Sublime Draper and Pegula ease past Raducanu-Alcaraz

Despite the on-court chemistry between Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, the pair could not hold off top seeds Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula on an entertaining first day of the US Open mixed doubles event.

- FLO CLIFFORD

The pair of former US Open champions received a huge cheer from the busy Arthur Ashe Stadium as they walked out, and smiled and joked their way through their first-round encounter at the revamped and divisive mixed event.

But Draper and Pegula proved too strong, winning 4-2, 4-2 after breaking early in both sets in the truncated format. Raducanu withstood a barrage of pressure on serve at 3-2 in the second set, falling 15-40 down before whipping in two fine serves, before taking the game on the deciding point.

The match improved in quality as the brand-new pairings settled in, but it was Draper and Pegula who formed a smoother partnership. The Brit in particular was imperious on serve and moved superbly around the court, sealing the match with a down-the-line forehand winner.

The top seeds continued to move smoothly through the draw, beating Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev 4-1, 4-1 later yesterday after the latter two dispatched Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic 4-2, 5-3 in the final round-of-16 match.