Rafael Nadal is still a long way from reclaiming the form that once made him the most feared player on the ATP Tour, but with a solid victory against a talented young player, he moved into the second round of the United States Open.
In his first U.S. Open match since his victory in the 2013 final, the eighth-seeded Nadal beat Borna Coric, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, in the last match of a busy opening day at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Coric, an 18-year-old from Croatia ranked 33rd, had beaten Nadal last year in straight sets in Basel, Switzerland, and he is considered one of the promising young stars on the tour.