US Open 2020

First topic message reminder :

Devoid of many top players or not, the USO starts on Monday.

I know some will feel that this is a devalued Slam with so many absentees. But others might reckon there are no asterisks (*) in sport. Jan Kodes, for example, is still 1973 Wimbledon champion despite the mass boycott.

What it does mean is that Djoko looks an almost certain winner in New York this time. I would have put him as favourite even if there had been a full field of players. What does that make him now? Super-favourite, mega-favourite, a shoo-in?

The bad news for Kyle Edmund is that he could face Djoko in the second round. Murray starts against Nishioka and could later meet Dan Evans. Konta begins against Heather Watson, while Cameron Norrie has a tough one against Diego Schwartzman.

Apart from seeing how far Murray can go, probably the only interest in the men's is to see just who will emerge to play Djoko in the final. Or have I got it wrong?

The women's Slams have been unpredictable of late even when everyone turns up so gawd knows who's likely to win this time. You could argue it's all set up for Serena but I don't think anyone is afraid of her any more and each of her recent Slam final performances have been really poor.

And that should be that. Djoko breaks in the first game of the fourth set.

Better news on No 5 Court. Cameron Norrie leads Coria 3-0 in the first set.

Novak Djokovic beats Kyle Edmund 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-2. Edmund just could not maintain his first set standard and Djoko ran out a comfortable winner in the end in just under 3 and a quarter hours.

Cameron Norrie wins the first set 6-3 against Federico Coria. He is two sets away from reaching the third round in a slam event for the first time.

It is good that Djokovic is supporting this tournament.  Maybe without him the amount of worldwide interest would not be so great.  But for those promoting tennis the key is the global market - so if interest falls in Europe maybe it would pick up in Asia etc.  

But there doesn't seem to be any indicator of a "great" or "all time great" on the horizon.   Perhaps we were lucky to witness the Federer - Nadal - Djokovic - Murray era.   I think Murray was one of the greats - but he was around when three of the all-time-greats were around.  I think he could have picked up ten slams easily otherwise.

Congratulations to Cameron Norrie. He has beaten Coria 6-3 6-4 6-4 to teach the Third Round of a slam for tge first time. He got the job done with the minimum fuss.

Good win for Norrie. Murray has another tough match today but may be helped by playing a relatively-inexperienced player who will have played few five-setters.

F A-A also has a long match on Monday but will probably be in better shape than Andy.

sirfredperry wrote:Good win for Norrie. Murray has another tough match today but may be helped by playing a relatively-inexperienced player who will have played few five-setters.

F A-A also has a long match on Monday but will probably be in better shape than Andy.

The scheduler has been very kind to Andy Murray giving him the maximum time to recover from his marathon match on Monday. He will be the last match today on Arthur Ashe Court with his match against Felix Augur-Aliassime (No 15 seed) due to start around 2am (UK Time). I have to favour the young gun here if we take the circumstances into account. Murray has been out of competitive tennis for so long, has undergone a hip replacement and had a 4 hours 39 minutes match two days ago which will surely takes its toll. Andy can't afford another slow start. He has to hit the ground running and take it from there with first serve firing plus must return better than he did in his first match.

Konta I'd say should make it through to Round Three along with Dan Evans.

Shame about Edmund dropping off so quickly yesterday. I felt he had a real chance with the number of errors Djokovic was making in the first set, but it was virtually game over after he lost his serve early in the second.

Agree that it'll be another tough one for Murray, but I think he'll come through. Winning the first set will be of paramount importance.

Duty281 wrote:Shame about Edmund dropping off so quickly yesterday. I felt he had a real chance with the number of errors Djokovic was making in the first set, but it was virtually game over after he lost his serve early in the second.

Agree that it'll be another tough one for Murray, but I think he'll come through. Winning the first set will be of paramount importance.

Its one of those things that Edmund will need to incorporate into his game. He'll need to eradicate dips in performance levels as the level of the first set he needs for the match to be in with a chance of beating the likes of Djokovic.

Andy definitely needs to win the first set. I'd go as far as to say whoever wins the first set wins the match.

Sobering thought that 16-yr-old America Katrina Scott, now on court and a set up, was not even born when Federer first became number one.

I guess F A-A is favourite tonight but I expect to wake up happily surprised at the result.

Jo Konta off to a good start. She leads Cirstea 5-2.

Konta well on her way now. She leads 6-2 and a break up in the second set leading 2-1.

Cirstea comes back from a break down to take the second set on a tie-breaker to level with Konta at one set-all.

Konta in troubke now. Cirstea breaks early in the third set.

Konta breaks straight back and 2-2 in the deciding set.

Cilic through in four sets in three hours.

Konta's level too erratic just now. Having real battles to hold her serbe. Cirstea looking the more solid at 3-3.

On her sixth break point in the game Cirstea breaks Konta to lead 4-3 in the third set.

Konta has three break back points in the next game but cannot take them. Cirstea leads 5-3 in the decider. One game away from the Third Round.

Thiem coasts through to the Third Round in straight sets.

And Jo Konta is out of the US Open. Cirstea wins 2-6 7-6 6-4. Cirstea much the stronger when the chips were done. Next up on the same court is Dan Evans.

Konta seems to excel at the Slams only if she's up against a top player. Make her favourite for a match and she sometimes stumbles.

Let's hope Dan Evans can get a win tonight.

Moutet breaks Evans serve straight away.

Grigor Dimitrov involved in a real endurance battle with Marton Fucsovics. He leads 7-6 5-5 with two hours 20 minutes played.

Also into their fourth set and tge battle of the Canadians sees Pospisil lead Raonic two sets to one after well over tgree hours on court.

Evans needs to hold here or else the firat set could be over in a flash. Moutet leads 2-0.

Fucsovics levels with Dimitrov at one set all after 2 hours 34 minutes.

Milos Raonic is out beaten in four sets by his fellow countryman Vasek Pospisil. Another seed bites the dust.

Evans breaks back to level at 4-4.

Moutet blowing his top at the end of the first set. Complaining Evans moving on serve and is done for racquet abuse. Evans breaks to win the set 6-4.

Dimitrov leads two sets to one. Evans you feel just neefs to keep his concentration here and Moutet will self-combust. A bit of needle between the two. Evans leads 6-4 2-1.

Moutet breaks in the second set. Crazy on-court mind games going on. Both looking to wind-up the other. Evans leads 6-4 2-3.

Really engrossing battle between Dimitrov and Fucsovics. The Hungarian probably should have won the first set but didn't take his chances. Since then he showed tremendous heart to repeatedly come back in the second set and eventually win it (needing to break back three times in a row to do so), but his service game fell apart midway through the third set, and now Dimitrov is overpowering him.

Haven't seen a lot of Fucsovics before. He has a really crisp forehand and an excellent return% during points, but is let down by poor approach play at the net and a pretty ordinary backhand.

The volatile Frenchman Moutet takes the second set to level with Evans at one set all.

Fucsovics levels with Dimitrov at two sets all with four hours ten minutes on the clock.

Evans has an early break in the third set. He leads 6-4 3-6 2-0.

Amazing Hungarian heart to break back twice and claim the fourth set. He looked beaten halfway through it.

Tiafoe beats Millman in five sets in just under four hours.

Moutet breaks back to level at 3-3 in the third set. Rain threatening.

Evans edges ahead again with another break. Fucsovics a break up in the deciding set against Dimitrov.

Moutet breaks back to level at 4-4 in the third. Evans maybe with a leg injury.

Fucsovics beats Dimitrov in a five set epic inside a few minutes short of five hours.

Evans and Moutet locked at 5-5 in the third set. You kind of fell whoever wins this set wins the match.

Evans with a game point at 5-6 in the third set and play is on hold as light rain falls. Close to three hours played.

And the players leave the court.

Evans will need to return tomorrow to complete his match.

Well the early signs don't look good for Murray. Already a break down, movements look very stiff and robotic, and this young Canadian lad looks a cut above with a brutal first serve, some gorgeous winners, and a blistering fast forehand.

Early days, admittedly, but don't see Murray coming back from here.

Duty281 wrote:Well the early signs don't look good for Murray. Already a break down, movements look very stiff and robotic, and this young Canadian lad looks a cut above with a brutal first serve, some gorgeous winners, and a blistering fast forehand.

Early days, admittedly, but don't see Murray coming back from here.

I would agree.

It was always going to be a big ask. Asking him to recover from a 4 hours 39 minutes match and that after being out of the sport for so long. On top of that Augur-Aliassime is one of the rising stars with youth on his side.

Auger--Aliassime takes the first set 6-2 in 42 minutes.