US Open 2021 – Hubert Hurkacz, Kei Nishikori reach second round but Pablo Carreno Busta loses

Pablo Carreno Busta suffered a shock five-set defeat to American qualifier Maxime Cressy in the first round of the US Open after blowing four match points in the final set.

Carreno Busta, who made the semi-finals at the US Open in 2017 and 2020, looked to be cruising after winning the opening two sets.

But Cressy fought back to level the match and take it to a tiebreak in the fifth set. Carreno Busta had four chances to clinch the match but couldn’t take them, double-faulting on his third match point before Cressy won 5-7 4-6 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(7).

Hubert Hurkacz dropped just 12 points on serve as he beat Egor Gerasimov in straight sets.

The 10th seed, who beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, hit 38 winners as he progressed with a 6-3 6-4 6-3 win.

Former finalist Kei Nishikori beat Salvatore Caruso in four sets.

Nishikori, 31, lost in the 2014 final to Marin Cilic and also made the semi-finals in New York in 2016 and 2018. He looked to be cruising against Caruso but in the end came through 6-1 6-1 5-7 6-3.

Another upset on the second day saw 25th seed Karen Khachanov lose in five sets to Lloyd Harris.

Olympic silver medallist Khachanov looked to be struggling with an injury towards the end of the match as Harris won 6-4 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Denis Shapovalov, who made the quarter-finals last year, beat Federico Delbonis 6-2 6-2 6-3 while sixth seed Matteo Berrettini won 7-6(5) 7-6(7) 6-3 against Jeremy Chardy.

Aslan Karatsev powered past Jaume Munar 7-5 1-6 6-3 6-2 with the help of 57 winners but young American Sebastian Korda withdrew due to illness down 6-2 2-1 against Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Mackenzie McDonald won 6-2 7-5 6-3 against out-of-form David Goffin, who has now lost his last six matches in a row. Jannik Sinner, the 13th seed, beat Max Purcell in four sets.

Ernesto Escobedo beat Pablo Cuevas 6-1 6-3 6-1 while big-serving American Reilly Opelka won in straight sets against Soon-Woo Kwon.