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Defending champion Naomi Osaka stretched her Grand Slam win streak to 16 matches on Monday on the US Open whereas Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas struggled previous Andy Murray in 5 units.
Australia’s contingent of gamers, in the meantime, acquired off to a combined begin, with three defeats and two victories on the opening day at Flushing Meadows.
Osaka, in search of her third US Open crown in 4 years, defeated 87th-ranked Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-1 at a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium to e book a second-round matchup with Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic.
“It feels form of loopy to play in entrance of everybody once more,” Osaka mentioned. “I really feel actually snug right here. I’m simply glad I gained.”
Osaka beat Bouzkova of their solely prior assembly within the first spherical of this 12 months’s Australian Open on the way in which to her fourth Grand Slam title.
The 23-year-old Japanese star might develop into the primary back-to-back US Open girls’s champion since Serena Williams, out this 12 months with a torn hamstring, gained her third in a row in 2014.
Osaka’s main win streak contains her most up-to-date US and Australian Open wins and a first-round win at this 12 months’s French Open earlier than withdrawing over psychological well being points.
Osaka, who lit the cauldron on the Tokyo Olympics, gave an Olympic pin to a younger woman in the identical venue the place she gained final 12 months’s title when followers had been banned as a result of Covid-19.
“It felt fairly lonely for me,” she mentioned. “So I’m fairly glad to see little youngsters within the viewers and grown ups too. The vitality right here is unmatched.”
Osaka broke Bouzkova within the tenth sport of the primary set when the Czech netted a backhand, the broke for a 2-0 lead within the second set on the way in which to victory in 93 minutes.
Dishonest claims –
Tsitsipas outlasted Britain’s Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, by 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 after four hours and 49 minutes in surroundings more like an intense second-week showdown than a curtain-raiser for the fortnight.
“To have an electrical ambiance out right here is one thing we’ve been ready for,” Tsitsipas mentioned.
Two-time Olympic champion Murray, ranked 112th misplaced for the primary time in 15 first-round US Open matches.
“It didn’t come simple,” Tsitsipas mentioned.
Tsitsipas, this 12 months’s French Open runner-up, took a protracted break earlier than the ultimate set, irritating Murray, who surrendered a break within the opening sport. Delay ways introduced a frosty reception on the internet after the match.
“I’ve zero time for that stuff in any respect and I misplaced respect for him,” Murray mentioned. “It’s nonsense. And he is aware of it, as effectively.”
Tsitsipas, who performs Frenchman Adrian Mannarino subsequent, mentioned he adopted ATP guidelines on breaks and medical timeouts, whilst Murray questioned the size and timing.
“I’m enjoying by the foundations and sticking to what the ATP says is truthful,” mentioned Tsitsipas. “Then the remainder is okay.”
Within the second-set tie-breaker, Murray slipped on the internet and fell as a result of his sweat-soaked sneakers had been moist and he didn’t have one other pair. Murray missed out on two set factors and the 23-year-old Greek star gained 5 of the following six factors to seize the set and degree the match.
“The sneakers acquired so moist that on the finish of the set, I used to be slipping mainly and was shedding steadiness,” Murray mentioned. “That was my dangerous. It was an vital second within the match.” Murray broke within the second sport of the third set and held out from there, however Tsitsipas took the final two units to advance.
– Kyrgios’ horror return caps disappointing day for Aussies –
Nick Kyrgios missed the 2020 US Open due to the Covid pandemic.
However on his return to Flushing Meadows, the controversial Australian determine misplaced his head in opposition to Roberto Bautista Agut.
By the top of the third, the exit was his best friend as he slumped to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 loss.
Kyrgios was irked early within the match due to Covid protocols that didn’t enable his towel to be near him in scorching circumstances.
It acquired the higher of him, as he took out his frustration on skilled umpire Carlos Bernardes and, later, his personal staff.
READ MORE
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The late Monday evening defeat (native time) got here after fellow Australians John Millman (7-6, 7-6, 6-1), James Duckworth (4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2) and Astra Sharma (6-0, 6-4) went down.
The information was higher for Alexei Popyrin, who gained in 4 units (6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3) over Radu Albot.
– Crowd vitality returns –
Spectators needed to present proof of vaccination to attend however they introduced vitality again to Ashe.
“Taking part in with out followers right here was brutal,” 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens mentioned. “Having these followers out and the vitality, the ambiance, it brings so much again to tennis.” Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep and Stephens every gained to succeed in the second spherical.
“You are feeling the vitality. You are feeling alive on courtroom,” Halep mentioned. “Hopefully it’ll keep like that ceaselessly.” Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 for his two hundredth profession match win and one hundred and sixtieth win on hardcourts.
Ladies’s second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus outlasted Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0 whereas Russian males’s fifth seed Andrey Rublev ousted 221st-ranked Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
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