NEW YORK -- Kei Nishikori became the first player into the second round at the U.S. Open when qualifier Marco Trungelliti had to retire with the 2014 U.S. Open runner-up leading 6-1, 4-1.
Nishikori is the No. 7 seed this year after reaching the semifinals in Flushing Meadows last year.
Trungelliti, an Argentine playing in his first Grand Slam main-draw match since the 2018 French Open, needed treatment on his upper body during a changeover in the second set. He then whacked a ball in frustration after a serve hit the net, and said he couldn’t continue playing.
Trungelliti was the key witness in a match-fixing probe that resulted in the three Argentine players receiving bans for gambling-related activities. Best known of the three was Nicolas Kicker, at No. 84, the highest-ranked player convicted so far of fixing matches.