Drama-free Medvedev wins as former US Open champion Cilic withdraws

Daniil Medvedev made his return to Arthur Ashe Stadium with none of the drama that marked his previous US Open campaign. The seventh seed defeated Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and moved through the opening round with an aggressive display.

Medvedev hit 34 winners to Gaston's 11. The Frenchman's drop shots and underarm serves did not disrupt the six-foot-six-inch Russian, who used his movement and pressure from the baseline to control the match. Gaston handed over the first break with a misplaced backhand, then lost serve again in the second set after sending a forehand into the net.

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You need to play your game. I knew he was going to do some drop shots, some underarm serves. I needed to make some winners, put some pressure on him.

Medvedev also produced the point of the second set when he leapt to reach a break point and struck a backhand beyond Gaston's reach. He broke again at the start of the third set and closed the match with an unreturnable serve. He will next face either American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny or Belgian Raphael Collignon.

The tournament also lost two experienced names. Marin Cilic, the 2014 champion, withdrew from the draw and was replaced by lucky loser Otto Virtanen, who faces 23rd seed Andrey Rublev. Casper Ruud, the 2022 runner-up, also pulled out after a back injury failed to recover in time. Arthur Gea took Ruud's place and will meet Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The withdrawals added to a list that includes Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca and Holger Rune.

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Unfortunately, my back hasn't healed as quickly as we had hoped.