentine Gisela Dulko.
The second-round match was being contested in hot, but not overwhelming, 34-Celsius temperatures on a minor showcourt at Flushing Meadows.
The Belarus player was taken off court in a wheelchair and later taken in for medical checks. She had shown signs of uneasiness throughout the match before her collapse. Dulko advanced as Azarenka was forced to retire.
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