US OPEN 2022

starts in a few hours
serena's last tournament (probably)

very probably:

https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words

Murray knocks out the #24 seed in straights. Van Rijthoven just saved six MPs vs qualifier Zheng and looks like forcing a fifth set. Harmony Tan doesn’t look like creating any first round drama here - bageled by Andreescu.

I say that and Tan breaks…

My Q pick to Do A Raducanu (not really): Leolia Jeanjean, if Gauff’s ankle is still a problem. I just like the name.

I’ve given the kiss of life to Harmony Tan.

Zheng missed seven match points, my score app hadn’t coloured one in :) I scrubbed back on the Prime feed to watch that part of the match. It’s scrappy stuff and he choked on at least one of them. TVR up a break in the 5th.

Wolf savages RBA in three.

wolf has incredible energy

Halep out, despite a love set, to Snigur!

I'm sorry players hitting ghost shots while the umpire prepares for the toss will never not be ridiculous and funny

tsitsy is down 0-6, 0-4 yikes

serena mishits a return that fortuitously just clips the back of the side and baseline…

…chrissy evert “it takes bravery to go for shots like that”

the serena worship is a little over the top, sorry

nah

If the entire tennis world can fit Federer’s nuts into their mouths for his entire career, they can give someone who is clearly among the best to ever play the game who was racially abused out of playing a major tournament for most of her career and over-the-top sendoff

wtf is that shirt fritz has on

tsitsipassed

federer > serena obv

You would say that

Don't see the need for comparisons.

Was afraid it would be a 1st round loss for Serena, glad it didn't turn out to be that way. Be awesome if she found some form and got deep into the tournament.

Raducanu out 1st round.

Last year was a one of a kind run. Wonder if she will ever reproduce it.

The good thing is that it happened; no one can take that away from her.

serena/kontaveit has been wildly entertaining

serena williams

That was fantastic

Venus/Serena beaten - their first r1 exit in a Slam since their 1997 debut, when they lost to Hetherington/Rinaldi - and *that* was Rinaldi's last tournament. And she was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros in 1981! So in the span of two careers we're back in the age of Borg wielding that black Donnay, and Hana M in Ellesse.

Four British men in last 32 of a Slam for only second time in Open era, and last time was '97 Wimbledon when we probably started with 15 wild cards :) But, as Evans says, "after Jack (Draper), there's no one".

Kanepi contriving to lose from a set and 5-1. Really can't call either of these singles events.

idk seems pretty obvious

medvedev v rafa

iga v serena

Ah, when you put it like that :)

Can you really see Serena winning another four matches? I think she's 50/50 vs Tomljanovic or Samsonova, but you may be right.

Medvedev-Kyrgios is the one I find hard to call (Wolf may derail that), don't think there's much impediment to a third final aside from Nick.
Nadal has a few more hurdles, I think.
Swiatek, now I check, has a clear path too.

look up the match pt of pcb/deminaur, you will thank me

oh my god

in a tiebreak too

tomjanovic’s kept her level this whole match, really good stuff from both players until the last few games

what a game and what a match

Enjoyed watching Ruud serenely reset after dropping the 4th vs Paul. PCB vs AdM extraordinary - I’d be happy with PCB as a Slam winner. I need to see longer highlights of Serena-Tomlj, the point by point of the decider looks wild.

Shame about Draper getting hurt just as he was started to overcome Khachanov. He’ll get plenty of chances at this level. Andy Murray, not so much.

never particularly liked serena but wow she is really amazing. even at 40 it still seems like people don't really beat her so much as they just hang on and hope she fucks up

that said, tomljanovic played wonderfully -- those backhands down the line were gorgeous -- in a really brutal environment

nice 3rd set there for gasquet, felt badly for him the first two sets

that kyrgios dropshot at 11-11 was so amazing

kyrgios is everything man

LMAO

I can’t believe I just saw that

LET TENNIS EVOLVE

this is fun as hell!

wasn’t there some question of whether he might retire after the australian back in january?

Good to see Kyrgios fulfilling his talent.

My "fun" scenario now is Tiafoe takes out Nadal, and Norrie, falls to Sinner in semi; Ruud beats Kyrgios in other semi, loses to Sinner in final. Ruud is world #1 without a Slam title, a la Marcelo Rios.
Hoping for a Gauff-Jabeur semi too.

(Better, Ruud would be #1 without even a Masters-1000 title. At least Rios won the Sunshine Double in '98. Anyway, 90% not gonna happen...)

Nadal is 2-1 down in sets.

Tiafoe isn't giving him much of a look in on his serve. Roof is being closed; not sure who this change of conditions favours, if anyone.

They played while the roof was closing and Tiafoe got sufficiently distracted to toss in a double and a flubbed volley; Nadal breaks.

And Tiafoe breaks back. He might be able to do this in four. I don't think he'll do it in five.

Nadal seem obliged to club his second serve, doubling often as a result... and Tiafoe breaks again. Two service holds away from the best win of his career.

2 holds away

‘foe has played better than rafa in every aspect of the game tday tbh

rafa has barely won any points on tiafoes deuce court serve all match

Great win! Delighted. First defeat for Nadal in a completed match at Flushing Meadow since Pouille took him out in 2016.

TIAFOE

The last time none of Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were in the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam: 2003 U.S. Open.

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) September 5, 2022

men’s QF roster without any previous slam winners, Kyrgios is the oldest of the bunch at 27

Really beautiful to see.

Alcaraz-Cilic finished at 2:25am. Sinner-Ivashka had 20 breaks of serve! I know I picked Sinner as champ but he's some way short of his best so far.

big vibe shift toward the end of the second set of berretini-ruud

I missed the hour where Ruud couldn’t miss and just caught the end, where both were mis-firing.

Jabeur a set up and trading breaks with Tomljanovic

Jabeur through at the TB. Should've been a third set, there were points where she barely kept it together.

coco served 80% and lost the set :\

garcia just the better player tonight

I haven’t seen much of Garcia but the little I’ve seen wasn’t nearly as in fire as she was in this match

haven’t seen much of her either but I think she’s played really well this summer

shes on a crazy tear rn, hope its a good semi vs ons

kyrgios hurt or something. his fashion blogger girlfriend is pretty plainly dressed tonight, maybe they had a big fight

mcenroe extremely touchy when fowler and gilbert suggest his long doubles match yesterday might be contributing to his sluggishness today

Kyrgios gonna have to break and idk if I can see that happening rn

also who the fuck does he keep yelling at and why

oooh he's going god mode again

also who the fuck does he keep yelling at and why

― frogbs, Wednesday, September 7, 2022 12:05 AM (twenty-three minutes ago) bookm

it’s his box and because it’s his way of pumping himself up

Beat the #1, lose to the #27. Pretty much sums him up

super bummer

Keeps alive prospect of all-RUS (or all-(blank)) final which I’m sure everyone is thrilled about.

Garcia looked fantastic. Khachanov was on his way out vs Draper!

"Keeps alive prospect of all-RUS (or all-(blank)) final which I’m sure everyone is thrilled about."

That would be awesome.

tiafoe into the semis

v mature, straightforward match… one break the entire match… not a ton btwn him and rublev but foe was better at the net and in big moments

Sinner-Alcaraz is lit

insane level

This is the first night session match since… Nadal-Thiem QF in 2018 that I’ve been able to watch when I wake up!

I didn’t do my guy any favours. Turned on with Sinner serving at 3-2 40/15 and he didn’t win another game. Extraordinary stuff.

I was hoping they’d beat Edberg-Chang! 5h14.

Why can't the world all be in a one time zone!

I'm leaving the UK for a long weekend tomorrow, so my Prime Video won't work (and a quick Google suggests that Amazon are wise to most VPNs), so that's the end of my live viewing (can't stay awake for Garcia-Jabeur at midnight tonight)! Went out on a good one.

My memories of Edberg-Chang (5h26) 30 years ago: this was still the era of Super Saturday, when the USTA squeezed the women's final between the two men's semis for maximum TV revenue. So it started 11am local time, in front of empty seats. BBC coverage was, I guess, intended to be a mid-evening highlights show but when it was still going at 9pm BST, they cut to live. Gardener's World or the like had to yield :) And that was the last year BBC ever had the US Open, IIRC.

After Nadal dragged himself through 7-6 in the 5th vs Thiem four years ago, he couldn't finish the semi vs Delpo. Alcaraz has now had two straight post-2am finishes. But he's 19. I imagine he'll be fine.

We'll see, the fatigue could be in the mind more than the body.

extremely shook showing from garcia tonight

ram/salisbury win dubs, back to back champs (first b2b mens dubs winners since the woodies 95/96)

55 shot rally for ruud to take set 1

He won the 2nd too.

Now a TB at the 3rd.

Sorry 6-5 actually, and Khachanov has two set points on the Rudd serve

Converts it. Onto a 4th!

Rudd was awesome there. On BP there was a great defensive love then finished it with a bullet fh!

*lob

Rudd has just take the match by the scruff if the neck. Double break and on his way

Utterly dominant, 6-2 with a fantastic drop shot.

incredible persistence from tiafoe. getting steamrolled for the past 2 hours and somehow forces a 5th set

incredible effort by tiafoe

alcaraz seems inevitable tho, like the kind of guy with a chance to win double digit majors

That was a sweet match. Tiafoe had no business being in it but gutted it out. First serve needs work!

I know what you mean about Alcaraz, a few more character building defeats wouldn’t go amiss at this stage, just to delay the coronation. But who knows; the order in which I encountered these kids was Sinner-Alcaraz-Musetti and each one was more impressive than the last on first sight so I’m still hoping Lorenzo comes through. And a bunch of mid-twentysomethings (PrevGen) who need to step up. Djokovic and Sampras took nearly three years after their maiden Slams to get back to that level, lots can happen.

Nearly 14 hours on court across three matches and 0-4 in tie-breaks, mind. Ruud has a good shot here. I think I said that about Roland Garros too :)

(I’ve managed to trick my way into watching some of this outside the UK too… hoping to see some of Iga-Ons tonight).

Man the movement is sublime.

CARLOS ALCARAZ IS A HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL pic.twitter.com/2ySEIlloEp

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022

re: double digit slams. Who knows? He might win one and the edge could come off. It's true that a lot changes.

Even here it's no guarantee. He has spent a hell of a lot of time on court.

his median projection has to be 5 or 6 slams, he’s that good

This final is on. Jabeur has just broken back.

Not really. Swiatek brutal: 6-2.

Jabeur broken and attempting drop shots. This is getting embarrassing.

Excellent serving from Ons to save herself after a df. This is the last chance saloon though.

Breaks!

Swiatek totally made the break back. Beautiful hits!

Great rallies to break back again.

Doubt we'll get a 3rd though.

2 more bps Jabeur!

She saved another too. Swiatek can now break for the title.

15/30

Excellent. 5-5.

Ons finally made a dropshot go over the net lol. 6-5.

0-30..

30/40 match point

Saves it and we go to a TB!! Great set.

Swiatek with a nervy fh: 4-4

lmao that iga changed rackets on champ pt

Up and down. Swiatek with another cp

She does it!

Not a great final so far, but it has picked up quite a bit in the middle of the 2nd. Ruud a break up

disagree, the level has been really good

Just hasn't been enough rallies for a stretch tbh.

Anyway, Ruud breaks again. Alcaraz has dropped off.

1-1 set all.

that was ruud’s first set won against alcaraz in his career, and first against a top-10 player in 2022

Alcaraz breaks straight away in the 3rd, that was some effort with a really great drop shot

Alcaraz has regrouped quick

Broken back. Alcaraz looking a bit tame

30-30, 4-4, longest rally if the match.

Ruud hangs on. 5-4

Fantastic fh Ruud. Sp

What an approach and volley Alcaraz

One more sp with that angled return

Serve and volley to save

Another epic point. Ruud with an attempted winner behind the legs. Alcaraz not having it. TB!

That was underwhelming. Alcaraz wins easy. 7-1.

that was ruud’s first set won against alcaraz in his career, and first against a top-10 player in 2022

That does not seem right:
2022-03-30 in Miami, Ruud vs Zverev (#4): 6-3 1-6 6-3
2022-08-12 in Montreal, Ruud vs Auger Aliassime (#9): 6-1 6-2
2022-08-13 in Montreal, Hurkacz (#10) vs Ruud: 5-7 6-3 6-2

This final has had an insane amount of play at the net.

mcenroe is no doubt jizzing himself

There's the break Alcaraz made that!

Alcaraz missed an easy volley but he is powering through..

That does not seem right:

Alcaraz to serve for the title

He has served 8 aces this set

And another for the title

sorry I meant in a grand slam

Right, then it checks out, but only really means he lost in straight sets to Nadal in the Roland-Garros final.

so lucky to watch him this run, double digit majors without question in his future

That was outstanding from both of them, really enjoyable final

Youngest men's grand slam winner since Michael Chang, right? Pretty amazing.

Since Nadal.