US Open Tennis: Kerber Loses; Rain Postpones Dozens of Matches
August 30, 2017 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
Osaka, 19, and ranked No. 45, is surging. She looked on the verge of her first Top-10 win three weeks ago in Toronto, but was forced to retire with an abdominal injury after taking the second set over the top-ranked Pliskova.
Against Kerber, Osaka dominated with her powerful forehand, particularly in the second set, in which she walloped 10 of her 14 winners off that wing.
Osaka also exorcised some demons with the victory. Last year at Arthur Ashe Stadium, she squandered a 5-1 lead in the third set against eighth-seeded Madison Keys, a loss that seemed to leave some emotional scar tissue.
“It means a lot, especially because of the last time I was here,” Osaka said in her on-court interview. “This court hasn’t been a fond memory.”
Credit
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Live: Tuesday’s Results
■ The Arthur Ashe Stadium roof was closed for the first time in this year’s tournament during Tuesday’s opening match between Karolina Pliskova and Magda Linette. The U.S. Open officials took steps to reduce the din caused by the roof, which was a nuisance during the first week of last year’s tournament.
■ Pliskova, the No. 1 seed, dispatched Linette, 6-2, 6-1. Three matches were completed on outside courts before play was suspended. No. 23 seed Barbora Strycova topped Misaki Doi, 6-1, 6-3; Sorana Cirstea beat Lesley Kerkhove, 6-1, 6-3, and No. 28 seed Lesia Tsurenko lost to Yanina Wickmayer, 6-3, 6-1.
Credit
Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Welcome to the Rafa and Roger Show
The factoid most likely to be repeated more than any other at the United States Open is that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have never played each other at Flushing Meadows.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
The longtime rivals have met 37 times, but not once in New York. With the men’s field depleted by injuries and Nadal and Federer in resurgent seasons, the drumbeat grows louder that this is the year their first U.S. Open match will finally happen.
And a tournament missing many of its usual star attractions is particularly invested in Nadal and Federer going far.
If they meet, it would not be in the final.
The luck of the draw was bad, as the top-seeded Nadal and third-seeded Federer ended up in the same half of the draw (the bad luck was compounded when No. 2 Andy Murray withdrew too late for seedings to be adjusted). So the long-awaited meeting between the two would be in the semifinals.
Newsletter Sign Up
Continue reading the main story
Thank you for subscribing.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
You are already subscribed to this email.
It also means Nadal and Federer will be playing on the same day for as long as they are in the tournament. You can expect them to take turns being showcased in night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
On Tuesday, Federer gets that spot for his first-round match against the young American Frances Tiafoe. Nadal is playing in the afternoon against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia.
When Nadal and Federer take the court, keep an eye on their success on second serves, which has proved to be an important statistic in their seasons. And take a moment to appreciate Federer’s backhand, which he has retooled to devastating effect this season. — NAILA-JEAN MEYERS
College Champion Awaits Open Debut
When Brienne Minor walked across the blue-and-green court on a tour of Arthur Ashe Stadium, she gasped.
“Breathtaking,” she said.
But it was not overwhelming. Minor, who will play her first United States Open match on Wednesday, is having too much fun to be rattled by the big stage.
“It’s not really about the tennis for me,” said Minor, who became the first African-American to win the N.C.A.A. Division I singles title last spring.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Minor, a junior at Michigan, will face another trailblazer, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who at the French Open this year became the first Arab woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam singles event.
“Obviously I want to play my best, but I don’t know when I’ll be back so I definitely want to take this all in,” Minor said. — KELLY WHITESIDE
Read more about Minor and her tennis-loving family here.
A Long Journey to the Open
Just taking the court at the U.S. Open is monumental for Allie Kiick, 22. She entered the Open qualifying tournament ranked No. 633. She was treated for melanoma on her back last year, and she has had a debilitating case of mononucleosis and four operations on her knees since 2014.
But she won three matches in four days last week, gaining a berth in the Open main draw. She will face 25th-seeded Daria Gavrilova of Australia on Wednesday.
— CINDY SHMERLER
Credit
Hilary Swift for The New York Times
Monday’s Highlights
■ Maria Sharapova made an electrifying and emotional return to Grand Slam tennis, upsetting second-seeded Simona Halep in three sets. It was Sharapova’s first match at a Grand Slam tournament since serving a doping suspension after the 2016 Australian Open.
■ Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev got a taste of night tennis at the Open, closing out his first-round match against Darian King after 2 a.m.
■ No. 7 Johanna Konta and No. 13. Jack Sock were among the seeds to lose on Monday.
Continue reading the main story
