US Open: Del Potro and Nishikori through, Goffin out, Britain's Dan Evans marches on

Updated 31/08/2016 at 06:36 GMT

Britain's Dan Evans made it into the second round of the US Open for the second time in his career, while former finalist Kei Nishikori also went through.

Juan Martin del Potro - US Open 2016

Image credit: Reuters

Juan Martin del Potro opens up with a victory

Resurgent Argentine star Juan Martin del Potro won his opening match of the US Open, winning a third set tie-break after having had his serve broken while serving for the match.

US Open men

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Ranked 142 in the world, Del Potro is a wildcard - yet incredibly, third favourite to win following some stellar tennis in recent weeks, not least a landmark win over Novak Djokovic at the Olympics.

And the 2009 champion justified that billing in a fine win over compatriot Diego Schwartzmann, winning 6-4 6-4 7-6(3) to make the second round - wrapping up the match with an ace on match point.

Juan Martin Del Potro - US Open 2016

Image credit: AFP

"I am so glad to be part of this tournament once again after three years," said del Potro, who was given a wild card to join the main draw, and said he was lifted by the crowd support.

"Always, in every match here at the US Open, the crowd make me feels special. I really like the atmosphere down there."

Next up for del Potro will be 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson, who overcame Russian Evgeny Donskoy 4-6 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 6-3 to advance.

Dan Evans beats Rajeev Ram to make second round

Dan Evans, US Open 2016

Image credit: AFP

Britain's world number 64 Dan Evans overcame American Rajeev Ram 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 to make the second round of the US Open.

Evans had only ever been in the main draw at Flushing Meadows once before - in 2013, when he made the third round - but the 26-year-old has been playing well in the USA since his third-round defeat by Roger Federer at Wimbledon.

Highlights: Britain's Dan Evans beats Rajeev Ram

And he carried that on with a fine victory on Tuesday over Ram, a former world number 56.

His recent exploits - which include four Challenger-level victories in the last 12 months - have seen his ranking soar. He spent years as a struggling journeyman and has seen his career explode since playing a role in Britain's Davis Cup victory last autumn.

Next up for Evans is Germany's Alexander 'Sasha' Zverev, a teenage starlet widely tipped as a future world number one, who beat Daniel Brands 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4).

Goffin stunned by American teenage qualifier

David Goffin of Belgium became the highest-profile casualty of the men's tournament on day two as he lost to world number 122 Jared Donaldson.

Highlights: Donaldson shocks Goffin

Goffin, the 12th seed, got off to a decent start to the match against a player who turns 20 the day before the tournament finishes, but lost tough-fought second and third sets.

In the fourth, Donaldson ran away with it, bagelling the Belgian to wrap up a 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-0 win.

Kei Nishikori blitzes Becker

2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori overcame German veteran Benjamin Becker 6-1 6-1 3-6 6-3 to make the second round.

Nishikori - who beat Novak Djokovic en-route to the final against Marin Cilic two years ago - looked in great form in the opening two sets, barely putting a foot wrong.

Kei Nishikori of Japan - US Open 2016

Image credit: Reuters

Becker roared back into the match, however, claiming the third set to suggest that an upset might be brewing for a player who has - 2014 aside - poor record in New York.

But the Japanese world number seven re-asserted his dominance to wrap things up and earn a second-round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov, a 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3 winner over Italy's Thomas Fabbiano.

Highlights: Nishikori survives wobble to beat Becker

"He started playing much better so it was tough third and fourth sets but luckily I got out of the last two games," said Nishikori.

"It was a pretty good match."

Ferrer and Mahut progess as opponents retire

David Ferrer, the Spanish number 11 seed, played just 11 games of his opening match against Alexandr Dolgopolov before the Ukrainian world number 57 was forced to retire.

The scoreline was 6-5 at the time, with Ferrer - now 34 - being given a tough workout by a man six years his junior.

Highlights Ferrer through as Dolgopolov retires

Nicolas Mahut of France also progressed in similar circumstances in a battle of two thirty-something players: Mahut, 34, was leading German 32-year-old Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 7-5 1-0 when the German 25th seed was forced to give up by a stress fracture injury.

Men's R1 results

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-2 6-2

Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Radu Albot (Moldova) 5-7 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6(5)

16-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Borna Coric (Croatia) 3-4 (Coric retired)

Joao Sousa (Portugal) beat Victor Estrella (Dominican Republic) 6-0 6-1 6-1

Jared Donaldson (U.S.) beat 12-David Goffin (Belgium) 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-0

Alessandro Giannessi (Italy) beat Denis Kudla (U.S.) 0-6 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-0

Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) beat Christian Harrison (U.S.) 6-0 6-2 6-1

Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) beat 29-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 7-6(4) 6-7(0) 6-3 6-3

3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat 25-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-3 7-5 1-0 (Kohlschreiber retired)

11-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-5 (Dolgopolov retired)

27-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Daniel Brands (Germany) 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4)

Highlights: Zverev wins all-German clash against Brands

Daniel Evans (Britain) beat Rajeev Ram (U.S.) 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1

Karen Khachanov (Russia) beat Thomas Fabbiano (Italy) 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3

22-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Inigo Cervantes (Spain) 6-2 6-4 7-6(7)

Highlights: Dimitrov brushes aside Cervantes

6-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Benjamin Becker (Germany) 6-1 6-1 3-6 6-3

Pablo Carreno (Spain) beat Ilya Ivashka (Belarus) 6-0 7-5 6-2

Jeremy Chardy (France) beat Michael Mmoh (U.S.) 6-4 6-4 6-1

Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) beat Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4 6-2

19-Steve Johnson (U.S.) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 4-6 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 6-3

Watch: Best lobs of the US Open so far

8-Dominic Thiem (Austria) beat John Millman (Australia) 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-4 6-3

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat Juan Monaco (Argentina) 7-6(5) 7-6(2) 6-4

14-Nick Kyrgios (Australia) beat Aljaz Bedene (Britain) 6-4 6-4 6-4

30-Gilles Simon (France) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-1 6-4

Del Potro: I'm living a dream come true

Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-4 6-2 6-1

21-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 7-5

Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 6-7(9) 3-6 7-6(5) 7-5 6-4

Donald Young (U.S.) beat Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 6-3 7-5 4-6 7-5

Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)

Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) beat 17-Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4 6-3 4-6 7-6(0)

Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-3 6-4 7-6(7)

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