Keys and Fritz advance as rain disrupts outdoor play at the US Open

Madison Keys avoided the nerves that derailed her opening match at last year’s US Open, beating Russian teenager Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4 under the closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The American, who finished runner-up in 2017, hit 21 winners to Korneeva’s seven. Keys said the first round of a Grand Slam brought intense pressure and that she felt grateful to have fought through it. She will next face either Czech player Lucie Havlickova or Hungary’s Anna Bondar.

Taylor Fritz also moved through comfortably, beating fellow American Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The ninth seed struck 14 aces after an inconsistent buildup that included a title in Washington and a first-round loss in Montreal.

At Louis Armstrong Stadium, fifth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli came back from two sets down to beat Argentina’s Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Rain delayed the start of matches on the outer courts by almost four hours, leaving thousands of ticket holders waiting around the grounds. Later, Coco Gauff was scheduled to face Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, while top men’s seed Alexander Zverev was due to play Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

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