US Open live: Raducanu-Alcaraz take on Draper-Pegula in mixed doubles

That deciding point illustrated one of the perils of playing two people who have never played together in a mixed doubles team. Alcaraz and Raducanu both went as if to hit the ball, there was a moment of hesitation, and Alcaraz hit long, handing over the set.

Raducanu grimaces as she sends a drive volley straight at the body of Pegula, forcing the American to duck to avoid it – and it lands within the baseline!

But Draper whips a forehand down the line for set point – then nets on the next rally! 40-30.

Alcaraz then dominates at the net and although Draper dives to the net post to retrieve a shot, the Spaniard plants the winner straight into the open court.

But he goes long on the deciding point, and Pegula/Draper have the opening set! 4-2.

More loud cheers as Alcaraz moves towards a love hold, and Raducanu plants away the volley to keep their deficit to 3-2. There’s a great atmosphere on Arthur Ashe.

Not the most inspiring tennis in this one so far. Raducanu and Pegula get in a hefty baseline exchange before the Brit skews the ball a fraction long; there’s a chance at 30-30 before Alcaraz gets a routine net volley all wrong, dumping into the tape.

Alcaraz launches the ball well long and Pegula/Draper lead 3-1.

Raducanu finds herself in a spot of bother on serve but there are smiles all around – and cheers from the crowd – as she holds to 30, Alcaraz smashing in to seal the game. The pair seem to be having a lot of fun so far.

Draper is looking fired up in the early stages of this one. He gets into a rally with his compatriot and seals it with a volley, combining booming groundstrokes with some decent movement around the net.

The pair quickly lead 2-0 – although it’s mostly been Draper doing the work so far.

Loud cheers, as you would expect, as Alcaraz steps up to serve.

But a mishap of a volley from Raducanu, some deft net play from Draper and an Alcaraz error sees them go 0-40 down…

Alcaraz saves one break point, but Draper fires in a forehand to secure an early break!

The next set of first-round matches will be underway very shortly, with Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu the star attraction for UK audiences – just on opposite sides of the net.

They partner Jessica Pegula and newly-crowned Cincinnati champion Carlos Alcaraz respectively.

Over on Louis Armstrong, there’s plenty of US interest as Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton take on Amanda Animisova and Holger Rune, the fourth seeds.

Huge cheers greet the arrivals of a smiling Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu onto Arthur Ashe, before a more businesslike-looking Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula walk out.

Jessica Pegula/Jack Draper (1) vs Emma Raducanu/Carlos Alcaraz

Olga Danilovic/Novak Djokovic vs Mirra Andreeva/Daniil Medvedev