Tennis Tips, Tricks And Gear
New York Heartbreak Hard To Take For ‘Devastated’ Kyrgios
The disappointment of US Open defeat to Karen Khachanov shone through for Nick Kyrgios in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Despite adding a maiden quarter-final appearance in New York to his impressive list of achievements in recent months, the Australian’s desire to go deeper in the draw made it hard for him to take positives from his five-set loss.
“I feel like I’ve let so many people down,” said Kyrgios, who was seeking to back up his run to his maiden major final at Wimbledon in July. “It’s just devastating. Like, it’s heartbreaking. Not just for me, but for everyone that I know that wants me to win.”
Kyrgios fired 31 aces and battled for three hours, 39 minutes against Khachanov inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, but he felt a slow start had cost him dear as the 27th seed outlasted the Australian to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.
“[I] just came out flat,” said Kyrgios. “Physically didn’t feel great. Then I ended up feeling great towards the end of the match.
“I’m obviously devastated. But all credit to Karen. He’s a fighter. He’s a warrior. I thought he served really good today. Honestly probably the best server I played this tournament, to be honest, the way he was hitting his spots under pressure.”
Kyrgios impressed in the opening week in New York, moving past close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, Benjamin Bonzi and J.J. Wolf before delivering a stunning fourth-round performance to end Daniil Medvedev’s title defence. The 23rd seed came within a set of reaching his maiden semi-final at Flushing Meadows but admitted Khachanov was too good in the key moments.
“He just played the big points well,” said Kyrgios. “[There] really wasn’t anything in it. I’m just devastated obviously. Just feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all, to be honest. I feel like I’ve just failed at this event right now. That’s what it feels like.”
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Having been outside the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as recently as March, Kyrgios’ run this fortnight has lifted him to No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, making him the No. 1 Australian. The physical commitment shown by the 27-year-old as he has racked up 26 wins since the start of the grass season in June has been high and he played down fears surrounding his knee after aggravating it during Tuesday night’s match.
“Just [my] knee [is] sore,” said Kyrgios. “Obviously I’ve been playing a lot of tennis the last couple months. Just came out… I just split-stepped and just tweaked it a little bit. Ended up feeling fine. I got some Deep Heat on it. Everyone is carrying a bit of a niggle right now. Nothing major.”
With plans to now return home to Australia for a break from tournament play, Kyrgios can reflect on a highly successful few months on Tour during which he lifted his seventh tour-level singles trophy at the Citi Open ATP 500 event in Washington. He also lifted the doubles title in the U.S. capital alongside Kokkinakis, and the Australian Open-winning pair is still in with a strong chance of qualifying for November’s Nitto ATP Finals. Kokkinakis and Kyrgios currently sit sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.
Serena’s Final US Open Match Earns Biggest Tennis Ratings in ESPN History
Serena Williams didn't win the US Open, but made the US Open a big winner.
By Erik Gudris | @ATNtennis | Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Serena Williams did not win this year’s US Open.
Yet she added another incredible statistic to her legendary career with a milestone in television ratings history.
Friday night’s third round US Open match between Serena Williams and Ajla Tomljanovic drew historic ratings numbers for host network ESPN in the United States. Despite Tomljanovic prevailing in three sets, ESPN and Williams won the ratings night in a huge way.
Serena's final match averages 4.8M viewers, the most for any tennis match since her quarterfinal against Venus in 2015 (6.0M).
ESPN telecast window averages 4.6M, the most-watched tennis telecast in network history.https://t.co/gB9fy8ORQq
— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) September 6, 2022
According to Sports Media Watch, ESPN’s US Open coverage was the most watched show on any U.S. network for Friday night.
The match averaged 4.8 million viewers – the most watched tennis match on any network since Serena faced her sister Venus Williams in the 2015 US Open quarterfinals. That match occurred during Serena’s quest for the elusive calendar year Grand Slam.
The most recent high was the 2019 US Open women’s singles final where Bianca Andreescu defeated Serena Williams for the title.
The Friday audience peaked at 6.9 million in the final fifteen minutes. That number exceeded every major singles final since Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 US Open singles final, then broadcast on CBS.
The full ESPN telecast averaged 4.56 million, making it the most watched tennis telecast in the network’s history. The previous high was the 2012 Wimbledon men’s singles final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Overall, US Open coverage averaged 1.1 million viewers through last Friday; that was up 101% from last year and set another record.
Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty
US Open Day 8 Preview: Nadal Faces Tiafoe Test
Rafael Nadal’s bid for his third Grand Slam title of the season collides with American star Frances Tiafoe on Monday at the US Open, where #NextGenATP stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are also chasing quarter-final berths in New York.
ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch on Day 8 at Flushing Meadows.
View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw
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1) Rafa Takes On Home Favourite Tiafoe: After an injury-disrupted build up to the US Open, four-time champion Rafael Nadal appears to be finding his feet once again at Flushing Meadows.
The Spaniard had played just one match during the North American hard-court swing prior to arriving in New York due to an abdominal issue. Three convincing victories later and he looks in good shape to mount a serious title challenge in New York, where he is chasing his third major title of the season and record-extending 23rd Grand Slam crown.
Standing in his way next is Frances Tiafoe, the 24-year-old home favourite capable of some of the most show-stopping tennis on the ATP Tour. Tiafoe saw off Diego Schwartzman in straight sets on Saturday to reach the US Open fourth round for the third consecutive year, and Nadal believes he needs to step things up if he wants to improve his ATP Head2Head series lead against Tiafoe to 3-0 on Monday.
“Second week against a great player like Frances, I need to be ready to play and to raise my level,” said Nadal, the current No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. “I hope to be able to make that happen. I know it’s the right moment to make an improvement if I want to keep having chances to keep going on the tournament.”
2) Alcaraz Seeks Cilic Hat-trick: Carlos Alcaraz has had the edge against Marin Cilic so far in 2022. The Spaniard defeated Cilic in straight sets en route to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami in March and then again in Cincinnati in August to take a 2-1 lead in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series. He now prepares for a third meeting against the Croatian on the hard courts of the United States this year, at the scene of one of Cilic’s career highlights — his 2014 US Open triumph.
Cilic fought hard for a three-hour, 59-minute win against Daniel Evans in the third round to keep his dreams of a second New York crown alive, but in Alcaraz he will face an opponent yet to drop a set this tournament, and one who has the added motivation of knowing a win keeps alive his chances of becoming the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on September 12.
3) Norrie & Rublev Collide: Cameron Norrie and Andrey Rublev couldn’t have had more diverging paths to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. The seventh-seeded Briton Norrie has reeled off three comfortable straight-sets victories so far, while ninth seed Rublev has had his mettle tested in a pair of epic five-setters against Laslo Djere and Denis Shapovalov.
Having split their two previous tour-level meetings, resilient lefty Norrie and hard-hitting Rublev meet for the first time at a Grand Slam. Rublev is bidding for his third US Open quarter-final appearance, while Norrie is already treading new ground in New York, where he had not been past the third round in six previous attempts.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
4) Sinner Seeks QF Spot: Jannik Sinner’s comeback win against fellow #NextGenATP star Brandon Nakashima on Saturday ensured the Italian has reached at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slams in 2022. The 21-year-old went one step further at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and he now attempts to make it three quarter-finals appearances at the majors this season in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with Ilya Ivashka.
Ivashka bettered his 2021 run to the third round at Flushing Meadows with an impressive four-set win against Sinner’s countryman Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday. The 28-year-old has only reached this stage of a Grand Slam once before — at Wimbledon 2021 — where he lost to another Italian, Matteo Berrettini.
5) ‘Special Ks To Extend Grand Slam Run?: Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios have started their maiden US Open doubles campaign in solid fashion but the ‘Special Ks’ face a stern test in the third round as they take on 11th seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.
Glasspool and Heliovaara’s impressive 2022 season has seen them rise to eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, just two spots behind Australian Open champions Kokkinakis and Kyrgios.
China’s Zheng Qinwen, 19, Continues to Strut Her Stuff at the Slams
The 19-year-old has reached at least the third round at three straight majors. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday Septemeber 1, 2022
Flushing Meadows, NY—The introductions are complete at the Grand Slam stage for China’s Zheng Qinwen, and the talented, sturdy 19-year-old has proven to be a ringer.
Zheng won her Slam debut in Australian this January, before falling in the second round. At Roland-Garros she proved to be a force on the clay, parlaying a victory over Simona Halep into a run to the round of 16, and at Wimbledon she showed the potential for grass prowess as she reached the third round before falling to eventual champion Elena Rybakina in two very tight sets.
Here in New York the hard-hitting World No.39 is looking like a ringer on the fast-playing surfaces of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as well.
She has hammered 32 aces through two rounds, and on Thursday she edged past Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, 7-6(4), 7-6(3).
China's Zheng Qinwen has made her debut at all four majors this year. And, for the third time, she reached the third round.
d. Potapova 7-6(4), 7-6(3).
The #USOpen WTA ace leader has 32 through two rounds. pic.twitter.com/M1InPxQRWT
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) September 1, 2022
Afterwards the rising Chinese talked about her hard court game.
“I think I play pretty different on clay and on hard court,” she said. “On hard court was more fast and is more about reaction. When I was playing on clay, I have more time to generate the power and to hit the ball like heavy with topspin. But on hard court, especially girls, most of them they are hitting flat. I am really used to bending my knees and getting the ball well.”
Zheng, who is one of four Chinese women to have reached the third round in New York along with Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu and Yuan Yue, will face Germany’s Jule Niemeier in the third round.
The pair met this year in qualifying at the Melbourne 250, with Zheng coming through, 6-4, 6-0.
She knows that Niemeier, who reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon this year, is a talented and difficult opponent.
“She's a very good player, and I think her ball comes really heavy, with a lot of spin,” she said. “I think when I played against her the last time was in [Melbourne], the qualifying. I beat her in two sets. Of course the next day will be a tough match. She's tough to beat, because it means she arrive in third round, it means she has something.”
Zheng is now 19-14 on the season. She is one of two teenagers remaining in the women’s singles draw in New York, from the 13 who started in the main draw.
Medvedev: Make No Mistake, Nadal is a Big US Open Favorite
The Russian is 1-5 against Nadal and has lost both his Grand Slam finals against him. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday Septemeber 1, 2022
Flushing Meadows, NY—Four ATP players have a chance to leave the US Open as the No.1-ranked player, and only one player is the true favorite.
Before you think it’s top-seeded and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the Russian wants you to know that there’s a certain four-time champion by the name of Nadal who could be considered the favorite to win it all.
“I don't want to put pressure on anybody, but I think Rafa is a big favorite also,” he said on Wednesday night after easing past France’s Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to reach the third round. “He won the last time he played here against me actually. He won two slams this year. I think Novak is better on grass, but Rafa didn't play. He actually didn't lose in a Grand Slam this year. He retired, which is not the same.”
Medvedev and Nadal met in the 2019 US Open final, and it was the Spaniard who came through in five sets, even though he nearly squandered a two sets to love lead. Nadal also took down Medvedev in this year’s Australian Open final, rallying from two sets down to claim his 21st major title.
That remarkable victory marked the first time a player had recovered from two sets down to win an Australian Open final since 1965.
The Spaniard also pounded his way past Medvedev at Acapulco, 6-3, 6-3 in February, to increase his head-to-head record against Medvedev to 5-1 overall.
“In my opinion Rafa is big, let's call it like this,” Medvedev said. “I don't want to say favorite, big favorite. He's definitely big figure in this tournament.
“Then for sure there are many other good guys. I'm happy to see my name sometimes in the odds or something like this because I'm like, That's great. That means that I play some good tennis. Being amongst the favorites just brings me more motivation to try to do well.”
Felix Fends Off Ritschard To Reach Round Two At US Open
Felix Auger-Aliassime has a history of raising his game at the US Open, and the sixth seed needed to do just that to hold off Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the first round at Flushing Meadows on Monday.
Auger-Aliassime prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in an absorbing encounter that featured some devastating baseline hitting from both players. Despite some inspired shotmaking from Ritschard, the Canadian was more clinical at big moments, converting four from eight break point opportunities to complete a hard-earned three-hour, four-minute win.
“There were some good and very positive things in the match, but also know I could play better. There’s room for improvement,” Auger-Aliassime said. “But at the end of the day, the most important [thing] is I got through, finishing well. That puts me in a good place. I’m looking forward to the second round and let’s see how it goes, but just happy that I was able to get the win.”
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The boys’ singles champion at Flushing Meadows in 2016, Auger-Aliassime reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final in New York a year ago. He showed flashes of the game that powered that run against Ritschard, with some big serving and trademark heavy striking off his forehand wing. Those weapons were particularly effective under pressure, as the 22-year-old saved 10 from 12 break points he faced.
The sixth seed appeared in control after claiming the solitary break in both the first and second sets on Grandstand, where both he and Ritschard predominately tried to dictate proceedings from deep. Despite Ritschard’s clean hitting taking the Swiss to the third set, the 2021 semi-finalist accelerated to an unassailable 5-1 lead in the fourth as he improved to 37-20 for the 2022 season.
“For sure it’s better to win in three sets, both physically and mentally to feel like you’re in control of everything and you win in three sets. That being said, losing a set, finding a way to win the fourth set, it could be good because these are things that are going to happen in the tournament against tougher players,” Auger-Aliassime said. “To be in that situation in the first round, to dig a little bit deeper, to find different solutions, to lose and then be able to recover and play well again, this is a situation that happens a lot in many tournaments. So that it happened today, now I have a few marks that are better for the rest of the tournament.”
Auger-Aliassime, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour title in Rotterdam in February, currently sits sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. The Canadian will next face #NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper, who eliminated Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 after two hours and one minute.
Draper, who is making his US Open debut, hit 20 winners and benefitted from 36 unforced errors off Ruusuvuori’s racquet. The lefty converted all five break points he earned while saving three of the four he faced.
US Open Quick Take: Week One Battles We Dream About
These five matchups will be awesome, if they happen. On the night a Grand Slam draw has been “revealed” – when the dust has settled – it’s always good to take a second and third look at the thing that will become your best friend for the next two weeks. You have to weed through that mass of names with your critical eye – let the tournament unfold in your mind.
It’s a pastime. A sacred sanctuary by which we the tennis obsessed tick time. With that in mind… we probed the depths of our draws and came away with five must-watch-if-they-happen third-round matches at this year’s US Open.
We don’t know if these five matchups will come to fruition, but if they do get your popcorn ready…
1. [25] Borna Coric v [3] Carlos Alcaraz
A spirited affair between a future No.1 and a former World No.12 who is on his way back to elite? Hard to say no to that.
Coric reminded us all that he is an absolute beast on many levels with the way he won the Cincy title last week. Will Coric – and his recently repaired shoulder – be able to keep the same form in New York?
Meanwhile, Alcaraz, perpetually on the rise, is nowhere close to his ceiling. In 2022, he’s 44-9 in 2022 with four titles, including two at the Masters 1000 level – remarkable for a 19-year-old.
2. [17] Caroline Garcia v [15] Beatriz Haddad Maia
First, let’s take a moment to recognize how insane it is that Haddad Maia and Garcia have basically been the WTA’s best players for the last three months. The pair are a combined 45-11 since the start of June, WITH FIVE TITLES!
It would be tremendous if these two phenoms met for the first time in week one.
3. [5] Ons Jabeur v [31] Shelby Rogers
Two of the warmest people in tennis, both of them having great seasons, what could go wrong?
Probably not much. This would be a high-octane tilt, given Jabeur’s prowess and status on tour, and the fact that the Tunisian has never been beyond the third round at the US Open.
Rogers, meanwhile, has reached the quarterfinals and the round of 16 in her last two appearances in Flushing Meadows. The American comes to life at the US Open and Jabeur would have to be good to beat her.
Head to Head: Jabeur leads the h2h 2-0 but their last meeting went to a third-set tiebreak at Cincinnati in 2019.
4. [14] Diego Schwartzman v [22] Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe is going to do big things at the US Open one day. Maybe even one day this year. But if Diego Schwartzman is standing in his way in the third round, The 24th-ranked American will have to work like a maniac to reach the second week for the third straight year.
These two have recent history. The pair conducted three spirited meetings in 2021, with the Argentine winning the first two (in three sets) and Tiafoe taking the third (in straights). This tilt, if it happens, would be all about vibe, intensity, showmanship and shotmaking.
5. [25] Elena Rybakina v [6] Aryna Sabalenka
Strictly because we want these two behemoths to teach all of us weaklings how to hit the cover off a tennis ball. Picture winners whizzing every which way and balls careening into the stands, as wide-eyed children duck and adults gasp. It would be a workout just to watch it.
Kokkinakis & Kyrgios Blockbuster Headlines US Open Matches To Watch
There were plenty of intriguing first-round matches when the US Open draw was revealed on Thursday, led by a tantalising clash between close friends Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
ATPTour.com highlights five matches to watch in the opening round at Flushing Meadows.
No. 23 Nick Kyrgios vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
The ‘Special Ks’ have been one of the most exciting doubles teams on the circuit this season. They started their season off with a bang by winning the Australian Open. At the time, Kokkinakis said: “To be a Grand Slam champion with my boy, we have known each other since we were eight, nine years old, done some serious things together, have had some serious experiences, but this is incredible.”
The Australians often refer to each other as “brothers”, but only one can advance to the second round at Flushing Meadows. Their first-round clash will be their first ATP Head2Head meeting and first match against one another since they competed on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2014.
Kyrgios is one of the world’s most in-form players. The 27-year-old has shown the most consistency of his career to reach the final at Wimbledon, win the Washington title and advance to the quarter-finals in Montreal, where he eliminated World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. However, nobody on Tour knows him better than Kokkinakis, who thrives on the big stages with an aggressive game of his own.
Kokkinakis’ resume includes a win against Roger Federer, and last year he pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets at the Australian Open. That makes for a blockbuster showdown between the great friends.
No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem will have to be sharp for his first match at the US Open since lifting his maiden major trophy at Flushing Meadows two years ago. The Austrian will face 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta, who recently claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal.
Thiem has struggled to find his best form since returning from a wrist injury in March. He does have one thing on his side, though: a 7-0 ATP Head2Head advantage against Carreno Busta. One of those clashes came at the US Open in 2016, when Thiem rallied for a four-set victory.
Form tilts in the Spaniard’s direction after his Canadian breakthrough, and his solid baseline game will force the Austrian to come up with the spectacular winners he has so often hit throughout his career. Will Thiem be able to rely on their past history to earn a first-round upset?
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No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo vs. Andy Murray
One year ago, 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray suffered a heartbreaking loss in the first round in New York against Tsitsipas. The Scot will have another chance to oust a seed in the opening round when he plays 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo.
Murray showed signs of good form in Cincinnati, where he emerged victorious from a two-hour, 58-minute epic against Stan Wawrinka and pushed Cameron Norrie hard in the second round before cramping got the best of him.
But his first ATP Head2Head meeting against Cerundolo should prove tricky. Although the 24-year-old has lost three consecutive matches since reaching the Hamburg semi-finals, the rising Argentine has found success on hard courts before. Earlier this year, he made a stunning run to the Miami semi-finals with wins over stars including Gael Monfils and Jannik Sinner.
No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz vs. Sebastian Baez
Last November, Carlos Alcaraz met Sebastian Baez in the semi-finals of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Alcaraz was World No. 32 and Baez No. 111. Ten months later, both men have come a long way. Alcaraz is the third seed at the US Open and Baez was the last player who did not receive a seed.
In their first meeting, Alcaraz prevailed in Milan 4-2, 4-1, 4-2. His powerful game is capable of blasting through all opponents. Baez is plenty aggressive himself, though, and he will try to take it to the Spaniard to play on his own terms.
The Argentine is 1-3 against Top 10 opponents, with his victory coming in the Bastad semi-finals against Andrey Rublev. Will Baez be able to earn another big win against Alcaraz?
No. 14 Diego Schwartzman vs. Jack Sock
There are few fans in the world like those in New York at the US Open. Jack Sock, who thrills crowds throughout the world with his flashy play, will try to use that to his advantage against 14th seed Diego Schwartzman.
The pair’s only meeting came in 2017 on clay at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where Sock prevailed in three sets. Since then, both men have spent time in the world’s Top 10 and have proven their ability against the best players on Tour. Sock will try to dominate the action with his forehand and speed around the court, while Schwartzman has almost no weaknesses and will try to attack the American’s backhand.
Schwartzman is a two-time quarter-finalist at the US Open. The favourite will try to avoid an early exit this edition of the year’s final major.
Evert on Serena Williams: She’s a Revolution, On and Off Court
The 18-time Slam champion had the highest praise for Serena Williams ahead of the US Open. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, August 24, 2022
From one tennis icon to another… legend Chris Evert spoke openly about the impact that Serena Williams has had on tennis in a conference call to promote ESPN’s coverage of the 2022 US open.
What impressed Evert the most?
Not necessarily the tennis, but the aura – and William’s off-court achievements.
“I think that for me, she’s been very inspirational off the court,” Evert said. “I mean, on the court, it’s obvious, those tangibles – her record, her power, her mental toughness. That’s all her ranking, that’s all obvious and you can see that very clearly.
“But the intangibles… the fearlessness in her has really impressed me. The fact that she’s never set any limits in tennis or in life. To get that message across to everybody, I think, is very, very powerful.”
Williams means a lot of things to a lot of people, but nobody can deny the fact that her impact spills out of the tennis bubble and into larger issues, like women’s rights, equality, race and social justice.
Legendary @ChrissieEvert on legendary Serena Williams in today's @espn conference call: "The fearlessness in her has really impressed me. The fact that she’s never set any limits in tennis or in life. To get that message across to everybody, I think, is very, very powerful."
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 24, 2022
“She has so many platforms, from the body shaming, to working moms, to women of color, and just empowering women,” Evert said. “I think that message, off the court, to me and maybe to millions of people, is more profound and more powerful than even what she’s done on the court.”
There is also the fact that Williams changed not only the way the sport is played by women; she also changed how women perceive their own potential. Williams led by example and taught many women (tennis players or otherwise) how to be strong, proud and unrelenting.
“In my view, she revolutionized tennis,” Evert said. “She revolutionized the power in the game. And I feel like she really inspired women of color, because we've seen a lot more women of color playing the game.
“And I think that she's changed the way women compete as far as it's okay to be, like, ferocious and passionate and vocal out there, emotional out there on the court and still be a woman, still not take away from being a woman. So I think strength and power and having that really intense competitive attitude, I think all of that went up a level when Serena came on the scene.”
40-year-old Williams will compete in what is likely to be her last Grand Slam event next week at the US Open. The main draw will take place on Thursday.
Quick Take: Medvedev Starting to Look Like US Open Favorite in Cincinnati
The Russian still has work to do, however. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 19, 2022
Daniil Medvedev entered the Western and Southern Open with his No.1 ranking under threat, and having just been served a difficult (and early – tough draw) loss to Nick Kyrgios at Montreal. He had not been to a Masters semifinal all season (but was an Australian open runner-up), and it felt like he was one of many US Open hopefuls on the ATP Tour – not the official alpha dog.
That could be changing this week. Medvedev has passed all tests at the place where made a dramatic run to the title in 2019, with convincing wins over Botic Van de Zandschulp, Denis Shapovalov and Taylor Fritz. He is now locked in as the World No.1, and will be the top seed at the US Open and, best of all, Medvedev is getting better by match.
On Friday he ripped past Taylor Fritz 7-6(1), 6-3 to reach the semifinals, with a vintage Medvedevian performance.
After a classic bend but don’t break first set that saw Medvedev stave off three set points, the Russian clicked into overdrive in the second set, producing the most breathtaking segment of the tournament to break Fritz for 2-0. It was classic Medvedev defense and court coverage; the Russian threw up a miracle lob midpoint, took a deep breath as he watched it soar into the high Ohio sky, then finished off the point to take firm command of the top American.
70% of the earth's surface is covered by water.
The rest is covered by @DaniilMedwed 🌍#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/I3R7UQcXPJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 19, 2022
It was the type of performance that makes us remember what we have in Medvedev: one of the most ruthless and polished hard courters in the sport, who just so happens to be the defending US Open champion. With Novak Djokovic’s status uncertain and Rafael Nadal’s form and fitness still in question after his loss to Borna Coric in round one, Medvedev is stepping into the fray as the favorite in New York.
In a city and at a venue he loves and thrives in, his uptick in form couldn’t be happening at a better time.
But there is more to prove in Cincinnati. Medvedev squares off with either John Isner or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis, and there could be a Carlos Alcaraz or a Felix Auger-Aliassime waiting in the final.
The World No.1’s work is not done yet in Cincinnati, nor is his status as top dog in New York ensured. Stay tuned for a few days, and check back.
