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In-form Australian Jordan Thompson has marched into the US Open second round with a straight-sets win over the higher-ranked Joao Sousa.

Jordan Thompson craves an all-Australian third-round showdown with Alexei Popyrin after making a lightning start to the US Open in New York.

In the form of his life, Thompson destroyed Joao Sousa 6-3 6-2 6-4 in a relentless display of power, precision and concentration from the 25-year-old.

"That's probably one of the best matches I've ever played - from the get-go," Thompson said.

"Served pretty well, made a lot of returns - (on) first and second serves - and executed the game plan, so really happy to get through that one."

In a mark of how far Thompson has come, the 25-year-old - who cracked the world's top 50 last month for the first time - needed five sets to see off the 44th-ranked Sousa last time they met.

The time before, Sousa crushed him in straight sets.

"It was the opposite today. Got through fairly comfortably and saved the legs a little bit," Thompson said after booking a date with 24th seed Matteo Berrettini.

"He's a big guy - big frame, good ball striker. Hits it big," Thompson said of the Italian.

"He's got a really good serve so he's probably going to throw everything at me. I've got to be prepared to make a lot of balls."

Should he match his run to the French Open third round, Thompson could play Popyrin for a place in the last 16.

"That would be unbelievable," he said after Popyrin earlier beat Federico Delbonis 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-5) in his opener to set up a meeting with Mikhail Kukushkin.

"But there is a long way to go yet."