Sports
US Open: Djokovic, Nadal for Round 2; Murray for Tuesday
But Isner played a strong game to break, got back in the groove on his serve and forced the most dramatic event in tennis, exclusive to the US Open: the fifth-set tiebreak.
Isner claimed the mini-break in the breaker right off the bat and never let Tiafoe challenge, closing out the two-set comeback, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6, to advance to the second round for the eighth consecutive year.
UPSET OF THE DAY:
After some fits and starts, Richard Gasquet has developed into a solid US Open performer, a semifinalist in 2013 and a quarterfinalist a year ago.
He entered this year’s tournament as the No. 13 seed, with reasonable hopes for another deep run.
Instead, he was the first man run out of Flushing, crushed by the booming forehand of fast-rising Brit Kyle Edmund, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
It was a breakthrough victory for the 21-year-old, who cracked the Top 100 this year and is now making a steady climb toward the Top 50.
On Monday, he controlled the action throughout, dominating the Frenchman to post his third career Grand Slam victory.
Next up, he’ll aim for a first third-round Slam showing against American wild card Ernesto Escobedo.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Serena Williams begins her run at history Tuesday night with a tricky first-rounder against 2014 US Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova.
Williams, who is bidding for her Open era record-setting 23rd Grand Slam singles title and seventh women’s singles triumph, has played in just three matches since Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury.
A slow start could be fatal against the world’s No. 29 player, who barely missed out on a seed here this year.
(She was No. 36 when the seeds were announced.)
Other players kicking off their Opens in the top half of the women’s draw include Venus Williams.
She is playing her best tennis in years and is a genuine title contender in Flushing, as well as reigning Emirates Airline US Open Series champion Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth seed Simona Halep.
The men’s bottom half hits the Flushing concrete as well on Tuesday, led by reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray, men’s Series champion and 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori and No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka.
Also returning to New York for the first time in three years is 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, the most dangerous unseeded player at the Open since Kim Clijsters seven years ago.
Copyright US Open; Send eyewitness accounts/reports/articles to publisher@elombah.com; follow us on twitter handle @Elombah; like our Facebook page: “Elombah.com”.
Share your thoughts in the comment box below:
For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook
Continue Reading
