#4 Agnieszka Radwanska has no problem with Jessica Pegula.....6-1...6-1
#14 Slick Nick has no problems with Aljaz Bedene.....Straight set winner.....6-4/3 times.
Another Beautiful star filled night in the Big Apple.
Wawrinka escapes early battle with US Open veteran.
WHAT HAPPENED: Big-match Stan Wawrinka brought stellar shot-making and impressive defense to New York on Tuesday afternoon to exact revenge on a former Top 10 player and move into the second round for the seventh consecutive year at the US Open.
Wawrinka erased all four break points to beat former world No. 7 Fernando Verdasco, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. The top Swiss had fallen to the Spaniard in straight sets the last time they played, on The Queen’s Club grass in June. But on Tuesday, the third seed never let the 32-year-old grab a firm hold in their first-round contest.
“I knew it would be a difficult match,” Wawrinka said on court after the win. “First one, it’s never easy… I’m really happy to have won… It’s a really good result for me.”
The Spaniard blitzed the Swiss in the first set, winning 74 percent of his service points and hitting four aces. A first-round upset by Verdasco seemed possible, as the two battled under partly cloudy skies in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But Wawrinka withstood the barrage with some feisty defense to save three break points, including one at 5-all that would have given Verdasco the chance to serve for the set. In the first-set tiebreak, a loose forehand from the left-hander gave Wawrinka the first set, which he celebrated with a fist pump.
The Lausanne native quickly seized the second set’s momentum when he glided a forehand volley into the open court to break at 1-all. Verdasco struggled to maintain his high level of serving, as well. After winning 86 percent of his first-serve points in the opener, the Madrid native claimed only 64 percent in the second set. Wawrinka took advantage of the dip and after 96 minutes was a set away from surviving the tough early draw.
Verdasco would make one final charge with Wawrinka serving for the match, but the Swiss erased his final break point and clinched the straight-sets win in two hours, 17 minutes.
“The first year it wasn’t easy, but now it’s honestly one of my favorite cities,” Wawrinka said of the US Open’s host city. “So far I’m happy with the start of my tournament.“
WHAT IT MEANS: Wawrinka survives a tricky start to the season’s final Grand Slam tournament. The two had played five times before Tuesday, and Verdasco, No. 46 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, held the head-to-head advantage 3-2. But the third seed Wawrinka, as he has in recent years, came through on the big stage. He refused to let Verdasco break him, no matter how many blistering forehands the Spaniard sent his way.
Wawrinka’s win also sets in motion an attempt to reach the US Open semifinals for the third time in the past four years. The Swiss, ranked No. 3 in the world, a spot ahead of countryman Roger Federer, fell to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2013 and lost to Federer in last year’s semifinals.
The two-time Grand Slam champion should enjoy a small reprieve in his draw. He’ll next face American Denis Kudla, ranked No. 128, or Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi, No. 243.
QUESTION: What does Stan need to do to reach the final four again at the US Open?
WHAT HAPPENED: Big-match Stan Wawrinka brought stellar shot-making and impressive defense to New York on Tuesday afternoon to exact revenge on a former Top 10 player and move into the second round for the seventh consecutive year at the US Open.
Wawrinka erased all four break points to beat former world No. 7 Fernando Verdasco, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. The top Swiss had fallen to the Spaniard in straight sets the last time they played, on The Queen’s Club grass in June. But on Tuesday, the third seed never let the 32-year-old grab a firm hold in their first-round contest.
“I knew it would be a difficult match,” Wawrinka said on court after the win. “First one, it’s never easy… I’m really happy to have won… It’s a really good result for me.”
The Spaniard blitzed the Swiss in the first set, winning 74 percent of his service points and hitting four aces. A first-round upset by Verdasco seemed possible, as the two battled under partly cloudy skies in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But Wawrinka withstood the barrage with some feisty defense to save three break points, including one at 5-all that would have given Verdasco the chance to serve for the set. In the first-set tiebreak, a loose forehand from the left-hander gave Wawrinka the first set, which he celebrated with a fist pump.
The Lausanne native quickly seized the second set’s momentum when he glided a forehand volley into the open court to break at 1-all. Verdasco struggled to maintain his high level of serving, as well. After winning 86 percent of his first-serve points in the opener, the Madrid native claimed only 64 percent in the second set. Wawrinka took advantage of the dip and after 96 minutes was a set away from surviving the tough early draw.
Verdasco would make one final charge with Wawrinka serving for the match, but the Swiss erased his final break point and clinched the straight-sets win in two hours, 17 minutes.
“The first year it wasn’t easy, but now it’s honestly one of my favorite cities,” Wawrinka said of the US Open’s host city. “So far I’m happy with the start of my tournament.“
WHAT IT MEANS: Wawrinka survives a tricky start to the season’s final Grand Slam tournament. The two had played five times before Tuesday, and Verdasco, No. 46 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, held the head-to-head advantage 3-2. But the third seed Wawrinka, as he has in recent years, came through on the big stage. He refused to let Verdasco break him, no matter how many blistering forehands the Spaniard sent his way.
Wawrinka’s win also sets in motion an attempt to reach the US Open semifinals for the third time in the past four years. The Swiss, ranked No. 3 in the world, a spot ahead of countryman Roger Federer, fell to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2013 and lost to Federer in last year’s semifinals.
The two-time Grand Slam champion should enjoy a small reprieve in his draw. He’ll next face American Denis Kudla, ranked No. 128, or Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi, No. 243.
QUESTION: What does Stan need to do to reach the final four again at the US Open?
All systems go: Serena serves up a storm.
WHAT HAPPENED: Two match wins since Wimbledon, her No.1 ranking under threat, a shoulder injury that forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati ... no one was entirely sure what to expect from Serena Williams as she stepped out onto Arthur Ashe to get her campaign underway against former world No. 8 Ekaterina Makarova.
In hindsight, there was no need for doubt. Back on her home turf, the world No. 1 allayed any concerns by racing to an authoritative 6-3, 6-3 win in little more than an hour.
Still, as first-round assignments go, Makarova is really about as hard as they come for seeds. Despite rising to 29th in the world this week, the Russian just missed out on being seeded at Flushing Meadows. (She was No. 36 when the seeds were announced.) Thus, she was pitted against Serena for a rematch of their 2014 semifinal – Serena won that one, 6-1, 6-3.
Slightly delayed by older sister Venus’ epic against Kateryna Kozlova, Serena hit her overheads with noticeably more pop than usual in the warm-up, seemingly testing out the right shoulder before entering the fray. It held up.
In Rio, Serena produced a performance littered with double faults en route to her shock defeat against Elina Svitolina, even racking up five in a single service game. Here, the shot which may well go down as the most significant in tennis history was firing, pinning Makarova back and putting pressure on the Russian’s own service game. That pressure soon told, with the world No. 1 breaking for a 4-2 lead before serving it out to take the opener, 6-3.
It was a similar story in the second set, with Serena breaking to love at 2-2. Makarova searched for answers, but there were none. The Russian got to 15-30 at 4-3 on Serena’s serve, but the door was quickly slammed. A break and a consolidation later, and Serena was into the second round, finishing with 12 aces and 90 percent success rate on her first serve.
WHAT IT MEANS: After getting the Steffi Graf-shaped monkey off her back at Wimbledon, Serena insisted that she just wanted to “enjoy the moment,” given how trying her pursuit of that particular piece of history had proved. The time for enjoyment is over, and Serena looks like she means business.
Still, her exploits at Flushing Meadows this year will likely decide to what extent her season can be deemed a success. While getting to 22 was the main goal, defeats in Melbourne, Paris and Rio were not part of the master plan. In addition, the pursuit of history remains unending. For the best, there is always another record to chase: triumph here, and Serena will stand alone in the Open era on 23 Grand Slam titles. Triumph again, and she’ll equal Margaret Court. Triumph another time and ... you get the picture.
The draw Gods have also not been kind to Serena this year. With Angelique Kerber breathing down her neck, the six-time champion will likely need to navigate a route past Samantha Stosur, Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska before she can think about increasing her tally to seven.
That being said, for once the pressure might be reduced on Serena. Never again will she experience the cauldron of expectation that was the 2015 US Open, when her pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam was ended by Roberta Vinci in the semifinals. This was as perfect a start as the world No. 1 could have hoped for, and her serving figures will be as pleasing for her as they are ominous for the rest of the field.
Prior to the tournament, Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou said that the world No.1 “has a lot more to her game than just the serve.” We all know that to be true, but it doesn’t half make a difference when it’s on.
QUESTION: Will Serena's shoulder hold up for the remainder of the tournament? The signs are promising...
WHAT HAPPENED: Two match wins since Wimbledon, her No.1 ranking under threat, a shoulder injury that forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati ... no one was entirely sure what to expect from Serena Williams as she stepped out onto Arthur Ashe to get her campaign underway against former world No. 8 Ekaterina Makarova.
In hindsight, there was no need for doubt. Back on her home turf, the world No. 1 allayed any concerns by racing to an authoritative 6-3, 6-3 win in little more than an hour.
Still, as first-round assignments go, Makarova is really about as hard as they come for seeds. Despite rising to 29th in the world this week, the Russian just missed out on being seeded at Flushing Meadows. (She was No. 36 when the seeds were announced.) Thus, she was pitted against Serena for a rematch of their 2014 semifinal – Serena won that one, 6-1, 6-3.
Slightly delayed by older sister Venus’ epic against Kateryna Kozlova, Serena hit her overheads with noticeably more pop than usual in the warm-up, seemingly testing out the right shoulder before entering the fray. It held up.
In Rio, Serena produced a performance littered with double faults en route to her shock defeat against Elina Svitolina, even racking up five in a single service game. Here, the shot which may well go down as the most significant in tennis history was firing, pinning Makarova back and putting pressure on the Russian’s own service game. That pressure soon told, with the world No. 1 breaking for a 4-2 lead before serving it out to take the opener, 6-3.
It was a similar story in the second set, with Serena breaking to love at 2-2. Makarova searched for answers, but there were none. The Russian got to 15-30 at 4-3 on Serena’s serve, but the door was quickly slammed. A break and a consolidation later, and Serena was into the second round, finishing with 12 aces and 90 percent success rate on her first serve.
WHAT IT MEANS: After getting the Steffi Graf-shaped monkey off her back at Wimbledon, Serena insisted that she just wanted to “enjoy the moment,” given how trying her pursuit of that particular piece of history had proved. The time for enjoyment is over, and Serena looks like she means business.
Still, her exploits at Flushing Meadows this year will likely decide to what extent her season can be deemed a success. While getting to 22 was the main goal, defeats in Melbourne, Paris and Rio were not part of the master plan. In addition, the pursuit of history remains unending. For the best, there is always another record to chase: triumph here, and Serena will stand alone in the Open era on 23 Grand Slam titles. Triumph again, and she’ll equal Margaret Court. Triumph another time and ... you get the picture.
The draw Gods have also not been kind to Serena this year. With Angelique Kerber breathing down her neck, the six-time champion will likely need to navigate a route past Samantha Stosur, Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska before she can think about increasing her tally to seven.
That being said, for once the pressure might be reduced on Serena. Never again will she experience the cauldron of expectation that was the 2015 US Open, when her pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam was ended by Roberta Vinci in the semifinals. This was as perfect a start as the world No. 1 could have hoped for, and her serving figures will be as pleasing for her as they are ominous for the rest of the field.
Prior to the tournament, Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou said that the world No.1 “has a lot more to her game than just the serve.” We all know that to be true, but it doesn’t half make a difference when it’s on.
QUESTION: Will Serena's shoulder hold up for the remainder of the tournament? The signs are promising...
Bouchard derailed by Siniakova.
WHAT HAPPENED: Despite flashes of her 2014 self in which she rose to No. 5 in the world, No. 39 Eugenie Bouchard succumbed to the consistency of No. 72 Katerina Siniakova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in the first round Tuesday in Grandstand.
The theme of the match for the 20-year-old Czech victor was opportunities lost, regained and finally taken in their first-ever encounter. After claiming the first-set slugfest with a single break of serve, Siniakova slammed a ball in frustration, as the 22-year-old Canadian blistered a forehand pass to steal the lead and momentum at 3-1 in the second set.
Bouchard received medical treatment on her left foot at the conclusion of the second set, but her game didn’t seem to be compromised by the injury as much as by Siniakova’s relentless pressure. Siniakova converted her eighth break point (of 19 for the match) in the second game of the third set and added two more for good measure to secure her first-ever US Open victory in two hours, 14 minutes.
Siniakova next faces No. 25 seed Caroline Garcia of France.
“I will try to play my best,” Siniakova said, “and we will see.”
WHAT IT MEANS: The holder of seven ITF Circuit singles titles, Siniakova is playing her first tournament since reaching her first WTA singles final at Bastad in July as a qualifier, where she lost to Christina McHale.
This is her second main-draw appearance at the US Open, having fallen in the first round in her debut last year. Siniakova's best result at a Grand Slam tournament is a third-round showing at Wimbledon this year, where she lost to No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska – the first Top 5 opponent she has faced in her career to date.
The last few years of Bouchard’s career have been marked with highs and lows.
Following a fairytale 2014 season in which she reached the final at Wimbledon and semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, she won back-to-back matches at just three tournaments last season: the Australian Open (quarterfinals), Indian Wells (fourth round) and the US Open (fourth round).
Uneven results continue to dog Bouchard this season. While she has lost to three players outside the Top 100 (No. 121 Kristina Kucova, an injury retirement to No. 112 Lourdes Dominguez Lino and No. 171 Elise Mertens), she has also enjoyed an equal number of wins over Top 10 players (No. 2 Angelique Kerber, No. 8 Johanna Konta and No. 8 Dominika Cibulkova).
THE QUESTION: How can Eugenie Bouchard reassert herself as a contender for the top titles?
WHAT HAPPENED: Despite flashes of her 2014 self in which she rose to No. 5 in the world, No. 39 Eugenie Bouchard succumbed to the consistency of No. 72 Katerina Siniakova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in the first round Tuesday in Grandstand.
The theme of the match for the 20-year-old Czech victor was opportunities lost, regained and finally taken in their first-ever encounter. After claiming the first-set slugfest with a single break of serve, Siniakova slammed a ball in frustration, as the 22-year-old Canadian blistered a forehand pass to steal the lead and momentum at 3-1 in the second set.
Bouchard received medical treatment on her left foot at the conclusion of the second set, but her game didn’t seem to be compromised by the injury as much as by Siniakova’s relentless pressure. Siniakova converted her eighth break point (of 19 for the match) in the second game of the third set and added two more for good measure to secure her first-ever US Open victory in two hours, 14 minutes.
Siniakova next faces No. 25 seed Caroline Garcia of France.
“I will try to play my best,” Siniakova said, “and we will see.”
WHAT IT MEANS: The holder of seven ITF Circuit singles titles, Siniakova is playing her first tournament since reaching her first WTA singles final at Bastad in July as a qualifier, where she lost to Christina McHale.
This is her second main-draw appearance at the US Open, having fallen in the first round in her debut last year. Siniakova's best result at a Grand Slam tournament is a third-round showing at Wimbledon this year, where she lost to No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska – the first Top 5 opponent she has faced in her career to date.
The last few years of Bouchard’s career have been marked with highs and lows.
Following a fairytale 2014 season in which she reached the final at Wimbledon and semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, she won back-to-back matches at just three tournaments last season: the Australian Open (quarterfinals), Indian Wells (fourth round) and the US Open (fourth round).
Uneven results continue to dog Bouchard this season. While she has lost to three players outside the Top 100 (No. 121 Kristina Kucova, an injury retirement to No. 112 Lourdes Dominguez Lino and No. 171 Elise Mertens), she has also enjoyed an equal number of wins over Top 10 players (No. 2 Angelique Kerber, No. 8 Johanna Konta and No. 8 Dominika Cibulkova).
THE QUESTION: How can Eugenie Bouchard reassert herself as a contender for the top titles?
Andy ends Day 2 and Round 1 with a easy victory over Lukas Rosol.....6-3...6-2...6-2
Day 2 Recap.
For Oracene Price, it was a long afternoon in Arthur Ashe Stadium followed by a pleasant early evening. Her two daughters, Venus and Serena Williams, played back to back in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Venus closing out the day session and Serena opening the night.
And what different matches they were. Venus, expected to cruise, struggled mightily, needing to call on her two decades of US Open experience to gut through a three-set victory over Kateryna Kozlova in a tilt that extended nearly three hours. Serena, meantime, showed little effect from her recent shoulder injury and handled a difficult opponent with aplomb, dispatching 2014 US Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in routine fashion, 6-3, 6-3.
Over in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the feel-good story of the 2016 tennis season brought his comeback tour – and his supersonic forehand – to Flushing Meadows.
2009 US Open champ Juan Martin del Potro, playing in his first Open in three years, got off to a winning start with a straight-sets victory over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
Elsewhere, the seeds marched on for a second consecutive day, with wins by No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 5 Simona Halep and No. 6 Kei Nishikori – a quintet that combined to lose just one set in Tuesday play.
And for late-night theatrics, No. 8 Dominic Thiem rebounded from two-sets-to-one down to outlast Aussie John Millman, and top-seeded American man Steve Johnson rallied from a two-set hole – saving seven match points in the process – to thwart Evgeny Donskoy’s upset bid.
Here’s a recap of the day that was and a look ahead to Day 3 of the 2016 US Open.
Match of the Day: For whatever reason, the US Open’s early rounds have bedeviled Venus Williams in recent years. She fell in the second round in 2012 and 2013, needed three sets to top the ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm in the 2014 opener and went the distance against both Monica Puig in the first round and Irina Falconi in the second frame before settling into a quarterfinal run a year ago. 2016 picked right up where 2015 left off Tuesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where a seemingly routine victory turned into a titanic tussle with 22-year-old Urkrainian Kateryna Kozlova. Venus sprinted out to a 6-2, 3-0 lead before her level dropped and Kozlova surged. A steady diet of deuce games and long rallies ensued, with the 36-year-old two-time champion failing to serve out the match in the third set and needing every ounce of her reserves to pull out a hard-earned, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory in two hours, 42 minutes.
Player of the Day: It has been seven years since Juan Martin del Potro lifted the men’s singles trophy in Arthur Ashe Stadium and three years since he has been healthy enough to even make the trip north to New York. A series of surgeries to his left wrist have derailed the amiable Argentine, knocking him out of the game for most of 2014, all but four matches in 2015 and the first part of 2016. On Tuesday, he made a triumphant return, building on his stunning silver medal-winning performance at the Olympic Games in Rio by dismissing countryman Diego Schwartzman, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6. It was not an effort on par with his Olympic victories over Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, but it was nonetheless perfectly fine form for one of the game’s most dangerous players – and a very real championship contender this fortnight.
Upset of the Day: David Goffin entered the 2016 US Open coming off the best year of his career, a quarterfinal showing at the French Open and fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, translating to a career-best No. 11 ranking (reached in June) and the 12th seed in Flushing Meadows. Jared Donaldson was also enjoying his finest-ever campaign, with a career-high rank of No. 122, achieved earlier this month, that earned him a spot in qualifying. Making the most of his opportunity, the 19-year-old protégé of former top American Taylor Dent won three rounds to earn his spot in the main draw – then made it win No. 4 in a row on Tuesday, stunning the 25-year-old Belgian for his first-ever Grand Slam main-draw victory. After a nervous start, Donaldson and his wicked forehand took control of the match, pulling out a close second set and running away with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 victory. Next up for the rising young American: 32nd-ranked Serb Viktor Troicki.
Quote of the Day: “This is my place on the tour. I have great memories from this court when I won the title in 2009. It was a long time ago. I’m getting older. Thank you for the wild card – I appreciate that.” – Juan Martin del Potro, who needed a wild card to get into the 2016 US Open, on making a winning return to New York after a three-year absence
Looking Ahead: The second round kicks off Wednesday with some marquee matches and bold-faced names. Top seed Novak Djokovic, No. 4 Rafael Nadal and No. 5 Milos Raonic are all in action, with Djokovic drawing a difficult opponent in Czech Jiri Vesely. The 23-year-old lefty beat Djokovic in the second round of Monte Carlo earlier this year, handing the world No. 1 one of only three losses he suffered in the first six months of 2016.
In women’s play, Angelique Kerber continues her pursuit of the No. 1 ranking as she takes on big-swinging Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, and No. 3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza looks to reach the third round in Flushing Meadows for the first time in four tries.
One of the most intriguing matches of the day takes place second up in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with a resurgent 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova taking on fan favorite and two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki. And No. 8 seed Madison Keys gets a second straight all-American matchup when she takes on USTA Girls’ 18s winner Kayla Day.
The doubles championships also begin Wednesday, headlined by the Bryan brothers, men’s top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert and defending mixed doubles champions Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.
For Oracene Price, it was a long afternoon in Arthur Ashe Stadium followed by a pleasant early evening. Her two daughters, Venus and Serena Williams, played back to back in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Venus closing out the day session and Serena opening the night.
And what different matches they were. Venus, expected to cruise, struggled mightily, needing to call on her two decades of US Open experience to gut through a three-set victory over Kateryna Kozlova in a tilt that extended nearly three hours. Serena, meantime, showed little effect from her recent shoulder injury and handled a difficult opponent with aplomb, dispatching 2014 US Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in routine fashion, 6-3, 6-3.
Over in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the feel-good story of the 2016 tennis season brought his comeback tour – and his supersonic forehand – to Flushing Meadows.
2009 US Open champ Juan Martin del Potro, playing in his first Open in three years, got off to a winning start with a straight-sets victory over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
Elsewhere, the seeds marched on for a second consecutive day, with wins by No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 5 Simona Halep and No. 6 Kei Nishikori – a quintet that combined to lose just one set in Tuesday play.
And for late-night theatrics, No. 8 Dominic Thiem rebounded from two-sets-to-one down to outlast Aussie John Millman, and top-seeded American man Steve Johnson rallied from a two-set hole – saving seven match points in the process – to thwart Evgeny Donskoy’s upset bid.
Here’s a recap of the day that was and a look ahead to Day 3 of the 2016 US Open.
Match of the Day: For whatever reason, the US Open’s early rounds have bedeviled Venus Williams in recent years. She fell in the second round in 2012 and 2013, needed three sets to top the ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm in the 2014 opener and went the distance against both Monica Puig in the first round and Irina Falconi in the second frame before settling into a quarterfinal run a year ago. 2016 picked right up where 2015 left off Tuesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where a seemingly routine victory turned into a titanic tussle with 22-year-old Urkrainian Kateryna Kozlova. Venus sprinted out to a 6-2, 3-0 lead before her level dropped and Kozlova surged. A steady diet of deuce games and long rallies ensued, with the 36-year-old two-time champion failing to serve out the match in the third set and needing every ounce of her reserves to pull out a hard-earned, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory in two hours, 42 minutes.
Player of the Day: It has been seven years since Juan Martin del Potro lifted the men’s singles trophy in Arthur Ashe Stadium and three years since he has been healthy enough to even make the trip north to New York. A series of surgeries to his left wrist have derailed the amiable Argentine, knocking him out of the game for most of 2014, all but four matches in 2015 and the first part of 2016. On Tuesday, he made a triumphant return, building on his stunning silver medal-winning performance at the Olympic Games in Rio by dismissing countryman Diego Schwartzman, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6. It was not an effort on par with his Olympic victories over Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, but it was nonetheless perfectly fine form for one of the game’s most dangerous players – and a very real championship contender this fortnight.
Upset of the Day: David Goffin entered the 2016 US Open coming off the best year of his career, a quarterfinal showing at the French Open and fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, translating to a career-best No. 11 ranking (reached in June) and the 12th seed in Flushing Meadows. Jared Donaldson was also enjoying his finest-ever campaign, with a career-high rank of No. 122, achieved earlier this month, that earned him a spot in qualifying. Making the most of his opportunity, the 19-year-old protégé of former top American Taylor Dent won three rounds to earn his spot in the main draw – then made it win No. 4 in a row on Tuesday, stunning the 25-year-old Belgian for his first-ever Grand Slam main-draw victory. After a nervous start, Donaldson and his wicked forehand took control of the match, pulling out a close second set and running away with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 victory. Next up for the rising young American: 32nd-ranked Serb Viktor Troicki.
Quote of the Day: “This is my place on the tour. I have great memories from this court when I won the title in 2009. It was a long time ago. I’m getting older. Thank you for the wild card – I appreciate that.” – Juan Martin del Potro, who needed a wild card to get into the 2016 US Open, on making a winning return to New York after a three-year absence
Looking Ahead: The second round kicks off Wednesday with some marquee matches and bold-faced names. Top seed Novak Djokovic, No. 4 Rafael Nadal and No. 5 Milos Raonic are all in action, with Djokovic drawing a difficult opponent in Czech Jiri Vesely. The 23-year-old lefty beat Djokovic in the second round of Monte Carlo earlier this year, handing the world No. 1 one of only three losses he suffered in the first six months of 2016.
In women’s play, Angelique Kerber continues her pursuit of the No. 1 ranking as she takes on big-swinging Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, and No. 3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza looks to reach the third round in Flushing Meadows for the first time in four tries.
One of the most intriguing matches of the day takes place second up in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with a resurgent 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova taking on fan favorite and two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki. And No. 8 seed Madison Keys gets a second straight all-American matchup when she takes on USTA Girls’ 18s winner Kayla Day.
The doubles championships also begin Wednesday, headlined by the Bryan brothers, men’s top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert and defending mixed doubles champions Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.
Day 3 Picks.....By Ashley Marshall.
MEN
(4) Rafael Nadal vs. Andreas Seppi
Nadal’s health was a question coming into the US Open, but he looked pretty comfortable in his opening match against Denis Istomin, where he dropped just seven total games. That set up this second-round match with Seppi, a rematch of the round-of-32 battle at the Rio Olympics earlier this month which Nadal won in straight sets. The pair has played in Davis Cup and a trio of Masters 1000 events, with the Spaniard holding a 7-1 career head-to-head record. Nadal takes this battle of two 30-somethings in four sets as Seppi’s heavy workload starts to catch up to him.
(5) Milos Raonic vs. Ryan Harrison
The American qualifier has already won four matches over the past six days to get to the second round, and his reward is a second-round match with the fifth-seeded Raonic. Harrison hasn’t dropped a set over those four contests, so he’ll be high on confidence on Day 3. But the Canadian is unlike anybody Harrison has seen so far this week in New York, and he swept aside a potentially dangerous first-round opponent in Dustin Brown in one of the popcorn matches of the opening day. Raonic is serving beautifully and his game is much too big for Harrison to handle. Raonic takes it in straight sets.
(26) Jack Sock vs. Mischa Zverev
German qualifier Zverev has been living somewhat in the shadows of younger brother Alex, who has shot into the Top 30 while Mischa’s career has plateaued. After breaking into the Top 50 in 2009, Mischa has failed to live up to lofty expectations, but he came through three rounds of qualifying to even make the main draw. Now he’ll go against a player six years his junior and ranked exactly 100 places above him. Sock almost lost a two-set lead to Taylor Fritz on Day 1, but this shouldn’t be quite that close. Sock in three.
(20) John Isner vs. Steve Darcis
Both men rallied from two sets to love down on Day 1 – Isner against Frances Tiafoe and Darcis against Jordan Thompson – so today’s battle could be as much about recovery and endurance as pure ability. Isner was on the court for three hours, 27 minutes, and Darcis for four hours, 11 minutes, both in the heat of the day. On paper, Isner wins easily, but Darcis is living a charmed life already in Flushing and wins their first-ever meeting in another topsy-turvy five-setter.
WOMEN
(9) Svetlana Kuztensova vs. Carolina Wozniacki
This one features two former elite players who are only a few years removed from being among the very best in the world. Wozniacki is a former world No. 1 who reached the final here in 2009 and 2014. Kuznetsova won the US Open in 2004 and reached the final again two years later. Wozniacki has won their only two meetings in New York, but Kuznetsova has won four of their past five overall meetings. In the 13th episode of their rivalry, Kuznetsova wins in two.
(24) Belinda Bencic vs. Andrea Petkovic
Petkovic has fallen back outside the Top 32 in the world after fighting hard last year to get back inside the Top 10 following a series of back and knee injuries. When healthy, Petkovic is a major threat, and she has legit Grand Slam credentials, having reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and US Open and the semifinals of the French Open. She’ll face No. 24 Bencic, who needed to rally from a set down to beat Samantha Crawford on Monday. If the Petkovic that beat Garbiñe Muguruza in Doha earlier this year shows up, she’ll upset the teen. But anything other than her best, and she could lose quickly, like the 6-0, 6-1 loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in Cincinnati two weeks ago. Petkovic in three.
(2) Angelique Kerber vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
Kerber spent just 32 minutes on court in defeating an ailing Polina Hercog in the first round. And while she won’t make quite as light work of Lucic-Baroni, there’s little to suggest an upset is on the cards. The world No. 57 has taken just one set off the German in three career meetings. If you’re looking for positives, Lucic-Baroni has upset big names at Slams before: Simona Halep at Roland Garros in 2015 and here in 2014, Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon in 2012 and Monica Seles at Wimbledon back in 1999. But at 34 years old, don’t expect a shock against an in-form Kerber, who is looking to wrestle that world No. 1 ranking off Serena Williams. Kerber wins in two easy sets.
CiCi Bellis vs. Shelby Rogers
This is a battle of two up-and-coming Americans. Bellis famously reached the second round as a 15-year-old in 2014, and she came through qualifying again last week to book her spot in the main draw. Rogers is coming off a breakout run to the quarterfinals of the French Open and is up to a career-high No. 49 in the world. Rogers won their only previous meeting, on the clay of Indian Harbour Beach in three sets in May, so this could be a coin flip. Rogers advances to the third round in three sets.
MEN
(4) Rafael Nadal vs. Andreas Seppi
Nadal’s health was a question coming into the US Open, but he looked pretty comfortable in his opening match against Denis Istomin, where he dropped just seven total games. That set up this second-round match with Seppi, a rematch of the round-of-32 battle at the Rio Olympics earlier this month which Nadal won in straight sets. The pair has played in Davis Cup and a trio of Masters 1000 events, with the Spaniard holding a 7-1 career head-to-head record. Nadal takes this battle of two 30-somethings in four sets as Seppi’s heavy workload starts to catch up to him.
(5) Milos Raonic vs. Ryan Harrison
The American qualifier has already won four matches over the past six days to get to the second round, and his reward is a second-round match with the fifth-seeded Raonic. Harrison hasn’t dropped a set over those four contests, so he’ll be high on confidence on Day 3. But the Canadian is unlike anybody Harrison has seen so far this week in New York, and he swept aside a potentially dangerous first-round opponent in Dustin Brown in one of the popcorn matches of the opening day. Raonic is serving beautifully and his game is much too big for Harrison to handle. Raonic takes it in straight sets.
(26) Jack Sock vs. Mischa Zverev
German qualifier Zverev has been living somewhat in the shadows of younger brother Alex, who has shot into the Top 30 while Mischa’s career has plateaued. After breaking into the Top 50 in 2009, Mischa has failed to live up to lofty expectations, but he came through three rounds of qualifying to even make the main draw. Now he’ll go against a player six years his junior and ranked exactly 100 places above him. Sock almost lost a two-set lead to Taylor Fritz on Day 1, but this shouldn’t be quite that close. Sock in three.
(20) John Isner vs. Steve Darcis
Both men rallied from two sets to love down on Day 1 – Isner against Frances Tiafoe and Darcis against Jordan Thompson – so today’s battle could be as much about recovery and endurance as pure ability. Isner was on the court for three hours, 27 minutes, and Darcis for four hours, 11 minutes, both in the heat of the day. On paper, Isner wins easily, but Darcis is living a charmed life already in Flushing and wins their first-ever meeting in another topsy-turvy five-setter.
WOMEN
(9) Svetlana Kuztensova vs. Carolina Wozniacki
This one features two former elite players who are only a few years removed from being among the very best in the world. Wozniacki is a former world No. 1 who reached the final here in 2009 and 2014. Kuznetsova won the US Open in 2004 and reached the final again two years later. Wozniacki has won their only two meetings in New York, but Kuznetsova has won four of their past five overall meetings. In the 13th episode of their rivalry, Kuznetsova wins in two.
(24) Belinda Bencic vs. Andrea Petkovic
Petkovic has fallen back outside the Top 32 in the world after fighting hard last year to get back inside the Top 10 following a series of back and knee injuries. When healthy, Petkovic is a major threat, and she has legit Grand Slam credentials, having reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and US Open and the semifinals of the French Open. She’ll face No. 24 Bencic, who needed to rally from a set down to beat Samantha Crawford on Monday. If the Petkovic that beat Garbiñe Muguruza in Doha earlier this year shows up, she’ll upset the teen. But anything other than her best, and she could lose quickly, like the 6-0, 6-1 loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in Cincinnati two weeks ago. Petkovic in three.
(2) Angelique Kerber vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
Kerber spent just 32 minutes on court in defeating an ailing Polina Hercog in the first round. And while she won’t make quite as light work of Lucic-Baroni, there’s little to suggest an upset is on the cards. The world No. 57 has taken just one set off the German in three career meetings. If you’re looking for positives, Lucic-Baroni has upset big names at Slams before: Simona Halep at Roland Garros in 2015 and here in 2014, Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon in 2012 and Monica Seles at Wimbledon back in 1999. But at 34 years old, don’t expect a shock against an in-form Kerber, who is looking to wrestle that world No. 1 ranking off Serena Williams. Kerber wins in two easy sets.
CiCi Bellis vs. Shelby Rogers
This is a battle of two up-and-coming Americans. Bellis famously reached the second round as a 15-year-old in 2014, and she came through qualifying again last week to book her spot in the main draw. Rogers is coming off a breakout run to the quarterfinals of the French Open and is up to a career-high No. 49 in the world. Rogers won their only previous meeting, on the clay of Indian Harbour Beach in three sets in May, so this could be a coin flip. Rogers advances to the third round in three sets.
The gates are open!
Christina McHale ML +108
Christina McHale (Handicap) +1.5 -110
Christina McHale-Roberta Vinci.....Over 21.5 -106
Christina McHale (Handicap) +1.5 -110
Christina McHale-Roberta Vinci.....Over 21.5 -106
1st final of day 3 is in the books.....Christina was never in the match.....Roberta Vinci cruises.....6-1...6-3
Belinda Bencic is on too the 3rd round.....She makes quick work of Andrea Petkovoc.....6-3...6-2.....Congrats!
Good looking Lesia Tsurenko from the Ukraine wins in straight sets.....7-5...6-3
#14 Petra Kvitova wins her 2nd round match.....She does away with Cagla Buyukakcay.....7-6...6-3
19 year old American Lauren Davis gives it her best but falls to Elina Svitolina.....1-6...6-4...6-3
