US Open

“Absolutely Asinine”: US Open Decision to Lock Fans Out of Qualifying Puzzles Players and Fans

Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

(AUGUST 12)—Of all of the great things about summer, one thing regional tennis fans have on their list is the US Open. Whether you attend qualifying rounds or main draw play, it’s always a great time. And the best part about the US Open is that it allowed fans of all budgets to walk through the metal gates and into a Tennis Wonderland. Hundreds of thousands of students, families and neighbors of the surrounding boroughs have attended qualifying matches for years at the US Open. Qualifying in New York is an event that is truly egalitarian, as millionaires stand next to those who can’t afford a $75 ticket(master) grounds pass for the opening rounds or a $2,800 luxury experience box seat in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Entire junior tennis programs load up buses and head to Flushing for the experience. Without needing to shell out big bucks for a ticket, a fan could feel indulgent and buy a $15 beer or a $40 ball cap and call it a good day.

Those good days are off the calendar for 2021 unless you can afford a ticket to the main draw. The USTA, in a “heartbreaking” move, has called qualifying off-limits to the general public but are prepared to welcome you with open arms and 100% capacity for ticketed main draw rounds. Also scrapped was the phenomenally popular Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day, where $10 bought you a ticket into the greatest stadium in sports along with top-notch entertainment talent.

The reason, according to the USTA, is to protect the players. But many of the players I spoke to at Citi Open last week didn’t understand the logic and had fond memories of attending qualifying as a kid and a fan. No one in the press room last week asked the players about US Qualifying but yours truly and not the talent who reads the transcripts and then reads a teleprompter for Tennis Now. She wasn’t in the house. But once she put my questions out there, it was about time to post my findings, which I was working on for next week. The only reason that the Q&As were in the transcripts is because the ATP wouldn’t let me do one-on-one interviews to ask the players that single question, which would have kept the question and their answers out of the public sphere until my post. In all fairness, I’m glad a bigger media outlet is now, after all of my public questions, covering this matter.

The comments section on the video were almost universally against the fan lockout. Longtime tennis fan Chris Rapseik of Chester, New Jersey was not happy. “As someone who has attended qualifying for many years, I find this decision hypocritical,” he said on Youtube. “I planned to buy tickets for the next week when I attended qualifying, now that is not happening. Yes, there are some costs to allowing fans to see qualies but the fans love the opportunity. So the US Open is not considering the fans, who they want for two weeks, to be able to watch qualies. Shame on them.”

What was most puzzling about the answers I heard at Citi Open evidenced that many of the players I spoke with last week were not aware of the policy, even though it was done to protect “the players.” Which made me wonder if “the players” were even consulted at all about a policy designed to protect “the players” themselves.

“I mean, if you think about that, it seems like there’s that discrepancy or there’s like a double standard as far as what’s allowed and what’s not allowed,” Tennys Sandgren told me last week. “I mean, if you’re allowed to be there for main draw, why shouldn’t you be allowed to be there for qualifying? If you’re going to do one, then you do the other,” he added. “If you’re not going to do one, you wouldn’t do the other. That’s I guess my first reaction to that, would be I don’t really get it. But there’s a lot of this stuff I really don’t get honestly, so it wouldn’t be the first time I felt like there was a double standard or discrepancy there that just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.”

When I asked Brandon Nakashima about it, he was diplomatic about the protocols of the past year before concluding “I think if they’re able to have fans come in during the main draw, I see really no reason why they shouldn’t be able to come into the qualies as well.”

Denis Kudla agreed. “I feel do they really protect us if (the crowds) showing up three, four days later, it’s going to be packed four days later?” he mused. “I don’t really think that makes sense. Keep it open. We’re not going to be in a bubble. We’re going to be roaming around New York City. We’re responsible for our own health. I don’t see how that’s really making sense. If you’re going to do full bubble, nobody, or just leave it completely open,” he added. “All this kind of half and half things, certain rules for certain people, I don’t think it makes sense in general. So, yeah, that’s pretty much my answer. I think people should be allowed in qualies. I think it’s a huge opportunity for families who can’t spend a bunch on tickets, have an opportunity to watch top guys practice and the future of the sport.”

Steve Johnson is always a straight shooter in press and he didn’t disappoint when I asked him the question last Wednesday. “I’m not the arbitrator of what’s fair and not fair,” he said with a smile. “Me, my perspective, look, we’ve had a lot of confusing COVID rules the last 18 months, especially last six months. I’ve stopped really trying to guess because half the rules make absolutely zero sense, it’s strictly an optical thing that I think is absolutely asinine really,” he added. “I mean, I’m the right guy to probably get a quote from, but I’m the wrong guy to give an impartial decision. Look, I think there should be fans at every stadium. I think we’ve shown in the States that you can do it and it’s safe,” he continued. “There should be fans. Everybody knows the risks. Everybody is willing to do what they want to do. That’s what makes America America. Everyone has their own choice to do whatever they want. If they want to come watch tennis, they should be allowed to. If they feel unsafe, they shouldn’t. There should be fans there the entire time. Again, it’s one of those questions why week one and not week two? Why is it any different? I’ve stopped trying to get those answers because it just makes me more confused than anything.”

In fact, the only player who didn’t express concern was Reilly Opelka. He was having no part of it. “I don’t want to bite the hand that feeds me, you know? They’ve been great to me,” he said, referring to his benefactors. “The USTA has been great to me. That’s all funded by the US Open. There’s flaws in everything. They’ve been great to me. Martin Blackman and Kent Kinnear, my coach Jay Berger, even Pat McEnroe has been beyond generous to me. There’s nothing negative I can say because they’ve changed my life for the better,” he concluded. He’s one of the nicest guys on tour, but it was clear that he could not be critical in any way of his White Plains Overlords.

Like a good blogger, we reached out to White Plains yesterday to make some sense of this decision. We asked USTA Communications Director Chris Widmaier a few questions by email and followed up with a call to his cell phone, specifically inquiring the following:

1) You must be aware of the crowd size differential between qualifying rounds and the first round of main draw play. Is it fair to say that you expect far more attendees on August 30 and 31 than you would for any day of US Open qualifying in the past?

2) How much money do you expect US Open vendors and partners to lose as a result of the USTA’s decision to close qualifying to the public?

3) Are you aware of the impact of the decision on the thousands of attendees who come to qualifying from struggling neighborhoods all over the region? Will there be widely-advertised discount programs to allow low-income fans to attend the main draw in lieu of free qualifying?

4) Did you consider opening up qualifying for attendees who could provide proof of vaccinations?

5) Was the USTA provided with specific public health guidance that 0% capacity at qualifying would protect players and/or that requiring proof of vaccination for attendees at main draw rounds would be beneficial to the players?

Widmaier called me back. He explained that the decision was “heartbreaking and not an easy decision” for the USTA, and was made several months ago “based on expert medical advice at the time.” He described the Open as a “mega global event” and that all such decisions had to be made in advance for logistical purposes. He acknowledged that the USTA communicated the call to the ATP and WTA, and that he expected that they would have informed the players. “There are never more players on site than during qualifying,” he said. “You have the 256 singles entrants and the qualifying field here at the same time.” According to Widmaier, that medical advice included advising the US Open to build out expanded player areas, including gyms and dining areas to promote social distancing, which they have done.

To quote John McEnroe, “Let’s be honest.” It sounds to me like it was a call that was made, and it’s a call that can’t be challenged or reversed because it’s too late to get security and infrastructure in place for thousands of extra people to show up. Optics are everything, and some feel it’s time to stop blaming COVID-19 for decisions that make little sense except the most obvious—to make a buck and/or keep expenses down, just like a Fortune 500 company beholden to shareholders. It also seems that the last thing the USTA wants is to have to kick fans out after the tournament starts due to an outbreak, which would blow another hole in the organization’s finances after a disastrous 2020.

Perhaps accidentally, though, it feels like the USTA may have missed the mark on its mission statement on this one: “Include all people on a non-discriminatory basis, and make diversity and inclusion an embedded part of USTA.” Because this decision is a heartfelt blow to everyone except the sad rich people in those lower boxes on Ashe. Or as Emma Lazarus, the poet laureate of the Statue of Liberty might say, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, not right now, but certainly before 2023.“

Ten Americans Among Wild Card Recipients for Western & Southern Open Qualifying

The Queen City. Borough of Queens. Fuhgeddaboutit!

CINCINNATI (AUGUST 7, 2020) – The Western & Southern Open has awarded 11 wild cards to its qualifying field, with 10 Americans – including one Cincinnatian – among the recipients.

The five men and six women round out the 48-player qualifying fields. Two rounds of qualifying matches will be held Aug. 20-21, with a dozen women and 12 men joining the main draws, which will begin Aug. 22. All tournament action will take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Cincinnati native JJ Wolf, who played at Ohio State, will be joined in ATP Tour qualifying by Sebastian Korda, Mackenzie McDonald, Michael Mmoh and Brandon Nakashima. Ohio State standout Francesca Di Lorenzo joins the WTA qualifying field along with CiCi Bellis, Anna Kalinskaya, Ann Li, Shelby Rogers and Katie Volynets.

Wolf owns four career Challenger titles and has been victorious in three of his last five events dating back to last season. He was 14-2 with two titles during the first two months of this year before play was suspended due to the pandemic. Wolf turned pro in 2019 after going 35-2 and earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors as a junior at Ohio State University. A graduate of Cincinnati Country Day, the 21-year-old will play Western & Southern Open qualifying for the third time in his career.

Sebastian Korda, 2018 AO Boy’s Champion

Korda is a 20-year-old Floridian who reached a pair of Challenger finals last season. In 2018, he was the Australian Open junior champion. His father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open and was a two-time Western & Southern Open quarterfinalist (1992, 98).

Mackenzie McDonald, 2018 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

McDonald, who owns a pair of Challenger titles, posted his best ATP result in early 2019 with a semifinal in Delray Beach. His season was then cut short due to a hamstring injury which kept him out of action until the start of the 2020 campaign. The former UCLA Bruin was the nation’s No. 1 collegiate player in 2016, a season he capped by winning the NCAA Singles and Doubles titles. Before enrolling at UCLA, McDonald became the third unranked player to qualify for an ATP Masters 1000 when he did so at the 2013 Western & Southern Open. This year the 25-year-old Californian is seeking his third main draw appearance at the tournament.

Mmoh owns five career Challenger titles, including last fall in Knoxville after he missed four months earlier in 2019 with injury. The 22-year-old Florida resident suffered the injury after a 2018 campaign that included quarterfinals at ATP events in Brisbane and Los Cabos along with a pair of Challenger titles. He was the USTA Boy’s 18s National Championship winner in 2016.

Nakashima burst onto the pro scene in February with a run to the quarterfinals at Delray Beach in his ATP debut. He has reached the semifinals at three ATP Challenger Tour events since turning professional in the summer of 2019. The 19-year-old Californian was named ACC Freshman of the Year last year while playing for the University of Virginia.

Francesca DiLorenzo, 2019 Citi Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

Di Lorenzo was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and won an NCAA doubles championship during her career at Ohio State. As a professional, she has reached the second round at the US Open in each of the past two seasons. Born in Pittsburgh, the 23-year-old Di Lorenzo was raised in Columbus, Ohio. Her sister, Cristina, was a two-time All Big East honoree while playing tennis at Xavier University.

Cici Bellis

Bellis has reached the third round at three of the four Majors, most recently at this year’s Australian Open. The 21-year-old Californian is working her way back after undergoing four surgeries in 2018-19 on her right arm. The 2014 USTA Girl’s 18s National Champion, Bellis finished that year as the No. 1 ranked junior in the world.

Anna Kalinskaya, 2019 Citi Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

Kalinskaya is a seven-time winner on the ITF Circuit. In the second half of 2019, she posted her best career WTA results with a semifinal at Washington, D.C., and a quarterfinal at Tashkent. The 21-year-old Russian’s parents were both professional badminton players.

Li reached five finals while posting more than 40 match wins on the ITF Circuit in 2019. Early this season she made her Grand Slam tournament debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open. In 2017, she finished as runner-up in the Wimbledon Girls’ Championship. The 20-year-old Pennsylvania native owns two career ITF Circuit titles.

Shelby Rogers, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio, Tennis Atlantic)

Rogers has twice been a finalist at WTA events. The South Carolina native claimed her sixth career ITF Circuit title earlier this year in Midland, Michigan. A quarterfinalist at the 2016 French Open, Rogers battled knee injuries before undergoing an operation in 2018 that sidelined for over one year. As a junior, she was the 2010 USTA Girl’s 18s National Champion.

Volynets won the 2019 USTA Girl’s 18s National Championship and in doing so, earned a wild card into the US Open where she faced eventual champion Bianca Andreescu in the opening round. The 18-year-old Californian closed the 2019 season by reaching her first ITF Circuit final. As a junior, she reached the 2017 US Open quarterfinals.

2020 @WorldTeamTennis Final Preview, Prediction

Posted by Admin on August 2, 2020

Posted in: ATP, US Open, Western & Southern Open, World Team Tennis, WTA. Tagged: 2020 Pro Tennis Re-Open, Chicago Smah, COVID-19, Greenbrier Resort, New York Empire, us open, Western & Southern Open, World Team Tennis Championship, WTT Final. Leave a comment

2020 @WorldTeamTennis Final Preview, Prediction

After a noble experiment in a bubble and 62 matches played over the course of three weeks in the Allegheny Mountains, we are left with the #3 seed Chicago Smash and the #4 seed New York Empire to battle it out on a gorgeous sunny day at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. There were probably a few naysayers who thought the WTT season wouldn’t last with so many players at the same site during a Coronavirus resurgence in North America.

Here we are, though: Zero positive COVID-19 test results and one match to go. The first year expansion franchise, the Smash, have surprised a lot of long-time followers of the league, but their success shouldn’t come as huge shock to anyone. With Sloane Stephens, Genie Bouchard, Rajeev Ram, Brandon Nakashima and Evan King, the Smash would have been competitive in 2020. The extra sauce on this squad comes from Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who was named the league’s female player of the campaign. She’s been off the charts in doubles, and doubles are every bit as important as singles in the world of World Team Tennis.

The New York Empire are riding high on emotion after knocking out the top-seeded Philadelphia Freedoms in the semifinals on Saturday. The immovable object may be Mattek-Sands, but the unstoppable force would be Coco Vandeweghe of the New York Empire. Like Mattek-Sands, she’s playing some of her best tennis in a long while and her leadership in doubles has given her confidence in singles as New York’s Kim Clijsters has been sidelined for the last week.

H2H 2-0

The Smash took out the Empire 21-16 a week ago, when Sloane Stephens was a 5-1 singles winner. When the Smash edged the Empire, 22-21, two weeks ago, it was Kim Clijsters dominating Stephens, 5-2 and Mattek-Sands/Bouchard defeating Clijsters/Lisicki 5-2. With Clijsters participation unlikely today, it’s hard to see a different result than the two previous meetings.

I give Sock a slight edge against Nakashima in men’s singles, and Sloane Stephens with the nod over Vandeweghe in singles. As usual, that means it’s all coming down to the dubs. I give the advantage to Mattek-Sands and Rajeev Ram against Vandeweghe and Sock in the mixed, which should just be enough for the Smash to win it all in the first year of the existence of the franchise.

Prediction: Chicago Smash 22-20

In terms of the restarting of pro sports in the United States, the World Team Tennis bubble has been a resounding success. The Greenbrier Resort was chosen by the Feds to house the legislative branch of government in a post-nuclear apocalypse at one time because of its remote location. Queens, or Disney World, for that matter, are hardly a White Sulphur Springs. With only a few thousand people, a few restaurants outside the resort and neither a strip club nor a nightclub for 60 miles, other pro sporting events should consider such a locale.

—S. Fogleman in Lewisburg, WV

A Skyline Without @SkylineChili: @CincyTennis Moves to The Big Apple for 2020

Posted by Admin on June 17, 2020

Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, US Open, US Open Qualifying, USTA, Western & Southern Open, WTA. Tagged: 2020 US Open, cincinnati, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Relocation, US Open Tennis, Western & Southern Open. Leave a comment

2020 WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN TO BE STAGED IN NEW YORK

CINCINNATI (JUNE 17, 2020) – Due to circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Western & Southern Open will be held in New York City at the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2020 and will now take place Aug. 20-28.

The ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier 5 event will be the first combined tournament hosting players from both circuits at a single venue since the tours suspended play in early March. The Western & Southern Open had originally been scheduled to take place Aug. 15-23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

Phil Hinkle, 2018 Western & Southern Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Each Western & Southern Open draw will include 56 players in main draw singles, 32 teams in doubles and a qualifying field of 48 players. The entry guidelines and the deadline for player entries will be determined in conjunction with the WTA and ATP Tour in the coming weeks and will be announced at a later date. Spectators will not be permitted at the tournament.

“The international nature of tennis is one of its greatest assets. However, this international aspect also creates challenges in restarting the tour seasons,” said Western & Southern Open COO Katie Haas. “Last year, we hosted players representing 47 nations at the Western & Southern Open. With continued restrictions on international travel and quarantine guidelines, hosting multiple tournaments in a controlled environment with shared testing and medical resources at the National Tennis Center provides us the best chance to safely resume play for a combined event that is the size, scope and stature of the Western & Southern Open.

“While we will miss welcoming our fans and the players to Cincinnati, we are privileged to be the first tournament to bring both tours together for a combined event.”

Marissa Beck, 2017 Western & Southern Open

The Western & Southern Open will utilize Grandstand Court at the National Tennis Center as its primary show court, with match play occurring on other outside courts. The US Open will follow the W&S Open at the facility and begin on Aug. 31.

“We will work with our partners at the USTA as well as both tours to stage the tournament in New York this year,” Haas said. “We will then quickly turn our attention to making preparations to welcome all our fans and the players back to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open in 2021.”

Photo: Christopher Levy

Patrons holding tickets for the 2020 tournament that were purchased directly from Western & Southern Open or Ticketmaster are eligible for a full refund. In addition, the holders of certain categories of tickets will be given an option to retain their seats for 2021. Full details on our 2020 ticket policy can be found at wsopen.com/2020.

This will mark the fifth time since the tournament began in 1899 that it has not been held in the Cincinnati area. Indianapolis hosted the event in 1914, 1917 and 1919, and in 1920 the tournament was held in Fort Wayne, Ind.

2018 @USOpen Doubles Champion @CoCoVandey Awarded Wild Card Into Central Coast Pro Tennis Open

Posted by Admin on September 20, 2019

Posted in: US Open, USTA Pro Circuit, WTA. Tagged: 2019 Women's Tennis, Central Coast Pro Tennis Open, Coco Vandegwhe, Genie Bouchard, Templeton Ranch. Leave a comment

August 26, 2019 – Coco Vandeweghe in action against Sofia Kenin at the 2019 US Open. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/USTA)

Former US Open Doubles Champion CoCo Vandeweghe Awarded Wild Card Into
Third Annual Central Coast Pro Tennis Open

2015 Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard is top-seeded player heading into USTA Pro Circuit Women’s $60,000 event at Templeton Tennis Ranch Sept. 23-29

TEMPLETON, Calif. – Sept. 20, 2019 — The player entry list heading into next week’s Central Coast Pro Tennis Open is jam-packed with recognizable current WTA players, and some you will be no doubt be hearing about in the years to come.

The 2018 US Open doubles champion and former US Open Junior Girls’ winner CoCo Vandeweghe has received a USTA wild card into the third annual Central Coast Pro Tennis Open, a USTA Pro Circuit Women’s $60,000 event taking place Sept. 23-29 at the Templeton Tennis Ranch.

The tournament is part of the USTA Pro Circuit and designated as a high-level event just below the WTA Tour. Qualifying matches begin on Monday, Sept. 23, with main-draw matches beginning the following day and concluding with the singles final on Sept. 29. Tickets for all the exciting tennis action are on sale now at http://www.my805tix.com.

The 27-year-old Vandeweghe of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is a former Top 15-ranked player in the world and has played in three Grand Slam doubles finals during her career. Out for most of the year because of a nagging right ankle injury that ultimately led to surgery, Vandeweghe returned for the recent US Open where she played singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

On the comeback trail, Vandeweghe lost in the first round at the US Open to CCPTO alum Sonya Kenin, who is now ranked in the world’s top 20 in singles.

Twenty-five-year-old Miami Beach resident Genie Bouchard of Canada will be the top-seeded player once the draws are released this weekend. Bouchard burst onto the tennis scene in 2014 when she made the semifinals at both the Australian and French Open. At Wimbledon, Bouchard defeated world No. 3 Simona Halep in straight sets to become the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to make it into a Grand Slam singles final, ultimately falling to Wimbledon 2011 champion Petra Kvitová in straight sets.

“Just like our first two years, we once again have a first-class field of top American and international up-and-coming WTA players in our field,” said Ralph Goehring, CCPTO tournament director Templeton Tennis Ranch owner. “It always amazes me how the Central Coast Pro Tennis Open has been able to attract some of the biggest names ready to break through on tour. With the addition of CoCo and Genie, we have two of the biggest names currently on the WTA Tour.”

Also receiving a USTA wild card into the tournament is former world top 20 player Varvara Lepchenko and former University of Michigan star Emina Bektas.

Others notables in the main draw include: former French open quarterfinalist Shelby Rogers, as well as fellow former collegiate stars Irina Falconi (Georgia Tech) and Danielle Lao (USC). Santa Barbara’s Kayla Day has also made the main draw as the former US Open Girls’ Junior champion has a current WTA ranking just inside the world No. 350.

Former Arroyo Grande High star Sophie Whittle has concluded her college career at Gonzaga University where she was the Western State Conference Player of the Year and will play in qualifying on Monday, as will 2018 USTA Girls’ Nationals 18s singles champion Ashley Kratzer and 2019 Girls’ Nationals winner Katie Volynets. Both players are past wild-card entrants into the main draw at the US Open.

—S. Pratt

@NAOMI_OSAKA_, @DIESCHWARTZMAN EARN 2019 @USOPEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS

Posted by Admin on September 5, 2019

Posted in: ATP, US Open, USTA, WTA. Tagged: 2019 Sportsmanship Prize, ATP World Tour, Diego Schwartzman, Grand Slam, Naomi Osaka, new york, US Open Tennis, WTA Tour. Leave a comment

<str unnamed (5) @NAOMI_OSAKA, @DIESCHWARTZMAN EARN 2019 @USOPEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS

FLUSHING, N.Y., September 5, 2019 – World No. 1 and 2018 US Open champion Naomi Osaka and 2019 US Open quarterfinalist Diego Schwartzman were awarded the women’s and men’s 2019 US Open Sportsmanship Award, respectively, on Thursday. The award is presented to the professional tennis players who best demonstrate excellence in sportsmanship throughout the US Open Series and the US Open.

“Naomi and Diego are both tremendous competitors and athletes, but at this year’s US Open, and throughout the entire summer, they have demonstrated a level of sportsmanship that is even more impressive than their play on the court,” said Todd Martin, co-chair of the US Open Sportsmanship Award Selection Committee. “We are incredibly pleased to present them with this year’s US Open Sportsmanship Awards, and thank them for being true role models and inspirations for all those that play the game.”

Diego Schwartzman (L) defeated Alexander Zverev (R) in the fourth round (Peter Staples/USTA).

Eligibility requirements for winners include participating in at least two Series tournaments, as well as the 2019 US Open. Each US Open Sportsmanship Award winner receives a trophy and a $5,000 donation to the charity of his or her choice.

The USTA started a Sportsmanship Committee in 2011. Its charge is to “educate and inspire youngsters and their parents to develop and exhibit a high degree of sportsmanship and an attitude of fair play and mutual respect on and off the tennis court. Underlying the charge is the ethical imperative that fairness is more important than winning.”

The USTA Sportsmanship Award Selection Committee is comprised of USTA representatives, former players and journalists, including Co-Chairs Todd Martin and Lars Rosene, Jon Vegosen, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Chanda Rubin, Joel Drucker, Steve Flink and Matt Cronin.

Dangerous @DenisKudla Advances to First @USOpen R3, Set to Face @DjokerNole Tomorrow

Posted by Admin on August 29, 2019

Posted in: ATP, New York, US Open. Tagged: arlington, ATP World Tour, denis kudla, Dusan Lajovic, junior tennis champions center, new york, novak djokovic, ukraine, us open, usta, Virginia, Washington D.C.. Leave a comment

Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Dangerous @DenisKudla Advances to First @USOpen R3, Set to Face @DjokerNole Tomorrow
Steve Fogleman in Flushing Meadows

American Denis Kudla took a giant step forward in his tennis career on Thursday at the US Open in New York, advancing to the 3rd round of America’s Open in four sets against the red hot Dusan Lajovic, 7-5, 7-5, 0-6, 6-3. The win earns Kudla a date with Novak Djokovic on a stadium court tomorrow and questions have arisen about the Serb’s shoulder after last night’s match.

This match was all Kudla in the first and second sets, but Lajovic dug deep and won the third set at love. Kudla did a hard reset and erased memories of the third set to win an extremely competitive fourth set and final game at 5-3 as Kudla needed five match points to close it out.

Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

“I mean the first two sets, I played really solid and had a lot of opportunities maybe to win those at 3 and 3,” Kudla said. “It was there I knew he was still trying to find his game. He’s beaten me three times before so I know his level wasn’t it’s highest and I needed to take advantage, but out of 3 out of 5 sets you have a chance to find your game.”

Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Kudla admitted he played “a little sloppy” in the third and Lajovic ran away with the set.

“I was like, O.K., I’ve got to dig in,” Kudla said of the fourth set. “It was 5-3, 40-love and then I just got super tight” before winning the match on his fifth match point.

Kudla said he watched the Djokovic match yesterday, and he’s not too worried about any weakness on the part of the world #1. “Even if he’s on one leg, he’s still tough.”

Kudla also spoke of the desire to play the best players early. “You want to play the top guys early,” he said. “That’s when they’re the most vulnerable. You play them in the quarters and semis, that’s when these guys are five matches deep playing some unreal tennis and it almost feels like it’s impossible.”

Impossible is not the word I’m thinking when assessing Kudla’s chances tomorrow.

It’s a First @USOpen Round 3 for @Ons_Jabeur After Comeback Win Against Sasnovich

Posted by Admin on August 29, 2019

Posted in: New York, US Open, WTA. Tagged: 2019 US Open, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Karim Kammoun, new york, Ons Jabeur, Tunisia, Womens Tennis, WTA Tour. Leave a comment

Ons Jabeur, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

It’s a First @USOpen Round 3 for @Ons_Jabeur After Comeback Win Against Sasnovich
Steve Fogleman in Flushing Meadows

Ons Jabeur said that today is her birthday, even though yesterday was the official date. Jabeur was all smiles as she told press that she didn’t like yesterday, so she “changed” her birthday to today and promptly presented herself with a 25th birthday gift in the form of a Round 3 US Open appearance after a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in New York.

“It’s amazing, I mean, I love it in here. I love a city that is busy, noisy, I love the City that doesn’t sleep. I love playing on these courts.”

Ons Jabeur, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

I’m glad that I stayed focused and got the energy to move better in the second and third set and I’m happy to be in the third round.”

Though she appeared in the third round at Roland Garros in 2017, Jabeur said she’s a more mature player now. “I couldn’t realize how I made it to the third round with less experience than now. Now I feel like I know what I’m doing on the courts. I have a great team behind me now.”

Part of that team includes Karim Kammoun, her fitness coach and husband. He planted a very romantic courtside kiss on Jabeur after the win.

“It was a long day yesterday, so it was kind of tough to wake up this morning to get in good shape on the court,” she said. Sasnovich “has a tricky game, she doesn’t give you the same, so I had to adjust my movements,” she continued. “I tried to not play her game, hit, hit, like she likes. Of course, mixing is my specialty so I try to put more pressure on her, and not giving up any points. That helped me when I was down 15-40. It helped me win more games, especially in the second set.”

Ons Jabeur, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

The Tunisian took up tennis at 3, and she reflected on her beginnings. “My mother (Samira) wanted to play tennis from a long time ago, and when she became a mom, I was the youngest one, and she took me with her to the club. I started to play a little bit with the small racket.”

“Her love for tennis gave me the opportunity to be here today,” she reflected. Mom’s not in NYC, but could be there on a moment’s notice but there’s one problem: she’s worried about being a jinx for her daughter since Ons has already won twice this week without her.

A more mature Jabeur faces #3 seed Karolina Pliskova in Round 3. The two have never met. An upset could be in the making.

First On at @USOpen, @KeiNishikori Punches Ticket to Third Round

Posted by Admin on August 28, 2019

Posted in: ATP, New York, US Open. Tagged: 2019 US Open, ATP World Tour, bradley klahn, Grand Slam, japan, Kei Nishikori, LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM, United States, usta national tennis center. Leave a comment

First on @USOpen, @KeiNishikori Punches Ticket to Third Round
Steve Fogleman in Queens

Morning rain delayed outdoor courts to a late start at the US Open in New York today, so Kei Nishikori and Bradley Klahn found themselves the center of all attention for an hour on Louis Armstrong Stadium at 11:00 a.m. It was a first meeting for both players, both 29 years old. Nishikori’s US Open main draw record improved to 25-9. Coming into the match, Klahn’s US Open record resembled the record of a rebuilding NFL franchise at 4-12.

Nishikori made the quarterfinals of every grand slam in 2019 and he’s halfway to that mark after the win today.

Kei cruised in the first set but his play was marred with errors in the second, giving up a pair of breaks to the American. He found comfortable form in the third but gave up two breaks of serve in the fourth to give a little false hope to Klahn. In the end, Klahn’s 18 aces could only keep him in the match for so long as Nishikori prevailed, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Kei will play either Alex de Minaur or Cristian Garin on Friday.

First @USOpen Win in 6 Years for @Riske4Rewards; DiLorenzo, @JuliaGoerges Advance to Second Round Clash

Posted by Admin on August 27, 2019

Posted in: US Open, WTA. Tagged: alison riske, andrea petkovic, Francesca DiLorenzo, Garbine Muguruza, Julia Georges, new york, petra kvitova, us open, wta tennis. Leave a comment

Alison Riske, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

First @USOpen Win in 6 Years for @Riske4Rewards; DiLorenzo, @JuliaGoerges Advance to Second Round Clash
Steve Fogleman in Queens

Pittsburgh’s Alison Riske has seen a lot over the course of her eleven year pro career: marriage, a WTA title, Wimbledon quarterfinals, competition on six continents, Fed Cup glory. But wins at her home grand slam haven’t come easy. Today, for just the first time since 2013, Riske prevailed in a three set comeback win over Garbine Muguruza of Spain by a final of 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes.

Muguruza looked comfortable in the first set and you sensed it would be another first round letdown for the American. Riske battled back with a sizzling net game, winning 83% of net points in the match. Muguruza hit only 24 winners in the match. Riske, who is through to the second round for the second time in her career, faces Latvian Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday.

Julia Goerges, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

American Francesca DiLorenzo won her second straight first round US Open match, this year upending Veronika Kudermetova, 7-6, 6-2. She gets Julia Goerges for her trouble: The German had a nasty three set battle against Natalia Vikhlyantseva which was decided by a final tiebreak.

Belinda Bencic, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)