Defending champion Coco Gauff stormed into the second round of the US Open with a comfortable straight-sets win over Varvara Gracheva on Monday.

The 20-year-old only needed 67 minutes to see off the Frenchwoman 6-2 6-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gracheva started brightly, serving to love in the first game and twice came close to breaking Gauff's serve in the second before the American finally found her footing.

Gauff got two breaks shortly after, going on a three-game winning run to take the first set.

She was in cruise control in the second though, comfortably seeing off Gracheva without dropping a game as she set up a second-round meeting with Tatiana Maria.

Elsewhere, Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng had to come from behind to beat Amanda Anisimova.

After losing the first set, the seventh seed rallied to win 4-6 6-4 6-2, gaining control of the match in the decider to book a place in the next round.  

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Gauff won her first grand slam title at Flushing Meadows last year, becoming the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

And she is now the youngest player to register eight consecutive wins at the tournament since Maria Sharapova who won nine between 2006-07.

Gauff is also the youngest player to secure 15 women's singles wins at the US Open since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.