Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios won in his first match since making his Grand Slam final debut, ripping American Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday at the ATP and WTA Washington Open.
The 27-year-old Australian fired 12 aces and saved the lone break point he faced to oust Giron in 59 minutes for a triumphant return at the US Open hardcourt tune-up.
After a 3-3 start, Kyrgios won nine of the last 11 games for the victory despite memories of a poor effort in a first-round exit last year during "a dark time in my life."
World number 63 Kyrgios, whose most recent title came at Washington in 2019, booked a second-round match against US 14th seed Tommy Paul.
Top seed Andrey Rublev advanced to the third round by defeating Britain's Jack Draper 6-4, 6-2.
World number eight Rublev dispatched the 81st-ranked English left-hander in 83 minutes without surrendering a break.
Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, the 19-year-old British second seed, reached the second round by defeating American Louisa Chirico 6-4, 6-2.
World number 10 Raducanu won her first match since a second-round Wimbledon exit to book a last-16 match against Colombia's MarÃa Camila Osorio.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and three-time US Open runner-up, beat Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-0.