The Australian and Swiss were among the early winners in Queens, as tennis was able to continue at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center despite New York City being hit by terrible flash flooding overnight which left more than a dozen dead.

In bright sunshine, Barty broke Denmark's Clara Tauson five times en route to a 6-1, 7-5 victory.

Bencic, who she could face in the quarter-finals, brushed aside the Italian Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1.

Jessica Pegula beat Japan's Misaki Doi in straight sets and the American is next up for Bencic, while also in their eighth of the draw, Grand Slam winner Iga Świątek fought back from a set down to stay alive.

Poland's Świątek defeated Fiona Ferro from France 3-6, 7-6, 6-0.

Angelique Kerber, the winner here in 2016, beat Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets to set up a meeting with 2017 champion Sloane Stephens.

The clash between the German and the American is perhaps the pick of the third round, although Czech two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitová has a tricky one coming up against Maria Sakkari, the Greek who reached the French Open semi-finals earlier this year.

In the men's singles, fourth seed Alexander Zverev made quick work of Albert Ramos-Vinolas, beating the Spaniard 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just 74 minutes.

Zverev is the Olympic champion but his participation at the US Open has been overshadowed by former girlfriend Olga Sharypova discussing the abuse she alleges to have suffered while dating the German, which culminated in Sharypova attempting to end her own life.

Zverev has said he will no longer comment on the allegations he denies, which have been in the public domain for 10 months, and the Association of Tennis Professionals has faced criticism for a perceived lack of action.

Another top-10 seed, Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, was knocked out today by veteran Andreas Seppi.

The 37-year-old Italian won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6, and is through to round three of the US Open for the first time since 2015.

Compatriot Matteo Berrettini - a semi-finalist here in 2019 and Wimbledon runner-up earlier in the year - also won in four sets to reach round three.

Men's top seed Novak Djokovic also secured safe passage into the third round.

The Serbian, who was heckled at one stage as he chases the calendar Grand Slam, dispatched Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Also in late-night action, after a testing first set, Canadian seventh seed Denis Shapovalov eased Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Team-mate of Shapovalov, Bianca Andreescu, who is the sixth seed in the women's singles, overcame home hero Lauren Davis 6-4, 6-4.

Fourth seed Karolína Plíšková of the Czech Republic set up a third-round contest with Ajla Tomljanović of Australia after they defeated the United States' Amanda Anisimova and Croatia's Petra Martić respectively.