US Open 2017: Marin Cilic survives scare to beat Tennys Sandgren, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga eases through

ByEurosport

Updated 29/08/2017 at 02:53 GMT

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic completed a 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3 win over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren in the US Open first round.

Marin Cilic of Croatia celebrates celebrates point during win against Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. in their first round match

Image credit: Reuters

The 2014 US Open champion was forced to a fourth set as he hit 55 winners and threw in 57 unforced errors in a patchy performance over two hours and 47 minutes on Arthur Ashe.

Cilic advances to round two

"I feel just a little bit rusty," fifth seed Cilic said in an on-court interview after the match.

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"I need a few matches to get in the rhythm. I was hitting some good shots and then making some unforced errors."

Cilic ended with 57 unforced errors, many coming from his wobbly forehand, compared to 55 winners.

Sandgren, playing in just his second main draw of a grand slam, was composed throughout the match but appeared to tire as the match wore on.

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The 26-year-old American was ultimately unable to overcome the early deficit and Cilic's powerful serve and punishing groundstrokes.

"Tennys was fighting quite hard even after I was up two sets to love. The fourth set was a battle, especially the game at 4-3."

Sandgren sent a shot wide to hand Cilic a break and end the over 10-minute game.

Cilic cracked his 11th ace to win the match in the next game and punch his ticket to the second round.

Next up for Cilic in the second round is German Florian Mayer, a 7-5 0-6 6-3 6-4 winner over Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva.

Eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga enjoyed a more straightforward afternoon at Flushing Meadows in his 6-3 6-3 6-4 win over Marius Copil of Romania.

Tsonga storms past Copil

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Gilles Muller fired 27 aces on his way to a 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 first-round victory over Australian Bernard Tomic.

Muller knocks out Tomic

American Sam Querrey booked a place in the second round with a 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over France's Gilles Simon.

Querrey eases past Simon

Querrey, who reached his first grand slam semi-final at Wimbledon earlier this year, registered 31 winners and claimed 20 off 27 points at the net on his way to victory.

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US Open men's first round results

Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) beat 25-Karen Khachanov (Russia) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3
Denis Shapovalov (Canada) beat Daniil Medvedev (Russia) 7-5 6-1 6-2
Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Alessandro Giannessi (Italy) 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 7-5
Dudi Sela (Israel) beat Christopher Eubanks (U.S.) 6-2 6-4 6-2
Radu Albot (Moldova) beat Ernesto Escobedo (U.S.) 7-5 4-6 6-2 6-4
10-John Isner (U.S.) beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3
5-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Tennys Sandgren (U.S.) 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3
8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Marius Copil (Romania) 6-3 6-3 6-4
29-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-2 6-1 6-3
Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) beat 21-David Ferrer (Spain) 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-1
Benoit Paire (France) beat Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) 6-3 6-2 7-6(5)
Chung Hyeon (South Korea) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 3-6 7-6(8) 6-4 6-3
28-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat JC Aragone (U.S.) 6-3 6-3 6-1
Florian Mayer (Germany) beat Rogerio Dutra Silva (Brazil) 7-5 0-6 6-3 6-4
Steve Johnson (U.S.) beat Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-4 7-6(2) 7-6(5)
12-Pablo Carreno (Spain) beat Evan King (U.S.) 6-3 6-2 7-6(5)
Kyle Edmund (Britain) beat 32-Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-3 7-5 6-3
Cameron Norrie (Britain) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 7-6(7) 6-1 (Tursunov retired)
Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) beat Andreas Haider-Maurer (Austria) 7-6(3) 5-1 (Haider-Maurer retired)

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