There were several outstanding matchups on Day 1 of the men’s singles at the US Open. Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton were two players who played their first matches in New York. It was an entertaining day of tennis, but which players looked good, who played poorly, and which match was the best of the day?
US Open Day 1 Men’s Recap
Who Looked Good?
Novak Djokovic progressed to the second round comfortably. He overcame Radu Albot 6-2 6-2 6-4. The Serbian’s serve faltered a few times during the match, but that was only a minor blemish. Djokovic made an ideal start to his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam.
There were emotional scenes after Ben Shelton’s dominant 6-4 6-2 6-2 triumph against Dominic Thiem on Arthur Ashe Stadium. 2020 US Open champion Thiem played his final Grand Slam match during the defeat. He will retire on home soil at the Vienna Open in October.
Alexander Zverev will be satisfied with his opening match on Day 1. The two-time major runner-up needed four sets to overcome his compatriot Maximilian Marterer, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. His serve was particularly impressive, only being broken once.
Casper Ruud started slowly in the first set against Bu Yunchaokete but eventually found his groove to triumph 7-6 6-2 6-2 at the US Open. The 2022 runner-up played himself into form in the final two sets and was very impressive.
Frances Tiafoe’s US Open match against Aleksandar Kovacevic was thoroughly entertaining. There was big serving and great shotmaking from both men, including from Kovacevic’s one-handed backhand. The younger American won the third set, but Tiafoe broke late in the fourth set to seal a 6-4 6-3 4-6 7-5 victory.
Who Looked Bad?
Holger Rune had a desperately disappointing day at the US Open. The Dane was demolished 2-6 1-6 4-6 by Brandon Nakashima. He failed to take any of his six break points during the match and continued his disappointing season with this abject display.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who had a run to the Wimbledon fourth round, was also below his best on Day 1. The Frenchman is one of the biggest servers tennis has ever seen, but that essential component of his game did not fire in his 4-6, 2-6, 3-6 loss to Tomas Martin Etcheverry. He did not create a break point, either.
Taylor Fritz’s opponent, Camilo Ugo Carabelli, collapsed in the final two sets after a competitive opening set. Once Fritz took the first set 7-5, the Argentine seemed to lose his self-belief, and the match ended quickly 7-5 6-1 6-2 in the American’s favor.
Match of the Day
Christopher Eubanks and Arthur Rinderknech had a titanic battle on Court 11 on Day 1 of the US Open in front of a partisan and electric crowd. A single break in the ninth game gave Rinderknech the opening set 6-4. The following two sets followed a similar pattern but went the American’s way. Eubanks broke in the tenth game of the second set and the third game of the next set to take the lead.
However, Rinderknech was not done. He broke Eubanks in his first game of the fourth set and stayed firm on his serve to force a fifth set, which went to a deciding 10-point tiebreak after no further breaks. There were several momentum shifts, and the crowd became deafening, chanting, “USA!” at the changeover at 6-6. But it was the Frenchman who had the last laugh. Despite Eubanks saving two match points at 6-9, Rinderknech kept his cool on serve to seal a dramatic 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3 7-6(10-8) triumph.
Main Photo Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
