It was the first day of the final Slam of the year and there was plenty of great tennis to behold. We saw upsets from the get-go and quality tennis throughout the day. A retiring American tennis hero kept the dream alive a little longer while the “up-and-coming” American youngsters didn’t fare as well.
US Open Day 1 Recap: Nadal Survives
We also saw six retirements on the men’s side on the day. Retirements in Slams has crept up as early-round prize money increased because many players have become more inclined to show up and grab the paycheck even though they are not physically fit. That’s not what happened here on the men’s side, though (there are a few more questionable examples among the women). It was a hot and humid day and every single player who retired did so after completing at least two sets. There was legitimate fatigue and injuries to players who were well enough to compete when they stepped out on court.
Who Looked Good
Rafael Nadal (defeated Coric 63 62 46 64): It says something when beating a teenager in four sets is considered impressive for Nadal. On the other hand, this was an impressive performance. The Spaniard answered questions about his form and confidence by not withering, especially as Coric made it a challenge late into the night.
Mardy Fish (defeated Cecchinato 67(5) 63 61 63): Fish reminded us in Cincinnati that he is still a very talented tennis player and showed it again here in New York. The rust was evident, but Fish got better and better as the match went on. A showdown with Feliciano Lopez is next, in which Fish will be a heavy underdog. Still, the former World #7 did not look like a man satisfied with one win in his farewell tournament. He’s going to make this run last as long as he possibly can.
Benoit Paire (defeated Nishikori 64 36 46 76(6) 64): Paire is on a high right now, having won his maiden title in Bastad a month ago. He came out firing against the defending runner-up, dictating play with his bigger groundstrokes. He hit more errors than winners, but controlled the points and his the right shots on enough of them to come out with the win.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (defeated Nieminen 63 61 61): The big-hitting Frenchman came out firing and sending Nieminen out of his last US Open. Tsonga hasn’t been so consistent recently, so it was great to see powerful stroke after powerful stroke used effectively.
Who Looked Bad
Jerzy Janowicz (lost to Carreno-Busta 36 64 26 46): Janowicz is such a talented player. I have been skeptical of his consistency from the beginning, though, when his Top 20 ranking was really only built off two tournaments. He hits the ball so hard but can’t do anything with any consistency hit. He needs to start playing smarter tennis or he could go down as one of the most talented players in history to never sustain success.
Kei Nishikori: From runner-up last year to first round loss this year, you can’t really imagine a bigger turnaround. The Japanese #1 might not have been at his absolute best physically, but he never adjusted his game to Paire’s bigger play and trusted that the Frenchman would collapse. Paire did in Sets 2 and 3, but he did enough to win in Sets 4 and 5.
Match of the Day
There were several exciting matches and several five-setters, but I have to pick Paire/Nishikori. The match was tense and Paire kept the crowd involved from beginning to end, really. A nervy fifth set was greeted by the ecstatic crowd with excitement and applause as they appreciated the fiery Frenchman gutting out a huge win over last year’s runner-up. Paire kept all of the tension out of the final game by blasting three unreturnable serves to end the match.
Enjoy what you see? Check out all of our complete coverage of the 2015 US Open here.
Main Photo:
