NEW YORK — There’s a larger contingent of Americans in the U.S. Open men’s singles bracket than at any time in the past quarter-century. Might be the best crop in nearly that long, too, and two of the leaders — Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton — got the tournament started with dominant performances.
Shelton, the No. 6 seed and twice a Grand Slam semifinalist, needed just 2 hours, 7 minutes to get past qualifier Ignacio Buse of Peru, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in the first contest in Arthur Ashe Stadium on the event’s debut of a Sunday start instead of Monday.
Fritz, the No. 4 seed and the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Flushing Meadows a year ago, needed about 10 fewer minutes to move on with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory over yet another U.S. man, Emilio Nava, a wild-card entry, at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
In all, there were 23 men from the host country in the field as the tourney began, the most since the same number were in the draw in 1997 at what Fritz called “the most important tournament for us Americans all year.” There are 25 U.S. women, which is less of a milestone for a group that regularly produces Grand Slam champions and finalists.
“I do think the competition among all of us,” Fritz said about the men, “pushes all of us and gives us motivation to be better.”