Tag: US Open

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US Open: Medvedev reaches third straight semi-final, to face Auger-Aliassime

Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the semi-finals a year ago to eventual winner Dominic Thiem, is one of the main candidates aiming to thwart Novak Djokovic’s bid for a calendar Grand Slam.

World number two Daniil Medvedev dropped his first set at this year’s U.S. Open but eventually overcame Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 to reach his third straight semi-final at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

Van de Zandschulp had enjoyed a remarkable run, taking down 11th seed Diego Schwartzman to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, where he fired off 20 forehand winners and was the first player here to take Medvedev past the two-hour mark.

The Dutch qualifier outlasted the Russian in a 20-shot rally and then converted on break point in the fifth game of the third set before taking it on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the first sign of weakness Medvedev had shown since arriving in New York.

But the 2019 runner-up, who fired down 13 aces in the match, came roaring back in the fourth set, winning all but two of his first-serve points and never facing a break point.

Van de Zandschulp fended off match point in the 10th game, holding his serve to wild applause from a rowdy New York crowd, but Medvedev responded with a quick hold and a break, helped by a double fault from the Dutchman.

The match was the first real challenge of the tournament for Medvedev, who looked on track to flatten yet another competitor at the start after getting up two breaks through the first five games.

The Australian Open runner-up never faced a break point in the second set, which he wrapped up in a brisk 22 minutes, but struggled in the third set, making 13 unforced errors, and van de Zandschulp pounced.

“First two sets were kind of under control. He was missing some balls, some important points,” said Medvedev. “Then third and fourth set was really tough. He played top level, served really big.

“Was breaking the rhythm a little bit, so was really tough set. I’m really happy that in the fourth I managed to, first of all, hold my serve really easily and managed to break him in the end where I had few opportunities to do before also.”

Medvedev, who lost in the semi-finals a year ago to eventual winner Dominic Thiem, is one of the main candidates aiming to thwart world number one Novak Djokovic’s bid for a calendar Grand Slam – though he is not thinking about facing the 20-times major winner just yet.

“I don’t think about him, because as we saw, anybody can beat anybody. If he’s in the final, and if I’m there, I’m happy,” said Medvedev. He’s also happy, I guess.”

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Novak Djokovic reaches US Open third round despite rowdy spectator

World number one Novak Djokovic insisted he was not acting like a “spoiled brat” after complaining about a noisy spectator during his routine second-round win over Tallon Griekspoor at the US Open.

The Serbian’s quest for a calendar grand slam rarely looked like being derailed after posting a 6-2 6-3 6-2 win over the Dutchman on Arthur Ashe Stadium, even if a fan tried his best.

A rowdy spectator sat courtside was intent on trying to put Djokovic off, shouting right before he attempted an overhead smash, which was subsequently missed.

He continued to call out at key moments, which led the 20-time grand slam champion to complain to the umpire.

But Djokovic said: “When tennis players talk about that, someone who is watching team sports would say, ‘What a spoiled brat’.

“But it’s a different sport. Look, there’s a lot of noise happening on the stadium, particularly in the night sessions. I don’t mind that.

“Even sometimes during the point it happens that people out of excitement, they just scream or they release like a sound or whatever, sigh, whatever you call it. And that’s fine.

“But if someone intentionally does it over and over again, then I have tolerance up to a certain point, then it’s not correct, then it’s not fine. It’s not fair. I feel like it’s not good for us players.

“I mean, particularly that guy for some reason was calling, raising the sound and kind of screaming just before I would hit my smash, which was a big point. Before that he would do a few times. After that again.

“That wasn’t nice. That’s all. I don’t mind the noise. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s important for the entertainment, for the crowds, the music.

“I get it. But if someone does it over and over again, particularly when you are at his side, he knows why he’s doing it.

“The guy that I pointed out, he knew exactly what he was doing, and that’s all.”

Djokovic is aiming to add the US Open to his 2021 collection of Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles and will next face Kei Nishikori.

The Japanese, who last beat Djokovic in 2014 on his way to the final at Flushing Meadows, needed five sets to beat American Mackenzie McDonald.

Alexander Zverev reached the third round in ruthless fashion as he swept past Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

The fourth seed needed just an hour and 14 minutes to record a 6-1 6-0 6-3 win over his beleaguered Spanish opponent and make it 13 victories in a row.

Zverev, who appears the biggest obstacle to Novak Djokovic’s hopes of clinching the calendar Grand Slam, is riding a golden wave following his Olympic triumph and lost just nine points on serve in the match.

The German reached his first slam final at Flushing Meadows last year and led Dominic Thiem by two sets to love before the Austrian somehow found a way back.

“It was painful,” said Zverev. “I still remember it every single time I walk on this court but I take it as motivation because I’m back here, I have the opportunity to do better, I have the opportunity to hopefully play a great tournament, hopefully play for a grand slam title.”

Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini did not have things all his own way against Frenchman Corentin Moutet but came through 7-6 (2) 4-6 6-4 6-3 while 22nd seed Reilly Opelka was a 7-6 (1) 7-5 6-4 winner over young Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

There was a shock on Court Five, where veteran Italian Andreas Seppi, playing in an 18th consecutive US Open, defeated 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz 2-6 6-4 6-4 7-6 (6).

Seventh seed Denis Shapovalov made light work of Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, winning 7-6 (5) 6-3 6-0.

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US Open to be held without fans, confirms New York Governor

The US Open is scheduled to run from August 31 to September 13. It normally is each season’s fourth and final Grand Slam tournament but would be the second of 2020.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that the U.S. Open will held in late August as part of the state’s reopening from shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. Tennis Association had decided to go forward with its marquee event in New York City without spectators, pending an OK from the state.

Like many sports leagues, the professional tennis tours have been suspended since March because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The U.S. Open normally is each season’s fourth and final Grand Slam tournament but would be the second of 2020, following the Australian Open, which concluded in early February.

“We’re excited about the U.S. Open, which is going to be held in Queens, August 31 through September 13. It will be held without fans, but you can watch it on TV… and I’ll take that,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing in Albany.

The French Open was postponed from May and currently is scheduled to start a week after the U.S. Open ends. Wimbledon was canceled altogether for the first time since World War II in 1945.

Even with the go-ahead from the state, one significant question remains for the U.S. Open: Which players actually will participate? Such top names as both No. 1-ranked players, Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty, and defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal, have expressed reservations about heading to Flushing Meadows, where an indoor tennis facility was used as a temporary home for hundreds of hospital beds at the height of the city’s coronavirus crisis.

Already ruled out, regardless: Roger Federer, who has won five of his men’s record 20 Grand Slam singles titles at the U.S. Open but announced recently that he is out for the rest of the year after needing a second arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

With international TV contracts — including an annual average of $70 million from ESPN alone — helping offset the loss of money from ticket sales and other onsite revenue, and facing a recession that already led to the recent elimination of more than 100 jobs at the USTA, the association’s board decided to go forward with its marquee event despite concerns about COVID-19 and international travel.