GORDON REID got his bid for more US Open glory off to a winning start in New York on Tuesday.

The Helensburgh hero, who has seven men’s wheelchair doubles titles at Flushing Meadows to his name, began his singles campaign with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 win over Chilean Alexander Cataldo on Court 4 at the US TA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.

Reid had to wait a while to get on to court after high temperatures forced the tournament organisers to implement their 'heat policy' and suspend all the wheelchair tennis action, but once the mercury dropped sufficiently the former Hermitage Academy pupil wasted little time in dispatching his opponent, securing victory in one hour and seven minutes to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Speaking after the match, Reid said: "It's a big difference from here 12 months ago. Physically I feel the best I've felt for a long time.

"I've had some good training since the British Open [at the beginning of August] and it was a really good start.

"I'll try and use that as the foundation for increasing my level for the next matches.as it's going to get tougher form here." 

In the last eight Reid will play the tournament's fourth seed, Spain’s Martin de la Puente, who looked set for a similarly straightforward passage into the last eight against Takashi Sanada after taking the first set without losing a game - only for the unseeded Japanese player to give his opponent an almighty fright before de la Puente eventually prevailed 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-4.

Awaiting the winner of that tie in the last four will be either France’s Stephane Houdet - who caused a major shock on Tuesday by dumping top seed Tokito Oda out of the tournament with a 6-1, 6-1 win - or the host nation’s wild card, Casey Ratzlaff.

Reid and his doubles partner Alfie Hewett, who are out to win their sixth US Open title in seven years together, are due to begin their campaign later on Wednesday against Belgium’s Joachim Gerard and Mikael Scheffers of the Netherlands.