Daniil Medvedev has made a commanding return to form at the US Open, dispatching Frenchman Hugo Gaston in straight sets on Sunday to book his place in the second round at Flushing Meadows — while the tournament was already dealing with a mounting injury toll, with former champion Marin Cilic and 2022 finalist Casper Ruud both withdrawing before they could take to the court.

Medvedev back to his best at Arthur Ashe Stadium

The seventh seed — and 2021 US Open champion — left no doubt about his intentions from the outset, beating Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in a performance that was as efficient as it was commanding. Medvedev piled up 34 winners to his opponent's 11, smothering any creative threat the Frenchman attempted to conjure.

The result was particularly satisfying given that Medvedev had crashed out in the very first round at the same tournament last year — a rare stumble for a player who has made Flushing Meadows something of a personal stronghold. The turnaround in form was stark, and Medvedev was candid about his approach heading into the match.

"You need to play your game — I knew he was going to do some drop shots, some underarm serves," Medvedev said. "I needed to make some winners, put some pressure on him."

Gaston's unorthodox game plan had limited impact against the towering Russian, whose footwork and reach neutralised the Frenchman's trickery. A misplaced backhand from Gaston in the seventh game of the opening set handed Medvedev the first break, and the pattern continued in the second set when Gaston drove a forehand into the net to surrender another.

In the third set, Medvedev struck early with a whipped forehand winner to break in the very first game, and closed out the match with an unreturnable serve. The victory comes just days after Medvedev had publicly mused about a career switch to pickleball following a first-round loss at Winston-Salem — a remark that, in hindsight, appeared more like motivation than genuine contemplation.

He will next face the winner of the match between American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny and Belgian Raphael Collignon.

Cilic and Ruud join growing list of withdrawals

The good news for Medvedev was offset by a difficult day for the draw, with two high-profile names confirmed as withdrawals shortly after the tournament got underway.

Croatian veteran Marin Cilic, who claimed the only grand slam title of his career at Flushing Meadows back in 2014, will not defend his place in the draw this year. Tournament organisers did not disclose the nature of the 37-year-old's injury. Lucky loser Otto Virtanen steps in to replace him, though Virtanen himself had also recently pulled out of a third-round qualifying match against Grigor Dimitrov with an injury — making for an unusual set of circumstances. Virtanen now faces 23rd seed Andrey Rublev.

Norwegian Casper Ruud, the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at this event in 2022, also confirmed his withdrawal due to a back injury that had not healed sufficiently following his retirement mid-match at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month during a second-set encounter with Australia's Christopher O'Connell.

"Unfortunately, my back hasn't healed as quickly as we had hoped," Ruud wrote on social media. "We've been optimistic that I would recover in time, but my team and I have decided that we need to think long-term and give my body the time it needs."

Ruud added: "It's never easy to miss a Grand Slam, but I know this is the right decision. I'll take the time I need to recover properly and come back stronger." Lucky loser Arthur Gea takes his spot and will open against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

The withdrawals add to an already sizeable absentee list that includes Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca and Holger Rune — giving the bottom half of the draw a noticeably different shape than expected heading into the tournament.

Pegula shines on home soil

On the women's side, American Jessica Pegula, the world number three, made a winning start to her home grand slam, advancing through her opening-round match to the delight of the home crowd. For those following the latest grand slam results, the US Open is already shaping up as one of the more unpredictable majors of recent years.