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Nick Kyrgios has powered his way to a tight straight-sets win over qualifier Thai-Son Kwiatkowski to progress to the second round of the Washington Open.

Nick Kyrgios has admitted mental health issues have reduced his playing schedule this year after he fired his way to a first-round win at the Washington Open.

The Australian made a bright start to his campaign in the American capital with a hard-fought 7-5 6-4 victory over qualifier Thai-Son Kwiatkowski.

In one of the final lead-up tournaments for the US Open which commences on August 26, Kyrgios served 15 aces among his 40 winners in an engrossing clash punctuated by big serving and heavy hitting.

After breaking serve to take a 4-3 lead in the opening set, an animated Kyrgios asked the crowd "are you not entertained?" following attempts to curb his enthusiasm.

World No.205 Kwiatkowsk belied his ranking and pushed Kyrgios hard in both sets but the class shone through when it mattered in the one hour and 32 minute contest.

"I just competed well today, I played some really good tennis," Kyrgios said in his on-court interview.

"I knew it was going to be a tough, tough match, he's a great athlete, moves extraordinarily well, so I'm just happy top get through."

Kyrgios, who started 2019 ranked world No.35, has slid to 52nd after an indifferent year in which his win-loss record stands at 13-10.

And the 24-year-old explained his lack of match play has been due to off-court issues.

"I haven't been playing too much tennis, being going through some mental struggles, but super happy with the win," he said.

"I played well today and I just came through."

Kyrgios will face 11th seed Gilles Simon next and said he had no intention to change his style of play when asked how he would attack the counter-punching Frenchman.

"The same thing for me every single match. Serve big and play big and back my instincts," he said.

"That's the way I've been playig my entire career and we'll see how it goes."

Kyrgios was the third Aussie to advance to the last 32 on Tuesday after Jordan Thompson and Marc Polmans recorded opening round wins over Jack Sock and Malek Jaziri.

Their countryman Alexei Popyrin lost to Miomir Kecmanovic while Bernard Tomic withdrew from his first-round clash.

Meanwhile, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga upset second-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov 6-4 2-6 7-5 for his first win over a top 10 player in the US since 2011.

Frenchman Tsonga joined Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic, Kyle Edmund, Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16.