Energised Nadal completes straight-sets win in opener

Rafael Nadal got off to a great start at the 2016 U.S. Open with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Denis Istomin.

Two-time victor Nadal made little mistake in his opening test of the competition, holding throughout the first set and breaking his opponent three times to ease into the lead.

Nadal’s afternoon match was played with the new $150 million retractable roof open under a blue sky, while offering some extra shade on a day when the temperature reached 90 degrees.

Later Monday, defending champion Djokovic and fellow two-time victor Nadal start their campaigns but with both men under injury clouds.

Zheng Saisai pulled off a stunning upset of Olympic champion and 32nd-seeded Monica Puig on Monday at the U.S. Open, just two weeks after Puig became the first gold medalist in Puerto Rico’s history. “It was a good start for me winning in straight sets”. “I normally go with lines or spear-guns”. Then the second set was tougher and then he had some chances in the 4-all (game). “Denis is always a unsafe player so really happy to be through”.

“In the third I think I finished playing well”. They’re healthy, but maybe not if you eat as much as me.

While he said he’s feeling better day by day, Nadal also acknowledged “the wrist still bothers me a little bit”. “It was positive one”.

“My serve worked well nearly all the time”, Nadal said.

“It’s not easy to go two months-and-a-half out of competition in the middle of the season without hitting a forehand”, he said. “I need confidence and I need to keep practicing the forehand”, Nadal said.

According to Rafael Nadal, the Next Generation of players and the fact that the Spaniard, along with Roger Federer, is not at his best level makes the ´Fab Four´ nickname a little bit “useless” now.

“During the wrist injury always you try to find movements to avoid the pain”.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, it wasn’t entirely a vintage Nadal performance.

Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champ, is through to the second round with a straight-set win.

The 2014 victor and Cincinnati champion Marin Cilic showed his seventh seed status by beating Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4 7-5 6-1.

The seventh-seeded Cilic beat 108th-ranked Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4 7-5 6-1 despite posting more unforced errors than winners (24-23).

Asked about his health during an on-court interview, Djokovic deflected the question, saying, “I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about this now”.

Nadal, a 14-time grand slam champion including twice in NY, said he was slowly regaining form on his forehand – in a worrying sign for his rivals.

‘Injuries are part of the career.

His wrist injury has limited him so far in 2016, forcing him to leave the French Open and not even compete in Wimbledon. I experienced (injury layoffs) a few times in my career.