A pair of #NextGen stars kicked off their Citi Open campaigns in winning style on Monday, with Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson tasting first-round success. Fritz – the youngest player in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings – posted a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Israel’s Dudi Sela on Stadium Court.

The 18-year-old World No. 67 sent down 11 aces and staved off all seven break points on his way past the 31 year old to set up a clash with fellow #NextGen star, seventh seed Alexander Zverev.

Donaldson won his third straight match, after winning through qualifying, defeating Frenchman Vincent Millot 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. It was the 19 year old’s first ATP World Tour victory of the season and he will next take on Millot’s compatriot, No. 4 seed Benoit Paire.

In other matches, Japanese World No. 93 Yuichi Sugita had a tougher time of it finding a way past 2014 finalist Vasek Pospisil. The World No. 93 bounced back to steal a 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory over the Canadian and will face #NextGen star Borna Coric in the second round.

“In the first set, I made a lot of mistakes and could not get a good feel for my groundstrokes. Moving back a bit and focusing on my first serve made a big difference,” Sugita said. “I’m always learning. I enjoy moving on the court, even in the hot conditions here. I can run until the end of any match, so that’s my weapon.”

John Millman, James Duckworth and Jordan Thompson made it an ideal three from three for the Australians on the first day’s play at the Citi Open in Washington on Monday. Fresh from a career-best third-round Grand Slam showing at Wimbledon, Millman carried his form to the first tournament on the US hard court swing, downing local hopeful Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-0.

The 27-year-old hit five aces on his way past Kudla, reeling off the last seven games of the match to book a second-round showdown with 2010 finalist Marcos Baghdatis. The last time the pair met, Baghdatis prevailed in a five-set battle in the second round at Wimbledon in 2015. Qualifier Duckworth inflicted more pain on the Americans, taking down Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-1.

It was Duckworth’s third win in a row, having come through qualifying. He claimed 76 per cent of his first-serve points and was never broken. The win sets up a clash with top seed and three-time runner-up John Isner.

Thompson became the third Australian to advance in straight sets. The World No. 90 in the Emirates ATP Rankings overcame Victor Estrella Burgos 6-3, 6-2. Thompson, 13 years the Dominican’s junior, won 88 per cent of first-serve points in little more than an hour to set up a second round meeting with 11^th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov.

In other matches, 22-year-old Bjorn Fratangelo claimed an all-American battle with Alex Kuznetsov, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to book a second round match against another of his countrymen, Sam Querrey. Brit Dan Evans built on his third-round run at Wimbledon to see off German Benjamin Becker 6-2, 6-1.

Argentine Leonardo Mayer won 10 of the final 12 games against home favourite Nikola Mektic to move into the second round 7-5, 6-2 on Monday at the Konzum Croatia Open Umag.

Mayer was down 3-5 in the first set and Mektic was serving, but the 29-year-old Buenos Aires resident broke Mektic twice to take the first set. He’d break him two more times in the second set to win their first meeting in one hour and 27 minutes.

Mayer, who reached a career high No. 21 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last year, entered the clay on Umag at No. 117. The 2014 Hamburg titlist has had to withdraw from four tournaments this season because of tendonitis in his serving shoulder. He next will face second seed Joao Sousa. Mayer won their prior meeting in 2014 on clay in Portugal.

Serbian qualifier Nikola Cacic spoiled Aljaz Bedene’s 27^th birthday by upsetting the Brit 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes. The 25-year-old Cacic, No. 761 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, next will face third seed Jeremy Chardy of France.

In the lone doubles contest, second seeds American Nicholas Monroe and Kiwi Artem Sitak swept Croat wild cards Dino Marcan and Ante Pavic 6-2, 6-1.