There's a larger contingent of Americans in the US Open men's bracket than at any time in the past quarter-century, and two of the leaders -- Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton -- got the tournament started on Sunday with dominant performances.

Fritz, the No. 4 seed and the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Flushing Meadows a year ago, needed about 10 fewer minutes to move on with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory over yet another U.S. man, Emilio Nava, a wild-card entry, at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Shelton -- a semifinalist at the 2023 U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open -- went 5-for-5 in saving break points while also winning 78.2 percent of his first-serve points (43 of 55). He brushed off 32 unforced errors and tried not to look too far ahead during his post-match interview.