US Open 2020

[Damian]

Cabal/Farah Aim To Get Back On Track For US Open Title Defence

Spoiler:

Kubot/Melo to open against Gille/Vliegen

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will be aiming to clinch their first victory since March when they face Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the first-round of the US Open.

The defending champions fell to Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski in the opening match of their ATP Tour return at the Western & Southern Open, leaving them short of match practice ahead of the second Grand Slam event of the year. Cabal and Farah have made only three team appearances at ATP Tour events this year, with two first-round losses.

The Colombians will be hoping to recapture the form that saw them win back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. Cabal and Farah’s best result this year was a runner-up finish at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in February (l. to Kubot/Melo).

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Acapulco champions Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo headline the bottom half of the draw. The second seeds will face Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen for a place in the second round. Kubot and Melo will attempt to better their run to the US Open championship match in 2018, when they fell in straight sets to Mike Bryan and Jack Sock.

Kubot and Melo share the bottom half of the draw with reigning Australian Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Ram and Salisbury, who will meet Austin Krajicek and Franko Skugor in the first round, advanced to the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open (l. to Murray/Skupski).

Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek will face Western & Southern Open finalists Murray and Skupski in the first round. The fourth seeds, who feature in the second quarter of the draw, will aim to recover from a first-round loss to Pablo Carreno Busta and Alex de Minaur at the Western & Southern Open.

Fifth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies will both open their campaigns against challenging first-round opponents. Granollers and Zeballos face Shanghai titlists Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, while Krawietz and Mies meet Australian Open finalists Max Purcell and Luke Saville.

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[DUN I LOVE]

Ciekawe czy @DUN I LOVE zarwie noc dla ulubieńca. https://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/202 ... lePDF2.pdf

Nie zarwie.

[Damian]

Ten Challenger Stars To Watch At The US Open

Spoiler:

A look at the ATP Challenger Tour stalwarts poised to make a run in New York

For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at the US Open. But as hungry as they will be to lift the champions' trophy, there is a group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the hard-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.

The 2020 US Open is no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance at the US Open can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at 10 to watch in New York...

THE AMERICANS
Ulises Blanch
One of 10 players making their Grand Slam debuts at the US Open, Blanch is ready for this stage. Born in Puerto Rico to Spanish parents, Blanch and his three siblings were embedded in many cultures at a very young age. His father Ernesto worked for Coca-Cola, a job that saw the family live in China, India and for eight years in Thailand, where Ulises first picked up a racquet. At the age of 13, they moved to Argentina and he would develop his game on the clay courts of the South American country. The 22-year-old opened the 2020 season outside the Top 400, but promptly shaved his ranking in half, posting a 14-5 record on the ATP Challenger Tour with a title in Ann Arbor. Also a semi-finalist in Monterrey, he earned his first Top 100 hard-court win there over Pablo Andujar. Blanch's momentum was only halted by the COVID-19 suspension, but he is poised to pick up where he left off. On Monday, he kicks off his Grand Slam career against 13th-seed Cristian Garin.

Maxime Cressy
Three players at the US Open are Top 10 in Challenger wins in 2020. Blanch is one, J.J. Wolf is the other and Cressy is the third. The 23-year-old, a former college standout at UCLA, entered the COVID-19 hiatus on the heels of a dominant 14-6 record. February proved to be a turning point for the American, who reached back-to-back finals on Canadian soil, including a title in Drummondville and runner-up finish in Calgary. He will be hoping to ride his big serve to success in the Big Apple. The charismatic Cressy opens against Jozef Kovalik on Monday.


Marcos Giron
Monday will be a special day for Giron. Not only is the California native set to make his third appearance at the US Open, but he will do so as a member of the Top 100. Giron is projected to rise to a career-high No. 93 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, cracking the century mark for the first time. It's well worth the wait for the 27-year-old, who is finally turning the corner after multiple hip surgeries. He lifted his first two Challenger trophies in 2019, in Orlando and Houston. Giron opens against Marc Polmans on Monday.

Brandon Nakashima
The second-youngest player in the draw is the 19-year-old from San Diego. Nakashima is one of the most-hyped teenagers on tour - and for good reason. In just 12 appearances on the ATP Challenger Tour, the American owns a staggering 25-12 record with a trio of semi-final finishes. Armed with a steely resolve, relentless drive and attacking mentality, Nakashima was unfazed when he pushed Frances Tiafoe to the brink of defeat in Dallas in February. And one week later, he reached the quarter-finals in his ATP Tour debut in Delray Beach. Nakashima opens against Paolo Lorenzi on Monday.

J.J. Wolf
Beware the Wolf in NYC. When the 21-year-old makes his Grand Slam debut on Tuesday against Guido Pella, it will be a significant moment for the entire Wolf clan. The former Ohio State University standout comes from one of the most athletic families in the state's history. Most notably, his grandfather Charley played professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and coached in the National Basketball Association. Now, J.J. is carrying the mantle on the tennis court. Already a four-time Challenger champion, he has taken home two of those trophies in 2020 and owns a ruthless 14-2 record. Up to a career-high No. 143 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Cincinnati native is hoping his mammoth game translates to the hard courts of the US Open.


Others To Watch: Last week, Sebastian Korda qualified at the Western & Southern Open - his first ATP Masters 1000 main draw - after securing his first Top 100 wins over Attila Balazs and Gilles Simon. The 20-year-old is in scorching form and will open against 12th seed Denis Shapovalov on Monday. Also, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mitchell Krueger are looking to pick up where they left off in March. Kwiatkowski lifted his first Challenger trophy in Newport Beach and Krueger reached the semis in three of his last five events.

THE INTERNATIONALS
Gianluca Mager (ITA)
The last time we saw Mager, he was celebrating the greatest achievement of his career. It was in February that the Italian streaked to his first ATP Tour final at the 500-level event in Rio de Janeiro. A qualifier, he dropped just one set in six matches to reach the championship, where he eventually fell to Cristian Garin. Up to No. 79 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 25-year-old has been plotting his ascent on the Challenger circuit for years. It all culminated in 2019, when Mager won all three of his titles and posted a 43-23 record. His appearance in New York will be a well-deserved - and long-awaited - Grand Slam debut. He opens against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic.

Sumit Nagal (IND)
Nagal will never forget his US Open debut. Exactly one year ago, India's No. 1 won three matches to qualify for the main draw and faced Roger Federer under the lights on opening night. It was a moment unlike any other for Nagal, who snatched the first set in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, before eventually falling in four. But the World No. 122 has been plotting his Top 100 charge ever since. He rode the momentum from that experience to reach back-to-back Challenger finals and lift the second trophy of his young career (in Buenos Aires). The 23-year-old will open against Bradley Klahn, with a potential second-round date with second seed Dominic Thiem looming large.


Christopher O'Connell (AUS)
For many years, O'Connell was battling outside the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, grinding on the ITF circuit and ATP Challenger Tour. And in 2018, the 25-year-old Aussie took up a second job cleaning boats while recovering from a knee injury. But perseverance pays off and that is certainly applicable for the Sydneysider. From not having an ATP Ranking to open the 2019 season to sitting at a career-high No. 115 a year and a half later, O'Connell has made the most of his opportunities. After winning his first two Challenger titles in 2019, the upstart Aussie has his sights firmly set on the Top 100 and beyond in his US Open debut. He opens against Laslo Djere on Tuesday.

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)
We save the two hottest #NextGenATP stars for last. If you aren't familiar with Ruusuvuori by now, it won't be long before the flying Finn is a household name. Ruusuvuori turned the ATP Challenger Tour into his personal playground last year, becoming the youngest to win four titles in a season since Hyeon Chung in 2015. The soft-spoken Finn lets his big game do the talking. The rest of the US Open field will be on high alert, as the 21-year-old makes his Grand Slam debut as the newest member of the Top 100. One week after prevailing in his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the Western & Southern Open, the World No. 100 opens against Aljaz Bedene at the US Open.

You May Also Like: #NextGenATP Star Ruusuvuori's Goal: 'A Grand Slam Win'
Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA)
Ruusuvuori and Seyboth Wild are the fresh faces of the #NextGenATP surge. The Brazilian made quite the splash in clinching his maiden ATP Tour title in Santiago, Chile, right before the COVID-19 stoppage. But Seyboth Wold had been plotting his ascent well before that on the ATP Challenger Tour. A maiden title in Guayaquil and semi-final finish in Montevideo capped his 2019 season, providing all the momentum he needed to lift his first ATP Tour trophy. Up to a career-high No. 113 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 20-year-old is hoping to pick up where he left off when his US Open campaign begins on Tuesday. He faces 23rd seed Daniel Evans in the first round.

Others To Watch: Mager's countryman Salvatore Caruso has compiled quite the list of scalps in the past year: wins over David Goffin, Borna Coric and Jannik Sinner, a semi-final finish at the ATP 250 event in Umag and a third-round run at Roland Garros in 2019. Dominik Koepfer is returning to the scene of his big breakthrough, when the German reached the Round of 16 at last year's US Open. And the feel-good story of the tournament is alive in Attila Balazs. The 31-year-old Hungarian is making his Grand Slam debut after retiring from professional tennis for two years. Ten years after claiming his first Challenger title, he won his second in January in Bangkok. Up to a career-high No. 76, he also reached his first ATP Tour final a year ago in Umag.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Plan gier na wtorek dla wszystkich kortów:

https://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/202 ... lePDF2.pdf

[Damian]

OUT Paire (koronawirus)
IN Granollers

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Scouting Report: 10 Things To Watch At The US Open

Spoiler:

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming fortnight in New York


Following the resumption of the ATP Tour at the Western & Southern Open, the US Open takes centre stage with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic leading the charge for the second Grand Slam trophy of the year.

ATPTour.com looks at the storylines to watch in New York:

1) Dominant Djokovic: While the Big Three boasts 13 consecutive and 56 of the past 67 Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic has dominated alone of late. He has won five of the past seven majors, including a record eighth Australian Open in February. Djokovic bids to join Roger Federer as the only players to win multiple Grand Slam titles in a season six times.

2) Daniil Returns: Daniil Medvedev became the youngest US Open finalist since Djokovic in 2010 at last year’s US Open. The Russian put together a stellar run of results winning 20 of 23 matches across Washington, Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open to join former World No. 1s Ivan Lendl (1982) and Andre Agassi (1995) as the only players to make finals at all four events in the same year. This year, Medvedev returns as the No. 3 seed with a 10-5 record in 2020. The 24-year-old reached the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals last week (l. to Bautista Agut).

3) Getting Closer: Djokovic, No. 31 seed Marin Cilic and former World No. 1 Andy Murray are the only Grand Slam champions in the draw. However, the No. 2-6 seeds — Dominic Thiem, Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini — have all reached a major semi-final or final since the start of the 2019 season.

4) Historic Era: Cilic won his first Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open. Six years later, he remains the most recent player to win his first major trophy and the youngest ATP Tour player with a Grand Slam crown on his resume. Cilic turns 32 next month. Never before in the Open Era have five years — much less six — passed without a first-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion.

Cilic

5) Boys To Men: Murray is among nine US Open boys’ singles champions in the field and the only one to add the men’s singles title. The 2004 boys’ and 2012 men’s champion will play his second event of 2020 this week. In his first ATP Tour event since lifting the European Open trophy in Antwerp last October, Murray beat World No. 7 Zverev at the Western & Southern Open to earn his first Top 10 victory in three and a half years.

6) Hard Court Success: Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, second seed Thiem has enjoyed consistent success on hard courts. The 2018 US Open quarter-finalist captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy at last year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, his first of three trophies on the surface in 2019. The Austrian ended 2019 with a run to the Nitto ATP Finals championship match (l. to Tsitsipas) and reached his maiden Australian Open final in February (l. to Djokovic).

You May Also Like: Thiem: ‘Things Can Change Very Quickly’
7) #NextGenATP In New York: There are 11 #NextGenATP stars in the US Open main draw. Reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner (19) and two-time Milan runner-up Alex de Minaur (21) are among six #NextGenATP players in the bottom quarter of the draw. The final section also includes 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime (20), Miomir Kecmanovic (21 on 31 August), Corentin Moutet (21) and Santiago champion Thiago Seyboth Wild (20). Denis Shapovalov (21), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21), Emil Ruusuvuori (21), Brandon Nakashima (19), Sebastian Korda (20) also feature in New York.

American Dream: American men are suffering their longest Grand Slam men’s singles title drought in tennis history. The 2020 US Open marks the 17th anniversary of Andy Roddick’s sole major championship triumph. No. 16 seed John Isner, No. 19 seed Taylor Fritz and Western & Southern Open quarter-finalist Reilly Opelka lead 21 Americans in the field this year, the most at a Grand Slam since 22 home players competed at the 1997 US Open.

Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets to win the 2003 US Open.

9) Familiar Feli: Feliciano Lopez got married and became a tournament director in 2019. Neither life change stopped the Spaniard from extending his all-time record streak of Grand Slams appearances, which will reach 73 when he competes at the 2020 US Open. Lopez, who turns 39 next month, began his run as a 20-year-old lucky loser at 2002 Roland Garros.

10) Youth Movement: Fourteen of the 32 seeds are under the age of 25, the most at a major championship since the 2010 Australian Open (14). Ten of the Top 20 seeds are under the age of 25, the most at a Grand Slam event since the 2009 US Open (10). Stefanos Tsitsipas, the youngest Top 10 seed in New York, is attempting to reach his first Grand Slam final. Last year, the Greek advanced to his first major semi-final at the Australian Open (l. to Nadal) and ended the year by lifting the biggest trophy of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals (d. Thiem).

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[no-handed backhand]

OUT Paire (koronawirus)
IN Granollers

Benoit, gdzie ty się szlajasz? Voyage voyage?

[Nando]

Ciemne chmury nad US Open? Rywal Polaka już zakażony. "Nikt nie jest bezpieczny"

https://sport.tvp.pl/49640059/us-open-k ... tvpsportpl

[Robertinho]

Jakby były zakłady na to, kto pierwszy na turnieju przywdzieje koronę, to na Paire raczej by się fortuny zarobić nie dało.

[Damian]

US Open 2020 - plan gier na poniedziałek:

Arthur Ashe Stadium - start o 18:
[1] Karolina Pliskova vs Anhelina Kalinina
Kevin Anderson vs [5] Alexander Zverev

Nie przed 1:
[1] Novak Djokovic vs Damir Dzumhur
[4] Naomi Osaka vs Misaki Doi

Louis Armstrong Stadium - start o 17:
[17] Angelique Kerber vs Ajla Tomljanovic
[12] Denis Shapovalov vs [WC] Sebastian Korda
Cori Gauff vs [31] Anastasija Sevastova
Steve Johnson vs [16] John Isner
Tatjana Maria vs [13] Alison Riske

Kort 17 - start o 17:
[30] Kristina Mladenovic vs [WC] Hailey Baptiste
Irina Camelia Begu vs [6] Petra Kvitova
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Danielle Collins vs [14] Anett Kontaveit
Reilly Opelka vs [7] David Goffin

Kort 5 - start o 17:
[9] Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie
Dominik Koepfer vs [19] Taylor Fritz
Kyle Edmund vs Alexander Bublik
[WC] Robin Montgomery vs [23] Yulia Putincewa
Marie Bouzkova vs Jessica Pegula

Kort 4 - start o 17:
Francesca Di Lorenzo vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
[32] Adrian Mannarino vs Lorenzo Sonego
[24] Magda Linette vs Maddison Inglis
Madison Brengle vs Lesia Tsurenko
Pedro Martinez vs [28] Jan-Lennard Struff

Kort 6 - start o 17:
Stefano Travaglia vs Jordan Thompson
Peter Gojowczyk vs [24] Hubert Hurkacz
Kateryna Kozlova vs Whitney Osuigwe
Viktorija Golubic vs Vera Lapko
Irina Khromacheva vs Shelby Rogers

Kort 7 - start o 17:
[12] Markéta Vondroušová vs Greet Minnen
Jasmine Paolini vs Caroline Garcia
Mohamed Safwat vs Gilles Simon
Marcos Giron vs Marc Polmans
[32] Rebecca Peterson vs Kirsten Flipkens

Kort 8 - start o 17:
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Dennis Novak
Paolo Lorenzi vs [WC] Brandon Nakashima
Usue Maitane Arconada vs Kaja Juvan
Astra Sharma vs [19] Dajana Jastremska
João Sousa vs [WC] Michael Mmoh

Kort 9 - start o 17:
Juan Ignacio Londero vs Jewgienij Donskoj
Caroline Dolehide vs Anna Lena Friedsam
[WC] Maxime Cressy vs Jozef Kovalik
Federico Gaio vs Ricardas Berankis
[11] Elena Rybakina vs Katarina Zavatska

Kort 11 - start o 17:
Pablo Andujar vs [27] Borna Coric
[20] Pablo Carreño Busta vs Yasutaka Uchiyama
Tereza Martincowa vs [8] Petra Martic
[WC] Ulises Blanch vs [13] Christian Garin
Anna Blinkova vs [28] Jennifer Brady

Kort 12 - start o 17:
[18] Dusan Lajovic vs Egor Gerasimov
Jack Sock vs Pablo Cuevas
Kateryna Bondarenko vs [WC] Allie Kiick
[26] Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer
Ann Li vs Arantxa Rus

Kort 14 - start o 17:
Jason Jung vs Federico Coria
Mitchell Krueger vs Pedro Sousa
[WC] Thai-Son Kwiatkowski vs Soonwoo Kwon
[WC] Catherine Bellis vs Tamara Korpatsch
Camila Giorgi vs Alison Van Uytvanck

Kort 15 - start o 17:
Varvara Gracheva vs Paula Badosa Gibert
Danka Kovinic vs Lizette Cabrera
Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Kasatkina
Attila Balazs vs Mikhail Kukushkin
Lloyd Harris vs Marco Cecchinato

[Damian]

Zverev To Face Anderson In US Open Day 1 Blockbuster

Spoiler:

Djokovic opens night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Opening day Grand Slam matches don’t get much bigger than this.

In the first men’s match of the US Open on Arthur Ashe Stadium, fifth seed Alexander Zverev will face 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson for a place in the second round.

For the second straight event since the ATP Tour resumption, World No. 7 Zverev will face former Top 5 opposition in his opening match. At the Western & Southern Open, the 23-year-old fell to 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray for the second time in as many ATP Head2Head meetings. Zverev will enter his clash against Anderson with history on his side.

Zverev has won all five of his ATP Head2Head meetings against Anderson. In the pair’s most recent match, Zverev outlasted the South African in a Match Tie-break to clinch the 2018 Laver Cup for Team Europe on American soil in Chicago.

ATP Heritage: Milestones. Records. Legends.

Anderson will also be looking to recover from a second-round loss at the Western & Southern Open. The 6’8” South African, who reached a career-high No. 5 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in July 2018, recorded a three-set win against Kyle Edmund before suffering a straight-sets loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

TuneIn -
Following Zverev and Anderson’s battle, Western & Southern Open champion Novak Djokovic will begin his chase for an 18th Grand Slam title during the night session. Just two days after defeating Milos Raonic to lift a record-equalling 35th Masters 1000 crown, the World No. 1 will attempt to extend his unbeaten 23-0 start to the year against Damir Dzumhur.

Djokovic and Dzumhur will be contesting their third ATP Head2Head encounter. The top seed most recently beat Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 at the 2019 Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Djokovic is bidding to capture his fourth US Open crown and narrow the gap on Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam titles leaderboard. The Belgrade-native currently sits two trophies behind 19-time major champion Nadal and three crowns behind all-time leader and 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer.

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Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will also feature in Day 1 action. The fourth seed begins his US Open title bid on Court 17 against Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Tsitsipas enters the first-round encounter in form, having reached the Western & Southern Open semi-finals (l. to Raonic). The Greek has won 13 of his past 15 tour-level matches. Prior to the ATP Tour suspension, Tsitsipas captured the Open 13 Provence trophy in Marseille and finished as runner-up at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the second straight year.

In one of the standout matches of the first round, seventh seed David Goffin will meet Reilly Opelka in the final match of the day on Court 17. Goffin and Opelka are tied at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, with both previous meetings requiring a deciding set. Opelka enters the first-round contest in form, but was forced to retire from his maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Western & Southern Open with a right knee injury. Goffin will hope to bounce back from a third-round loss to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Masters 1000 tournament.

Three American men will make Monday appearances at Louis Armstrong Stadium to start their US Open campaigns. Following his Masters 1000 debut at the Western & Southern Open, #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda will face 2017 quarter-finalist Denis Shapovalov for a spot in the second round. Later in the day, 16th seed John Isner and Steve Johnson will contest the only all-American clash of Day 1.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY 31 AUGUST 2020
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM start 12:00 pm
WTA Match
Kevin Anderson v [5] Alexander Zverev

Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] Novak Djokovic v Damir Dzumhur
WTA Match

LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM start 11:00 am
WTA Match
[12] Denis Shapovalov v Sebastian Korda

Not Before 3:00 pm
WTA Match
Steve Johnson v [16] John Isner
WTA Match

COURT 17 start 11:00am
WTA Match
WTA Match
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas v Albert Ramos-Vinolas
WTA Match
Reilly Opelka v [7] David Goffin

Click here to view the full US Open Day 1 schedule.

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[Barty]

First-round matchups to watch at the 2020 US Open

Spoiler:

The 2020 US Open will be like no other. However, despite no fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the action on the courts should be as competitive as ever.

First-round matches at the 2020 US Open will be played Monday and Tuesday, and many of the biggest names in the sport will face early tough tests. Here’s a look at 10 first-round matches to keep an eye on:

Women’s First Round:

Kristie Ahn vs. No. 3 Serena Williams
All eyes are on Serena as she resumes her quest for a record-tying 24th career singles Grand Slam title. It’s been a rocky return to tennis this summer, as Williams lost to Shelby Rogers in the quarterfinals of the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky., and then got bounced in the third round at the Western & Southern Open by Maria Sakkari. Williams is in a tough quarter of the draw—she’ll potentially have to get past Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova and Sloane Stephens to reach the semifinals. But first she must face a worthy first-round challenge. Ahn—who was born in Flushing Meadows, home of the US Open—made it to the fourth round as a wild-card entrant last year, defeating Jelena Ostapenko along the way.

No. 20 Karolina Muchova vs. Venus Williams
While Serena chases history, sister Venus owns plenty of US Open history herself. She’s played more US Open matches over the years than any other player. While that’s a testament to her ability, it also speaks to age. When the 40-year-old Venus played her first US Open in 1997, Muchova wasn’t even born. The 24-year-old Czech went further than Venus in Flushing Meadows last year: While Venus was ousted in the second round, Muchova advanced to Round 3 (before losing to Serena).

(WC) Kim Clijsters vs. No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova
Clijsters is a three-time US Open women’s singles champion, but she hasn’t played Flushing Meadows since 2012 (thus the wild-card entry). The return from her second retirement was delayed by the pandemic, but the 37-year-old Belgian showed flashes this summer playing World TeamTennis. That said, she also battled an abdominal injury that forced her to sit out the Western & Southern Open. Clijsters’ first-round opponent was 7 years old when she won her last US Open title. More importantly, the 24-year-old Russian is no stranger to knocking off former US Open champs in the first round: Just last year, Alexandrova defeated 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the opening round.

Coco Gauff vs. No. 31 Anastasija Sevastova
Sevastova was a US Open semifinalist as recently as two years ago, so it won’t be easy for last year’s Open darling to reach the second round. The 16-year-old Gauff was the youngest competitor in New York last summer, when she reached the third round and lost a memorable match against then-No. 1 Naomi Osaka. Gauff continued her rise with a win over Osaka at the 2020 Australian Open, also defeating Venus Williams before losing a fourth-round match to eventual champion Sofia Kenin.

(WC) Robin Montgomery vs. No. 23 Yulia Putintseva
The 15-year-old Montgomery takes the mantel from Gauff this year as the youngest player in the tournament. Montgomery rose to No. 5 as a junior last year before dipping her toes into the pro circuit this year. The American tennis prodigy could become the next US Open darling, but she won’t have an easy Flushing Meadows main-draw debut. The 25-year-old Putintseva advanced to the third round in New York last year, with a victory over ranked opponent Aryna Sabalenka.



Alex Zverev at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.
Photo by Getty Images

Men’s First Round

Kevin Anderson vs. No. 5 Alexander Zverev
Zverev was a first-round victim last week at the Western & Southern Open, but the 23-year-old German had his best Grand Slam finish earlier this year, reaching the semifinals at the 2020 Australian Open. Expectations are high for him at the US Open, where he enters as the No. 5 seed, but first he must get past a tough veteran. The 34-year-old Anderson has struggled of late, but the 6-foot-8 South African did reach the US Open final three years ago.

Jannik Sinner vs. No. 11 Karen Khachanov
Khachanov enters the US Open as the No. 11 seed, and he’s got some momentum, thanks to a nice run at the Western & Southern Open. The 24-year-old Russian actually has five years on his first-round opponent, but Sinner’s fast rise up the rankings in the past year makes him a dangerous opponent. Although the 19-year-old Italian stumbled in the Western & Southern qualies last week, he is worth watching. Sinner began 2019 ranked No. 551 in the world and, by the end of the year, was the youngest player in the ATP's Top 100.

Steve Johnson vs. No. 16 John Isner
It’s been 17 years since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open men’s singles title—the last American man to be crowned champion. With some notable players absent from this year’s draw, can this be an opportunity for the American players to step up? Isner is the highest-ranked American, currently at No. 21. The 6-foot-10 Isner has reached the quarterfinals twice at Flushing Meadows, most recently in 2018. But if he’s to advance in this first-round matchup, he’ll end up knocking off a fellow American. Easier said than done, however: The 30-year old Johnson owns a 5-4 record against Isner and has won their last four meetings.

Reilly Opelka vs. No. 7 David Goffin
Opelka’s main-draw debut at the US Open last year pit him against No. 11 Fabio Fognini, and the 6-foot-11 American right-hander with the most dominant serve in tennis came away with the upset. Opelka, who just turned 23, faces another highly ranked opponent in the first round this year. Goffin enters the fortnight ranked No. 10 in the world and seeded seventh. The 29-year-old Belgian has reached the fourth round of the US Open in each of the last three years.

(WC) Andy Murray vs. Yoshihito Nishioka
Murray may be ranked No. 134 in the world right now, but he’s a former US Open champ—one of only three in this year’s men’s draw (along with Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic). But the 33-year-old Scot, who has missed the last four Grand Slam events after hip surgery, hasn’t reached the third round of a major since a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon in 2017. If he is to recapture the magic, he’ll have to get past a dangerous first-round opponent in Nishioka. Not long before the shutdown this year, the 24-year-old lefty reached the final at Delray Beach.

https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/artic ... egacy.html

[DUN I LOVE]

Oo, Zverev leci w pierwszej rundzie, dopiero teraz zauważyłem.

2 mecze Kendego oglądałem w "Cincy". Bardzo słąbo wyglądał, fizycznie też coś dolegało. Będę mocno zaskoczony, jeżeli Sasza da się złożyć na dystansie BO5.

[Barty]

Prawda, prawda, tak sobie tylko rzuciłem, żeby ktoś podłapał (ale nie Ty).

[Kamileki]

Bieda niesamowita w 3 i 4 ćwiartce. Cipas powinien skorzystać i bez żadnych kłopotów zameldować się w połówce na mecz z Novakiem.

[DUN I LOVE]

Bieda niesamowita w 3 i 4 ćwiartce. Cipas powinien skorzystać i bez żadnych kłopotów zameldować się w połówce na mecz z Novakiem.

Cipas jest w 2.