Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday launched the defense of his US Open crown with a brisk victory after his opponent suffered an injury, as third seed Daniil Medvedev strolled into the second round with a quick-fire win and Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou survived Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis to earn his first win at a Grand Slam.
Alcaraz, returning to the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he lifted his first Grand Slam as a teenager a year ago, was in control after Germany’s Dominik Koepfer rolled his left ankle badly in the opening game.
Koepfer tried to continue despite being in obvious discomfort, but called it quits while trailing 3-2 in the second set after dropping the first 6-2.
Photo: AFP
“That’s not the best way to get through into another round,” world No. 1 Alcaraz said. “But I have to say on my side I was playing great.”
Alcaraz, who faces Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the second round, is on course to face 2021 US Open champion Medvedev in the semi-finals.
Medvedev opened his account with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Hungary’s Attila Balazs in just 74 minutes.
Photo: AFP
The Russian is to face Australia’s Christopher O’Connell in the second round tomorrow for a spot in the last 32.
“That’s probably the fastest three-set match I played,” Medvedev said after his blistering demolition of Balazs.
Twenty-four-year-old World No. 237 Hsu overcame world No. 78 Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in 2 hours, 52 minutes to become only the third Taiwanese man to win a round in a Grand Slam tournament, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) reported.
Photo: AFP
Hsu is to play world No. 16 Cameron Norrie of Australia in the second round.
In other men’s singles matches, former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka became the oldest man to win a match at the tournament since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1992.
Wawrinka, 38, earned his first win in New York in four years as he beat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round.
“I never forgot why I start playing tennis and what I was dreaming when I was young, is to play US Open, to play those Grand Slams, big tournaments, ATP tournaments, to be there,” the Swiss player said. “I’m happy I can still play at that level.”
In the women’s draw, Venus Williams bowed out of her record-extending 24th US Open, with the seven-time Grand Slam champion losing 6-1, 6-1 to Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
The 43-year-old tennis icon was no match for her 26-year-old opponent, who was born just weeks before Williams played her first Grand Slam final at the US Open in 1997.
Williams, whose ranking has dipped to 410th in the world, was never in contention against Minnen who dominated all facets of the match for a comfortable win.
The veteran US player, whose season was blown off course by a knee injury at Wimbledon, refused to give any clue as to when she might decide to follow her younger sister, Serena Williams, into retirement.
Asked what would be the decisive factor in determining her next career move, she said: “I wouldn’t tell you so I don’t know why you’re asking.”
Still, she lavished praise on Minnen, saying she had the talent to reach the pinnacle of the women’s game.
“There wasn’t a shot she couldn’t make,” Venus Williams said. “Even when I hit really amazing shots, she just hit a winner or a drop shot.”
“It was just incredible, honestly. I mean, if she can play like that, you imagine that she can be in the top 10 or perhaps No. 1 or maybe win a Grand Slam.”
Meanwhile, second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukraine-born Belgian Maryna Zanevska.
The end of the match was tinged with controversy as Zanevska declined to shake hands with Sabalenka in protest at Belarus’ military support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I know I’m representing Belgium, but all my family are in Ukraine,” Zanevska said. “I have family fighting on the front line. And I think if I shake her hand it would be the same as spitting in the face of them.”
In the mixed doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Salvadoran partner Marcelo Arevalo are today to play the US’ Ryan Harrison and Danielle Collins, while Latish Chan and Ivan Dodig of Croatia are to face Tim Putz of Germany and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico, and Chan Hao-ching and Lloyd Glasspool of the UK are to play Ellen Perez of Australia and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands.
In women’s doubles, Hsieh and Chinese partner Wang Xinyu are today to play Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic and Camila Osorio of Colombia. Latisha Chan and Chinese partner Yang Zhaoxuan are to face Anna Blinkova of Russia and Varvara Gracheva of France, while Chan Hao-ching and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico are to play Ingrid Neel of Estonia and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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