Keys and Fritz cruise as rain disrupts outdoor US Open play

NEW YORK, Sept 1 : Americans Madison Keys and Taylor Fritz cruised through their first-round matches at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, as second seed Elena Rybakina eased injury concerns after rain delayed the outdoor action by nearly four hours.

Keys, runner-up in 2017, was undone by debilitating nerves in the first round a year ago but found the right formula this time around in the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, beating Russian teen Alina Korneeva 7-5 6-4 under a closed roof.

She fired off 21 winners to just seven from her opponent and will next play either Czech Lucie Havlickova or Hungarian Anna Bondar.

"It's so hard to play the first round of a Grand Slam. So nervous and wanting to do well," said Keys. "So grateful I was able to fight through that."

Ninth seed Fritz had an easy time in the second match of the day at the showpiece stadium, rolling past 18-year-old compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3 6-2 6-4. 

The 2024 finalist had an up-and-down run-up to the year's final major, winning in D.C. before losing his opening match in Montreal last month, but was back to his usual tricks on Tuesday, as he fired off 14 aces.

Over at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Italian men's fifth seed Flavio Cobolli survived a gritty encounter with Argentine Francisco Comesana 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-4, while the women's fifth seed Mirra Andreeva had a far easier encounter in a 6-2 6-2 win over Indonesian Janice Tjen.

RAIN FORCES OUTDOOR PLAY DELAY

Thousands of poncho-wearing ticketholders wandered around the grounds earlier in the day, as rain forced a long delay to the start of the action on the outdoor courts.

Among the hot tickets was American teenager Thea Frodin, who served as the tennis-playing double for a young Serena Williams in the 2021 film "King