• US Open, Day One

Classy Federer breezes past Young

Roger Federer was imperious in his win over Donald Young © PA Photos

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Roger Federer lived up to his billing as No. 1 seed with a confident win over Donald Young in the first round of the US Open.

Respected figures in the game had predicted a mauling, given the shocking form Young has been in of late. The American was not left seeing stars, as he showed flashes of quality, but Federer eased through without doing anything more than he had to.

It was a confident display, with Federer rock solid on serve and picking his moments to force the play. Young had no answers at the crucial moments as Federer went on to claim a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win.

Federer was made to work hard early in the contest and he needed two big first serves at 3-3 in the first set. Having come through a minor scare, the world No. 1 stepped up the pace and broke Young to love in the eighth game. He audaciously sealed the break by stepping inside the baseline to receive serve and disdainfully swatted the ball away for a clean winner.

After racing through the first set, he broke at the start of the second to suggest a total demolition was on the cards. But Young stopped that thought it its tracks by breaking back.

That seemed to sting Federer into action as he broke back, setting it up in audacious fashion with a stunning smash from the baseline. Young threw up a fine defensive lob, but Federer chose to slam the ball down the line. The stunning nature of the shot appeared to jolt Young who promptly surrendered his next two service games as Federer opened up a two-set lead.

Federer took to serving and volleying in the third, such was his confidence, and he pulled off a string of top-class shots as raced through the set after claiming an early break.

Marin Cilic survived a scare as the No. 12 seed had to come from two sets down to defeat Australia's Marinko Matosevic. Cilic lost the opening two sets but rallied to claim a 5-7 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-4 victory.

Gilles Simon also triumped in five sets to defeat Michael Russell 7-6(4) 3-6 5-7 6-4 6-1, while Feliciano Lopez eased into the second round with a 6-3 7-5 6-2 win over Robin Haase.

Fernando Verdasco is now outside the world's top 20 but he is still a huge talent and the No. 26 seed dropped just seven games in beating Rui Machado in straight sets.

Mardy Fish produced a mixed display, but his class shone through as he claimed a 7-6(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win over Go Soeda.

James Blake is not the force of old, but he dug deep into his reserves to claim s 7-5 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over Lukas Lacko, while he was joined in the second round by fellow American Jack Sock who took out No. 22 seed Florian Mayer who retired when two sets down.

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