US Open: Coco Gauff eases past Varvara Gracheva to kickstart title defence, Maria Sakkari forced to retire

US Open champion Coco Gauff began her Flushing Meadows title defence in style as she secured an impressive bagel set en route to beating first-round opponent Varvara Gracheva. Gauff shook off a nervy start to become the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 to rack up 15 US Open wins. Elsewhere, Maria Sakkari was forced to retire from her first-round tie after just 40 minutes.

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US Open champion Coco Gauff got her title defence at Flushing Meadows off to a flying start as she cruised into the second round with victory on Monday.

The third seed, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York 12 months ago, dominated French player Varvara Gracheva in a 6-2 6-0 victory.

In relentless fashion, Gauff picked her opponent apart and wrapped up the match in just over an hour.

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It was a nervous start to proceedings for the world No. 3, who saved all six of the break points she faced in her opening three service games.

Fortunately for the home favourite, she quickly shook off the early pressure from 24-year-old Gracheva and took total control of the rest of the match.

Gauff converted two of her own break points to edge a couple of tight games in the opening set, before racing ahead without reply in the second to secure her spot in the next round.

Gauff’s triumph marks her eighth consecutive win at the US Open as she continued to build on her triumph last year, when she became the first American teenager to claim the title in New York since Serena Williams in 1999.

She will face Tatjana Maria in a second-round encounter after the German won her match against Solana Sierra almost as convincingly.

Following Monday’s victory, 20-year-old Gauff also became the youngest player to rack up 15 wins at the US Open as she matched Caroline Wozniacki's efforts from 2007 to 2010.

Ninth seed Maria Sakkari was forced to withdraw from her first-round match against China’s Wang Yafan after just 40 minutes in the first shock of the tournament.

Sakkari lost the opening set 6-2 and then needed a medical timeout, where she received treatment on her neck and shoulders, before she retired from the match.

Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng was also in action and opened her account with a 4-6 6-4 6-2 comeback victory over home favourite Amanda Anisimova.

Zheng will play 75th-ranked Erika Andreeva in the next round.

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