Dominika Cibulkova produced a stunning performance to defeat the seventh seeded Ana Ivanovic in the first round of the US Open to blow their half of the draw wide open. In just over two hours, Cibulkova captured her biggest victory since her surgery earlier in the year by beating the Serb 6-3 3-6 6-3.
And in the men's side, last year's runner up, Kei Nishikori, was dumped out by the enigmatic Benoit Paire. Despite leading by two sets to one going into the fourth, the Japanese number one was pegged back in a tie break before going on to lose in the final set for a 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 (8) 6-4 win for Paire.
Cibulkova returns with a bang
After an injury hit 2015, the former Australian Open finalist Dominka Cibulkova was looking to finally announce her return to the premier level of the tour with her first grand slam victory since this year's Australian Open. And she got it after a thrilling match with a bitterly disappointed Ana Ivanovic.
For Ivanovic, the loss draws to a close a disappointing year in the grand slams with early defeats in all but the French Open representing a poor 2015 which promised so much for the former world number one after finishing as the runner-up in Brisbane to Maria Sharapova. At the Australian Open she lost to Lucie Hradecka in the first round whereas in at Wimbledon she lost in the second round to Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
The match itself had always looked on paper as one of the most interesting match ups on day one, with the two players sharing two wins apiece in their head-to-head record.
And it would play out in such a manner befitting the build up with both players battering the ball at one another and both having their fair share of the momentum. Cibulkova would be the player to doninate most in the early stages, as she capatilised on numerous Ivanovic lapses of concentration to steal the advantage.
It is a quality that has always dogged Ivanovic and she recently re-appointed Nigel Sears as her coach in an attempt to combat her periodic lapses which cost her so dear.
Ivanovic characteristically inconsistent
And cost her they would.
Despite playing the better tennis, Ivanovic found herself 4-2 down in the second set and on the verge of another disappointing grand slam exit. But she can never be accused of not being a fighter and as she upped her level a gear and a fatigued looking Cibulkova looked rattled, the Serb gobbled up five games in a row to suddenly be leading 1-0 in the final set.
But as quickly as the good form had come, the bad would crawl back up to the surface, as Ivanovic began to play more and more errors and her serve suddenly looked fragile.
Cibulkova, to her credit, took full advantage of this as she suddenly looked as fresh as she had in the first game of the match, playing with poise and aggression and forcing Ivanovic into the corner.
Ivanovic would finally crumble when Cibulkova stepped up to serve for the match as she fired the ball into the net on match point and handed a delighted looking Cibulkova the win she had so craved and found her way into the second round at the US Open for the first time since 2012.
She will now face Jessica Pugela of the USA who beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round.
Nishikori stumbles out the blocks
In the men's draw, Kei Nishikori continued his poor 2015 as he was
defeated by Benoit Paire in a gruelling five set match on the Loius Armstrong court.
Nishikori, who shocked the tennis world by reaching last year's final where he was eventually defeated by Marin Cilic in straight sets in an underwhelming final, has struggled to live up to the expectations surrounding him so far.
And despite leading by two sets to one and taking the match into a tie break in the fourth, he would eventually find himself on the end of a five set loss to a player who has done well to drag himself back into the world's top fifty an awful 2014.
Paire, who is known for causing sparks on the court in both his play and his temper, will play Marsel Ilhan in the second round.