Novak Djokovic vs. Joao Souza: Score and Reaction from 2015 US Open

Well, that was easy.

As expected, top seed Novak Djokovic cruised in his first-round matchup against Joao Souza at the U.S. Open on Monday, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in just 71 minutes.        

Djokovic was on cruise control from the start, ripping eight aces while winning 92 percent of his first-serve points, 71 percent of his net points and seven of the 10 break points he created. His 33 return points to Joao Souza's eight were a pretty clear indicator of just how easy this match was for Djokovic.

Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times put into perspective just how quickly Djokovic sealed his victory:

Live Tennis on Twitter joked that Djokovic didn't break much of a sweat in the contest:

"

That was so quick that his shirt is probably still clean enough to wear for round two. 6-1 6-1 6-1, Novak Djokovic! pic.twitter.com/Ox5CinrEJE

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) August 31, 2015"

Souza was always in trouble. He came into this contest on an 11-match losing streak and has never advanced past the first round at a Grand Slam, so if he had so much as won a set against Djokovic, it would have been considered a shocking result. 

Djokovic, meanwhile, is once again the favorite at a Grand Slam event, and his draw isn't particularly difficult, though he could face No. 8 Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, a huge test. And Djokovic isn't about to take Nadal lightly, even with his recent struggles.

"Nadal has been down, and he's come back to win here before," Djokovic told Peter Bodo of ESPN.com on Saturday, perhaps reminding the public—and himself—that Nadal is always a dangerous opponent.

If he reaches the quarters and gets past Nadal, however, the semifinal could offer less of a challenge than expected after No. 4 Kei Nishikori lost on Monday, meaning the top possible seeded opponent for Djokovic in the semifinals has already been eliminated. 

While No. 7 David Ferrer or No. 9 Marin Cilic will be the favorites to face Djokovic in that semifinal, Djokovic would be considered a prohibitive favorite against either opponent. 

But Djokovic has plenty of opponents to worry about until then, with either Vasek Pospisil or Andreas Haider-Maurer on deck. Given the swiftness of his first-round triumph, don't expect Djokovic to take his time eliminating whichever player makes it to the second round.