US Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev cruise to second round

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev have made their mark in the US Open by advancing comfortably to the second round. Alcaraz's title defence commenced on the court where he secured his first Grand Slam victory last year.

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev have comfortably advanced to the second round of the US Open. Alcaraz, defending his title on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he won his first Grand Slam last year, secured victory after his opponent, Dominik Koepfer of Germany, suffered a severe ankle injury in the opening game. Meanwhile, Medvedev, the third seed, dominated his match against Attila Balazs of Hungary, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 in just 74 minutes. As Alcaraz continues his title defence, he could potentially face 2021 US Open champion Medvedev in the semi-finals.

However, not all favourites had a smooth start. Karen Khachanov, the 11th seed and a semi-finalist in the previous year's US Open, faced an early exit, losing in straight sets to American world No. 89 Michael Mmoh. On the other hand, 12th seed Alexander Zverev of Germany secured a comfortable victory against Aleksandar Vukic of Australia. Jannik Sinner, the Italian sixth seed, also dominated his match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany.

In the women's draw, there were surprises as well. French seventh seed Caroline Garcia suffered a defeat against Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan, and Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, the fifth seed, overcame a medical scare to secure a win against Camila Osorio of Colombia. Meanwhile, Venus Williams, competing in her 24th US Open, faced a disappointing loss against Belgium's Greet Minnen.

While Alcaraz and Medvedev continue their journey, the US Open promises more exciting matches and potential upsets in the days to come.