Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis squared off in the first round of the US Open on Monday, and it’s safe to say that Kyrgios did not relish playing his fellow countryman and close buddy. However, he put forth enough of a fight to defeat his fellow countryman in straight sets and advance to the next round. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who suffered a crushing loss in his opening game, had a terrible evening.

Following his victory against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the US Open first round, Nick Kyrgios expressed his desire to “never again” have to play his close buddy at a Grand Slam. Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, shockingly lost his opening match.

It was an easy win for Kyrgios as he defeated Kokkinakis in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 7-6(4), and he will now be more eager to face opponents in New York.

Unexpectedly, the pair—who frequently team up for doubles matches and won their country’s Australian Open in January—met in a tour singles match for the first time, and Kyrgios made it apparent that he did not relish playing his fellow countryman at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

However, the No. 23 seed pushed such emotions to the side to move on to the second round at Flushing Meadows, where he will play Benjamin Bonzi, who defeated fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert in five sets, 7-6(1), 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 6-2.

In regards to playing Kokkinakis, Kyrgios commented, “It was a nightmare when we both got the draw.”

“We never want to play one another off. I simply have so much respect for him. I’m eager to join him in playing doubles on the right side of the net.

We just have a thorough understanding of one another’s games. From the time we were around nine years old, we have played together. He is skilled at my game. I am quite knowledgeable about his game. Early on, I just played the bigger points well. Hopefully never again, we’re going to play each other.

Following his fantastic performances at Wimbledon, where only seven-time winner Novak Djokovic was able to stop him from moving on to the final, Kyrgios is expected to have another good performance in New York.

• With a decisive victory against Kovinic, Serena kicks off her tennis goodbye in style.
• When victory was in sight, Medvedev called for an ice bag and said, “I loved it!”
• McEnroe laments Djokovic’s disorganised season in his essay, “Trainwreck of trainwrecks.”
• Tsitsipas, however, had a terrible night as the Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan defeated him 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, and 7-5.
• Incredibly, the fourth seed lost to a 6-0 5-0 scoreline early on and only managed to win seven games overall in the first set as he failed to get any feel or rhythm with his groundstrokes.
• The Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd was completely astounded by both the outcome and the match’s extreme one-sidedness. It took the Colombian nine match points to seal a remarkable triumph, but he accomplished so in the end.
• Tsitsipas declared after the game that “he dominated the contest.” I simply wasn’t interested in it.
• Unsurprisingly, Galan was ecstatic: One of my career’s greatest moments, without a doubt. The opponent and the conditions made it unquestionably the finest match of my career. I’m quite content.