Tennis-Fritz, Shelton lead American charge at US Open with first-round wins

By Amy Tennery and Shrivathsa Sridhar

NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton got their U.S. Open campaigns off to a confident start on Sunday, cruising into the second round as they bid to end a 22-year title drought for American men in New York.

Fritz, who last year became the first American man since 2006 to reach the Flushing Meadows final, hit his stride after the first set on Louis Armstrong Stadium to subdue wildcard compatriot Emilio Nava 7-5 6-2 6-3, firing off 11 aces.

Runner-up to Jannik Sinner last year, Fritz is hoping he can follow in the footsteps of compatriots Madison Keys and Coco Gauff, who both claimed Grand Slam titles this year.

Since Andy Roddick became the last home male player to lift the U.S. Open trophy in 2003, American women have collected 25 Grand Slam titles - with Venus and Serena Williams accounting for 19 of them.

"We're in a great place in American tennis," said Fritz, who will next play either Argentine Sebastian Baez or South African qualifier Lloyd Harris.

"The women have been really carrying for a long time but the men - we're coming."

Nava battled evenly with the fourth seed until the final game of the first set, where he dropped his serve with a pair of unforced errors, before helping Fritz to an early break in the second set with two double faults.

Fritz turned on the gas from there, breaking his opponent from the baseline to close out the second set, before getting the break in the third set with an unreturnable backhand in the fourth game.

Shelton, semi-finalist at the hardcourt major in 2023, was brimming with confidence after earning his biggest title in Toronto this month.

He produced 35 winners to beat Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse 6-3 6-2 6-4 and will next face Pablo Carreno Busta. He will also get an extra day's rest thanks to the extended 15-day schedule that the major adopted this year.

"Starting to feel like home for me. This is the best court in tennis," said Shelton. "It's my favourite place to play, favourite court, favourite tournament."

The two were evenly matched through much of the first set before Buse dropped his serve with a double fault in the eighth game and Shelton successfully defended three break points in the ninth.

Shelton broke his opponent from the baseline in the fifth game of the second set and again in the seventh with a powerful forehand winner.

Buse helped Shelton on the way to another break in the third game of the final set with one of his six double faults in the match and the 22-year-old nodded with satisfaction as he clinched it on the fifth match point.

"We take it one step at a time," said Shelton, who was not even a year old when Roddick hoisted the U.S. Open trophy in 2003. "Trying to get better every day. As soon as you start looking ahead of yourself you stumble over your feet."

DEEP POOL

Flushing Meadows has a deep pool of Americans vying for the titles this year, with 23 men and 25 women U.S. players in the singles main draws, the most since 54 entered in the COVID-hit 2020 tournament.

It was more of a battle for other American players on Sunday.

Marcos Giron overcame Mariano Navone 6-0 7-5 4-6 5-7 6-4 before Brandon Nakashima outlasted Jesper De Jong 6-2 6-7(5) 2-6 6-2 7-6(7).

Learner Tien, 19, failed to make the most of his chances in a 6-1 7-6(3) 6-2 defeat by Novak Djokovic, who next takes on another American in Zachary Svajda.

In the women's draw, Emma Navarro and Caty McNally set up a second-round meeting after contrasting victories, and they were joined in the next round by McCartney Kessler.

Last year's runner-up Jessica Pegula clawed her way back from 1-4 down in the second set to secure a 6-0 6-4 victory over Egyptian Mayar Sherif.