Deborah Curtis-Setchell
THIS US Open has started under a cloud, with World No 1 Jannik Sinner escaping penalties, yet being forced to fire his physiotherapist, after twice failing a drug test for inadvertently imbibing a banned anabolic steroid.
A media frenzy ensued, not to mention fierce criticism from the dressing room, specifically from Canadian, Denis Shapovalov, and commentator Nick Kyrgios, who felt different rules seem to apply to different players and Sinner should be punished, given two-time Major winner Simona Halep was provisionally banned for a similar offence.
Sinner seems to have shaken it off, so far cryptically stating he now knows, “who is his friend and who is not his friend” and cruising into Round Three.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has hit another milestone in becoming the first male player to record 90 wins at all four Majors. The Serbian GOAT also progressed to Round Three when his compatriot, Laslo Djere, retired in set three at 2-0 up after Djokovic took the first two sets 6-4, 6-4.
“Its not what we want and it’s not what the crowd wants to see”, Djokovic pointed out ruefully. What New York spectators definitely didn’t want to see was the Round One demise of Next Gen stars: 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu was sent packing by former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, the British No 2 lamenting the fact she didn’t have enough matches under her belt. Too late she cried and cry she did.
More surprising was Danish No 1 Holger Rune’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, defeat at the hand of another American, Brandan Nakashima, underlining the fact the Dane hasn’t made the Quarters of any 2024 Slams. Unsurprising is how well the Americans are doing on home turf: For the first time since 1996, five American men are in the Top 20 in the rankings with Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz all jostling for national No 1 this year and all through to Round Three.
Fritz flew past 2019 semi-finalist, Matteo Berretini, 6-3, 7-6(1),6-1, Shelton steamrolled over Spain’s Roberta Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and Paul axed Australian, Max Purcell, who retired mid match.
But undoubtedly the most jaw-dropping result was firstly former Australian doubles champion, Thanasi Kokkinakis’ first singles win at the US Open over the prized scalp of 11th seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek’s mixed doubles partner, Paula Badosa, who fared better, with a second round victory over American Taylor Townsend, defended him to the hilt: “Stefanos is going through a tough time at the moment, but once a champion, always a champion,” referring to his 2019 ATP Final title.
Loyal to a fault, but not entirely true, if Raducanu is anything to go by. The second thunderbolt eclipsing all others was World No 2, Carlos Alcaraz, being dumped out 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, by No 74 Dutchman, Botic Van de Zandschulp , who will be headline news in the Netherlands.
On a marginally happier note two-time US Open champion, Naomi Osaka, made both a fashion and game statement, in marching on to face 10th seed, Jelena Ostapenko, in an outfit resembling “Little Bopeep”, more suited to an Easter parade than the Flushing Meadow passing parade. It takes supreme confidence to pull off a win dressed in a loud outfit, but pull it off Osaka did, in style, blasting Ostapenko off court 6-3, 6-2 in 63 minutes.
Defending champion Coco Guaff must have been hanging onto her hat, until Czech Karolina Muchova brought Osaka’s fairytale beginning to a grinding second round halt, 6-3, 7-6(5). And ‘Little Bopeep’ bowed out, bows and all …