The men began their play in hot and humid New York on Monday. And much as with the women’s draw, a high seed would fall early.

Djokovic Rolls

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic took just an hour and 11 minutes to advance past Joao Souza 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in first-round action. Any thought of a hangover lingering from losses to Roger Federer and Andy Murray during the U. S. Open Series appears to have fallen by the wayside.

Djokovic won 92 percent of his first-serve points and struck 24 winners to just seven unforced errors. Frequently placed on the defensive, Souza also committed 27 unforced errors during the match.

It was a focused effort by the Serb, who stated that he feels no pressure holding the top seed. “There's something I love about No. 1 for sure. Hopefully I can keep it up,” Djokovic said. “I'm just hoping I can continue to play this way and if I can, I feel I have a really good chance against anybody.”

He will face Andreas Haider-Maurer next.

Nadal sharp in First-Round Victory

Somewhat overlooked entering New York, eighth-seeded Rafael Nadal hoped for a successful showing at the last Grand Slam event of the year. And for a good portion of the night, the 14-time major champion impressed during his 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win against Borna Coric.

In the first set, a crisp, precise Nadal showed glimpses of the player most have become accustomed to seeing over the years. As both players exchanged strong baseline groundstrokes, it was Nadal finding a crack in the Coric serve. On the flip side, the Spaniard served well and won 90 percent of his first serves in the set.

It took very little time before the former world No. 1 would break the 18-year old in the second set. Smartly constructing points, Nadal displayed the skill and effort that have been his trademarks. Coric quickly found himself in a hole that he could not get out of and dropped the set.

However, in the third set, the Croat showed some signs of life with an early break of the Nadal serve. The veteran would fight back to even it up. But not deterred, a determined Coric found another gear late in the set, breaking Nadal, who flinched just long enough to lose the set.

With the slight drop in the Spaniard’s play, Coric’s confidence appeared to spike as the two traded punches from the baseline. After the pair sparred on even terms in the first half of the set, Nadal ripped a patented forehand to break at 3-3. He would close out the match on his serve, having shown signs that he may not be far from returning to a level he has sought for much of the year. Despite the loss, Coric leaves New York having served notice that championships are certainly not far from his grasp.

Paire Eliminates Nishikori

2014 finalist Kei Nishikori was on the court early on Monday, and it did not take long to realize that he would be in for a battle in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The rejuvenated and dangerous Benoit Paire upset the 2014 runner-up, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

The fourth seed dug an early hole as he dropped the first set to the Frenchman, who played with confidence throughout the match. However, Nishikori finally found a groove and appeared to have turned the match in his favor by taking the second and third sets, using his quickness and solid groundstrokes to his advantage.

But in a fourth-set tiebreak, just as it appeared that the Japanese star would close out the match, Paire fought off two match points and turned the tide of the match. He would rattle off a string of points to take the set, forcing a decisive fifth set. Nishikori, who entered the tournament with some questions in regard to his health, appeared to struggle with the humidity and possibly leg issues as he stretched out his limbs during points late in the fourth set.

In the fifth set, Paire gained a break of serve to earn a 3-2 edge, and a weary Nishikori was forced to chase his lost serve the remainder of the set. The world No. 4 gave one more late effort to even the set, but incredible defense by Paire fended off his advances, and the former top-25 player closed out the upset.

Once again, untimely injuries haunted Nishikori this summer. The impact of his health issues appeared clear, particularly late in the match as he fought the heat. Paire, who brought his best game to Flushing Meadows, played to a level that many have expected to see for some time.

Defending Champion Advances to Second Round

Ninth-seeded Marin Cilic took his first step towards defending his 2014 U. S. Open title with a straight-sets victory over Guido Pella of Argentina 6-3, 7-6, 7-6. Despite a less than spotless match from Cilic, he was able to maintain enough momentum throughout to win and advance to the second round.

In both of the tiebreak sets, Cilic appeared to have enough control to close them out early but could not put away the 25-year-old. The Croat struggled with first serves as he only placed 58 percent in play. But his 13 aces helped to compensate in the win.

In an interesting decision, Cilic was scheduled in Armstrong Stadium instead of Arthur Ashe Stadium as the defending champion. But he was not concerned afterwards. “Louis Armstrong Court is not that small. It was a pretty nice crowd out there for a hot day today,” Cilic said. “It's pretty humid. The match before went five sets. The crowd also needs some refreshments. But I'm not too bothered by the court where I'm playing. The courts here are all pretty big. Definitely, of course, Arthur Ashe is the place where I was playing the best, so I’m looking forward to come back there.”

With the exit of Nishikori, Cilic should meet less resistance to his path forward. But players such as Grigor Dimitrov and David Ferrer, who could stand in his way, might determine how deep he is capable of advancing this year.