On a day curtailed by rain, there was more than enough action going on at the US Open to keep up the energy of tennis fans. Roger Federer survived a scare to win his first round match, Rafael Nadal began an impossible mission by asking fans to tone down the noise at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Jelena Ostapenko made an unlikely debut on Ashe and defending champion Angelique Kerber was knocked out in the very first round.
Dive in for all the on and off court action from Day 2 at at Flushing Meadows.
The Big News
Federer passes five-set test
Roger Federer made a narrow escape in a tense five-set thriller Tuesday, sorting out worries about a back injury and poor preparation to reach the second round of the US Open.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion outlasted 70th-ranked American 19-year-old Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in a shockingly tough battle that, for a while, looked like might end his hopes of a deep run on the New York hardcourts.
The match was Federer’s first since losing the Montreal final to Alexander Zverev nearly three weeks ago. He withdrew from Cincinnati with a sore back the following week.
Kerber stunned by Japanese teenager
Japanese teen Naomi Osaka first conquered her shaky nerves and then crushed defending champion Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-1 to reach the second round of the US Open.
The 19-year-old daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother captured her first victory over a top-10 opponent by dispatching the German sixth seed, but first she had to fight off bad memories.
A year ago on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Osaka squandered a 5-1 lead in the final set and lost to American Madison Keys 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) in a third-round match.
Rain wipes out 55 matches
Steady rain prompted US Open officials to cancel 55 singles matches and postpone completion of 11 others under way when showers halted play Tuesday on the New York hardcourts.
A US Open statement said weather forecasts predicted “continuous rain throughout the remainder of the day,” prompting the wipeouts of outer court matches.
The roof on Ashe was closed after the first set of the day’s opening match – world number one Karolina Pliskova’s win over Magda Linette of Poland.
Quotable Quotes
“I understand it’s a show, but under the roof we need to be a little bit more strict about the noise. All the noise stays inside, and this is difficult.”
– Rafael Nadal wants the crowd at Arthur Ashe stadium to pipe down
“It took a while to get used to it. But then it kind of just seemed – like if it became silent all of a sudden, it probably would have felt really weird.”
– Madison Keys with a different perspective on the noise on Ashe.
“It’s important to go through all of these emotional roller coasters early. That pressure is not fun but it’s what you have to go through.”
– Roger Federer sees the positive side of being stretched in the first round
“In Roland Garros I was melting. In Wimbledon I got a sunburn. In US Open I’m wearing boots and jacket for dinner! World forgot how to weather.”
– Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, one of just nine winners on Tuesday at a rainy, chilly US Open.
“It’s always a big help if you can leave fast from the club.”
– Karolina Pliskova on playing and winning under the roof of Ashe while rain allowed just three matches to be completed on outside courts.
From the sidelines
Family fortunes for Osaka
Osaka may downed defending champion Angelique Kerber before facing a more time-consuming task – tracking down her family movements. “My sister is in Florida training. She told me she was watching my match, because she sent me a lot of messages and stuff. And my mom, apparently she was here. I didn’t know that. She flew in yesterday, but she kept it a secret, so I saw her after my match, and I was, like – I was so surprised. Then I just started crying a little bit, because I was really shocked. But my dad is here too, but he doesn’t watch my matches. He just pops up at the end and says, Congratulations, and then that’s it,” she said after her big win.
Two courts – one winner
French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko played under the Arthur Ashe stadium roof for the first time, but wished she could have stayed longer. Ostapenko defeated Spain’s Lara Arruaberrena 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in a match relocated from Court 17 to Ashe because of rain. The Latvian then won 12 of the last 14 points played on the showpiece arena to seal the deal in a tie suspended at 3-1 in the final set five hours earlier.
Mutual appreciation
Ostapenko has a fan in giant basketball star, and fellow Latvian, Kristaps Porzingis, who plays for the New York Knicks. The 22-year-old, 2.21m (7f 3in) big man was quick to praise Ostapenko’s Roland Garros win on Twitter. “I knew that he followed me on Instagram, so that’s really cool. It’s great that he posted that I won the French Open. I know he plays here in New York City, maybe he’ll be here during the US Open and we’ll have a chance to meet.”
With inputs from AFP
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