Novak Djokovic has barely played any tennis. Rafael Nadal is improving. Andy Murray hasn’t been seriously threatened. What else is going on at the USTA National Tennis Center? It’s been an exciting week of action so far but the landscape really hasn’t changed. It still looks like this is Djokovic’s tournament to lose and he’ll probably only get a real challenge from Murray or Nadal, or possibly Juan Martin del Potro, who has experienced a resurgence. With that in mind, here are the four things we learned from the first week of action in the 2016 U.S. Open.
American Tennis Is On The Rise
There are plenty of young and talented Americans in the draw and they have certainly made their presence felt. The first week belongs to them. Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz may have lost in the first round but they made their fellow American opponents John Isner and Jack Sock work hard for every point. Tiafoe was mighty close to a win (he served for the match) but cracked under enormous pressure. Sock almost let the two sets to love lead slip but hung in tough and came through in five sets.
While Fritz and Tiafoe have hogged the limelight, the most impressive American youngster has been Jared Donaldson, who played the best match of his career to upset the No. 12 seed David Goffin in four sets and then backed it up by taking care of Victor Troicki in the second round.
Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier held the American flag high in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now exactly a decade later after Agassi’s retirement, the American tennis has come alive with Fritz, Tiafoe and Donaldson, who are riding the hopes of the nation. Can they emulate the past American greats?
ATP Top Seeds Are Also Susceptible To Upsets
Women’s tennis is often scrutinized and criticized for its unpredictability. While there are too many upsets on the women’s side, this time it was the men’s fifth seed who endured the shock of the year. Ryan Harrison, ranked 120 in the world, scored the biggest win of his career when he saw off a depleted Milos Raonic to complete the first massive upset at this year’s U.S. Open. Following his Wimbledon exploits, the Canadian was primed for a deep run in New York and was penciled as the third favorite in the list of contenders, but he was seen hobbling in pain, and it appeared he was on the verge of retirement at any point. Overall, the left wrist issue, painful cramping, nerves and stress, and continuous brilliance from Harrison all contributed to an unceremonious exit. Harrison made the third round of a Grand Slam event for the first time.
Juan Martin del Potro’s Return Continues To Inspire
Juan Martin del Potro needed three surgeries to get his wrist fully healed. He protects his wrist by hitting a slice backhand that weirdly works as a great defensive option. On Thursday night, del Potro beat the highest seeded American, Steve Johnson, in straight sets. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered for his thundering forehands more than they did for their local lad Johnson. Del Potro’s win also signaled that he is ready to back his Rio triumph, a silver medal, with a deep run in the Big Apple. He looks reasonably fresh and should be able to advance a few more rounds.
It’s Noisy Under The Roof
The chair umpire made a request to spectators inside Arthur Ashe Stadium: Ladies and Gentlemen, quiet, please. It’s quite noisy inside here, if you could please help out and keep the volume down that would help the players.
Arthur Ashe Stadium has one major drawback. It’s the noise. The noise level has elevated dramatically with a closed roof. While the $150 million roof protected the tournament from rain, the surrounding noise proved to be a distraction to the players, fans and the chair umpire. The United States Tennis Association will do better with sound dampening devices next year.
