(New York) Austrian Dominic Thiem made a successful entry into the United States Open, which he won in 2020, by knocking down the No.25 seed, Kazakh Alexander Bublik, in three sets 6- 3, 6-2, 6-4.

Now 81^e world, Thiem, who will turn 30 on Sunday, had not passed the first round of a Grand Slam tournament since his elimination in the round of 16 of the Australian Open in 2021.

“It’s been a very long time,” he confirmed on the court after the match, saying he was “very happy” with this victory.

In the next round, he will face Argentinian Pedro Cachin (66^e world) or the American Ben Shelton (47^e).

Thiem, former world No.3, had sunk into the depths of the rankings (352^e in 2022) after his victory at the United States Open in 2020, followed by a final at the Masters, in part due to a long battle to overcome a wrist injury.

With this victory on Monday, he confirms his return to form after reaching the final of the Austrian tournament in Kitzbühel in early August, where he lost to Argentinian Sebastian Baez.

Mannarino qualified for the second round

Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, 35^e world player and seeded N.22, qualified for the second round on Monday, beating the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki (N.85), 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7 -5.

At the start of the tournament, the Francilien had to face a very aggressive player, a big server, who tried to speed up the exchange at the slightest opportunity, even if it meant committing a whopping 64 unforced errors.

But Adrian Mannarino’s experience and consistency, in service in particular, but also in return, ended up making the difference.

In the second round, the leader of the French male delegation will face the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (N.92), who beat Richard Gasquet in the first round.

Gasquet loses in five rounds

Richard Gasquet (85^e world) lost in the first round of the United States Open on Monday, against Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (92^e), winner 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (1/7), 6-2 for the Frenchman who ends a season without a single Grand Slam victory.

The last season Gasquet didn’t reach the second round of any Major was in 2004, and he didn’t play at Flushing Meadows at all.

He participated this year in his 19^are United States Open where he reached the semi-finals in 2013 and was beaten in the third round last year.

Helpless in the first two innings, the 37-year-old Frenchman got hung up in the third. While Marozsan served for the match at 5-3, Gasquet lost the break and managed to take the set to the tiebreaker.

After an exchange of serve in the top of the fourth inning, Marozsan broke the break to lead 5-4 and, once again, serve for the game. But the Biterrois unbroken and the two men found themselves embarked on a new tiebreaker, after Marozsan saved two set points for Gasquet on his serve. The French clearly dominated the decisive game.

The fifth end turned to the advantage of the Hungarian when he managed the break to break away 4-2. He then concluded on the service of the Frenchman.

It is therefore Marozsan, 23, who will face in the second round another Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino (35^e), or the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki (85^e).

The Hungarian is taking part in his first United States Open. For his very first Grand Slam tournament, at Wimbledon in July, he was eliminated in the second round.