The 2020 US Open got underway without the usual fanfare amid the coronavirus pandemic on Monday. The matches were conducted amid empty stands and with enhanced safety protocols. At the spectator-free quarantine bubble at the Flushing Meadows, US Open top women’s seed Karolina Pliskova swept past 145th seeded Anhelina Kalinina in the first round. Pliskova defeated the 145th ranked Ukrainian in straight sets 6-4,6-0. During the match, Pliskova served 7 aces and clinched 33 service points in a dominating display.

Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech player, who has been seeded 12th in the tournament won the first match of the US Open fixtures defeating Belgian counterpart G.Minnen 6-1,6-4 in straight sets.

German Angelique Kerber, who is ranked 17th in the tournament, won her first-round match against Australia’s Ajila Tomljanovic in a tightly contested game. The 2018 Wimbledon winner defeated the Australian Tomljanovic in straight sets,6-4,6-4.

After winning her match against America’s Hailey Baptiste, France’s Kristina Mladenovic said “The conditions are strange, we miss the fans.”

Earlier on Tuesday, France’s Benoit Paire had tested positive for coronavirus, and several players including Richard Gasquet, Adrian Mannarino, and Edouard Roger-Vasselin who were in contact with the player were forced to adhere stricter safety measures.

The United States Tennis Association also stated that several players were being tested on a daily basis, instead of the previously decided norm of testing them once every four days 

The first unseeded upset of the tournament happened in a men’s singles match, as unranked Egor Gerasimov of Bulgaria defeated 18th seeded Croatian Dusan Lajovic in 4 sets. Lajovic lost the match, 1-6,6-4,4-6,4-6.

Sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova of the women’s ranking defeated Irina Camelia Bagu in straight sets 6-3,6-2.

In the second upset of the night, ninth-seeded Diego Schwartzman was defeated by British player Cam Norrie. Norrie defeated Schwartzman in a five-set thriller 6-3,6-4,2-6,1-6,5-7.