Stanislas Wawrinka has progressed to the second round of the US Open courtesy of a 7-6[2] 6-3 6-2 victory over Radek Stepanek at Flushing Meadows.
The Swiss number two was challenged in a mammoth first set, which lasted just shy of 70 minutes, but managed to prevail 7-2 in the tie-breaker.
That seemed to knock the 34-year-old Czech, and he was never the same threat in the next two sets.
After securing a two-set lead with just under three hours on the clock, it only took another 35 minutes for Wawrinka to wrap up the win.
He will play either James Blake or Ivo Karlovic in the next round.
