Coco Gauff begins U.S. Open title defense with easy victory

Defending champion Coco Gauff wasted no time launching her U.S. Open title defense, taking down first-round opponent Varvara Gracheva of France 6-2, 6-0, in 66 minutes on Monday in New York.

Gauff claimed her first Grand Slam title last year at Arthur Ashe Stadium and entered this year's tournament looking for recapture that form after a disappointing summer of results.

The third seed in this week's main draw, Gauff cruised against Gracheva, who's ranked 66th in the world. Gauff finished with a 10-0 edge in aces, went 9-for-9 saving break points and finished with a 16-5 advantage in total winners.

Gauff broke Gracheva's serve twice in the first set to take control. She won the final nine games in a row spanning the first and second sets.

The 20-year-old Gauff won her 15th match win at the U.S. Open, the youngest woman to hit that milestone since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

Gauff advanced to face Tatjana Maria of Germany in the second round. Maria was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Solana Sierra of Argentina.

On a packed first day of main-draw action in New York, it did not take long for the first top-10 seed to fall. Greece's Maria Sakkari, the ninth seed, dropped her first set 6-2 to China's Yafan Wang before retiring due to an undisclosed injury.

Wang's next opponent will be Diane Parry of France, who took down China's Xiyu Wang 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).

No. 7 seed Qinwen Zheng of China hit 12 aces and saved 8 of 12 break points on her way to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over American upstart Amanda Anisimova. Zheng moved on to face Russian Erika Andreeva, who rallied in her second-set tiebreaker to finish off China's Yue Yuan 6-3, 7-6 (7).

Other winners early on Monday included No. 12 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia, No. 24 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia, No. 26 seed Paula Badosa of Spain, No. 27 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, Greet Minnen of Belgium and Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine. Germany's Jule Neimeier outlasted No. 32 seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4.