Cameron Norrie turned to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to help him into the second round at the US Open.
The British No 1 practised with the world No 1 on Monday before dismantling Alexander Shevchenko of Russia 6-3 6-2 6-2.
It was just the sort of performance Norrie needed after losing his previous three matches on the hard courts.
And the 16th seed credited Spanish superstar Alcaraz for his improved display.
“We had a really good practice and I think it really set the tone yesterday and I was able to put it into my match today,” he said.
“He’s always enjoying the practice and bringing a lot of flair and excitement to the practice court.
“It was not an easy match. Shevchenko has had a good year so far. I know his game quite well, I’d practised with him a few times.
“I was able to play longer points and win some of the tough games. It was a nice match to play in the first round to get a lot of rhythm.”
Norrie will face qualifier Yu Hsiou Hsu, the world No 237, in round two after his surprise win over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
