Novak Djokovic fulfilled his predictions on Tuesday by beating Danish youth Holger Rune and advancing towards a new feat at the US Open, in a first round in which the German Alexander Zverev showed his strengths and the Spanish Pablo Carreño-Busta disappointed .
At night, the debut of the stellar Djokovic monopolized the flashes. And the number one in the world fulfilled, he beat the Danish Holger Rune in four sets 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1 and got into the second round.
The Danish youth swelled and stole the second set from Djokovic, but cramps slowed his way in the following sets before falling for the world’s number one game. However, Djokovic and all those present in the stands of the Arthur Ashe stadium appreciated the mental strength of the youth who gave everything to finish the game standing up.
‘Nole’, winner in 2021 of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, has within his reach the conquest of the Grand Slam in a calendar year for the first time since 1969 and for this he must prevail in a US Open in which they are not present the other two members of the Big Three, the Spanish Rafael Nadal and the Swiss Roger Federer.
“I know what a great opportunity I have in front of me,” the Serb had said. «I am very motivated to play my best tennis. I am very inspired and motivated by that.
Since Rod Laver in 1969, no man has managed to complete the Grand Slam.
The world number one, who skipped the US Open tuning events to recover from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will go in the second round against Tallon Griekspoor, the 121st seed.
The surprise of the day had been with the elimination of the Spanish Carreño-Busta, ninth seed, by the young local Maxime Cressy. The Iberian, ninth seed, surrendered to Cressy in five sets.
Number 151 in the ATP and born in France, Cressy surprised the Spaniard in five intense and contested sets 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).
– Zverev, one of the pitfalls –
One of the main obstacles that Djokovic will face in his attempt to make history will be the German Alexander Zverev, who debuted with an easy victory over the American Sam Querrey (78 of the ATP).
Zverev, fourth seed and runner-up last year at Flushing Meadows, beat Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in just one hour and 40 minutes of play.
The German reaches the last Grand Slam of the year in his best form, after winning the gold medal in Tokyo-2020 last month, where he eliminated Djokovic in the semifinals, and the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati.
– Rioplatenses having a bad day –
For the people of Rio de la Plata, Tuesday’s session started down. Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas fell to American Ernesto Escobedo 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and 31 minutes.
And the bad streak continued in the afternoon with the Argentines.
The Frenchman Gael Monfils was the cause of leaving the Argentine Federico Coria out, by beating him in straight sets of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Monfils, 17th favorite, was far superior to Coria, whom he subdued with his powerful serve, with which he hit eight aces and an effectiveness of 93% to just 63% his opponent.
For his part, Federico Delbonis succumbed to Canadian Denis Shapovalov, seventh seed. The Canadian defeated the Albiceleste in one hour 50 minutes in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2, 6-3, thanks in part to 14 aces with his serve.
Delbonis had won 29 games so far in 2021, but all the victories were on clay, where he has been one of the best players this year.
Still, the Argentine southpaw is currently on a seven-game losing streak on outdoor hard courts. He has not won a match at the US Open since he outpointed Brian Baker in five sets in the first round of the 2016 edition.
– Australia’s Barty to the second round –
The number one in the women’s ranking, Australian Ashleigh Barty, advanced to the second round on Tuesday by defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).
Wimbledon champion Barty will play in her next outing against Claura Tauson of Denmark, who defeated Clara Burel of France 7-5, 6-0.
The Spanish Paula Badosa also debuted with victory on Tuesday, who beat the Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-4, 6-3.
Badosa has won 27 games in its last nine tournaments. That includes the first title of his career in Belgrade, with semifinals in Madrid and Charleston, in addition to the quarterfinals in Paris, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati.
In the evening, fourth-ranked Karolina Pliskova joined the second-round party by beating local Caty McNally 6-3 and 6-4. (AFP)
– MENS
– First round
Novak Djokovic (SRB / N.1) defeated Holger Rune (DEN) 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1
Tallon Griekspoor (NED) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt David Goffin (BEL / N.27) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Aslan Karatsev (RUS / N.21) to Jaume Munar (ESP) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3)
Jenson Brooksby (USA) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 7-5, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Alex De Miñaur (AUS / N.14) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Hubert Hurkacz (POL / N.10) bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Andreas Seppi (ITA) to Márton Fucsovics (HUN) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (15/13)
Denis Kudla (USA) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)
Oscar Otte (GER) to Lorenzo Sonego (ITA / N.20) 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1)
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) to Fabio Fognini (ITA / N.28) 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Ilya Ivashka (BLR) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4
Corentin Moutet (FRA) to Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA / N.6) to Jérémy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3
Alexander Zverev (GER / N.4) to Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2
Albert Ramos (ESP) to Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
Jack Sock (USA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Alexander Bublik (KAZ / N.31) to Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Gael Monfils (FRA / N.17) to Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 5-7, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (10/8), 6-3
Zachary Svajda (USA) to Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Jannik Sinner (ITA / N.13) bt Max Purcell (AUS) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Maxime Cressy (USA) to Pablo Carreño-Busta (ESP / N.9) 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) to Sebastian Korda (USA) 6-2, 2-1 and abandonment
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) to Emilio Nava (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Reilly Opelka (USA / N.22) bt Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4
Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS / N.25) 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ernesto Escobedo (USA) to Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
Roberto Carballés (ESP) to Tommy Paul (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
Denis Shapovalov (CAN / N.7) to Federico Delbonis (ARG) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
– WOMEN
– First round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS / N.1) defeated Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (9/7)
Clara Tauson (DEN) to Clara Burel (FRA) 7-5, 6-0
Shelby Rogers (USA) defeated Madison Brengle (USA) 6-4, 6-0
Sorana Cirstea (RUM) to Veronika Kudermetova (RUS / N.29) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-0
Sara Sorribes (ESP) to Karolína Muchová (CZE / N.22) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
() Claire Liu (USA) 6-1, 6-4
Shuai Zhang (CHN) bt Hailey Baptiste (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Emma Raducanu (GBR) bt Stefanie Vögele (SUI) 6-2, 6-3
Belinda Bencic (SUI / N.11) to Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-4, 6-4
Martina Trevisan (ITA) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-1, 7-5
Misaki Doi (JPN) bt Storm Sanders (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Jessica Pegula (USA / N.23) bt Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-2, 6-2
Anett Kontaveit (EST / N.28) defeated Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-3, 6-0
Jil Teichmann (SUI) to Cristina Bucsa (ESP) 6-3, 6-4
Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-1, 6-4
Iga Swiatek (POL / N.7) to Jamie Loeb (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Karolína Plíšková (CZE / N.4) to Caty McNally (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Amanda Anisimova (USA) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 7-5, 6-2
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt Katie Volynets (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Petra Martic (CRO / N.30) to Dalma Gálfi (HUN) 6-3, 6-2
Paula Badosa (ESP / N.24) to Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-4, 6-3
Varvara Gracheva (RUS) to Nuria Párrizas (ESP) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2
Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (SVK) to Ashlyn Krueger (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS / N.14) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Petra Kvitova (CZE / N.10) defeated Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-1, 6-2
Kristýna Plíšková (CZE) bt Danka Kovinic (MNE) 6-4, 6-3
Katerina Siniaková (CZE) to Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
Maria Sakkari (GRE / N.17) to Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 6-4, 6-3
Greet Minnen (BEL) bt Nadia Podoroska (ARG) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) bt Katie Boulter (GBR) 6-3, 6-2
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Bianca Andreescu (CAN / N.6) to Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5