Grand Slam US Open 2021

[BobbyMorri]

Why do we call it the US Open when the name of the country is the USA.....

This is this coming Monday. I know, it was a shock to me to. The winners of the UK Open are the favs here. The draw was released last night and as always, Jose shows why he is the best tennis Twitter journalist on the platform. Does all my work for me. See below for those round 1 matches which will be more interesting than most.

For the men, all the interest is if Novak can get number #21 and the Grand Slam. Outside the French, this was always going to be the hardest and it is shaping up that way. Novak went for the Golden Slam and instead of a medal, he ended up fatigued, battered and vulnerable. he hasn't played since his Bronze medal match. Would be a while(if ever) that Novak comes into a Slam with 2 losses in a row. no Fed or Nadal. So, who is going to stop him?

Spoiler: Novak Djokovic's potential path to a Calendar Grand Slam:

R1: qualifier
R2: Griekspoor or Struff
R3: [27] Goffin/Nishikori
R4: [14] De Minaur/[21] Karatsev
QF: [6] Berrettini/[10] Hurkacz
SF: [4] Zverev/[7] Shapovalov/[9] Carreño
F: [2] Medvedev/[3] Tsitsipas/[5] Rublev

Gold Medals can make men. Ask Murray. For Zverev, he hasn't lost since, winning Cinci on his way. Of course, that dropkick Ben Rothenberg thought now was the best time to release more allegations(which I am not touching, I am just saying Ben is a dropkick). They could meet in the semis. The other player Novak fans should worry about is Medvedev. Novak did school him in the Aus Open final, but they haven't played since. Medvedev's form line is good but big question marks must be made over if he can win in Bo5 V a Big 3 player. Guy can get a bit frustrated. The best, or most interesting round 1 matches from the Australian men's point of view is Kyrgios vs. Bautista Agut and Tsitsipas vs. Murray. Tsonga is likely to be a late out sadly.

In the girls, as always, it is a toss-up. 2 players certain not to win are Serena Williams(injury) and Kenin(Covid). Both out of the tournament. Barty is the fav over Osaka but it wouldn't shock me if we had another first time winner. Decent players everywhere. She starts against Vera Zvonareva. Muchova has been struggling with injures but we know what happened at the Aus Open this year. As for Osaka, her form line isn't great. Will be interesting to see how she goes. Bit of a circus around her. Who else, Pliskova is a former finalist and is improving. Halep has Giorgi first round and is coming back from injury on top of injury. Gold medals make people and Bencic is a former semi-finalist. And Stephens plays Keys in the first round. A rematch of the 2017 final IIRC.

Spoiler: Barty Party Potential Path

1R: Zvonareva
2R: Tauson/Burel
3R: 29-Kudermetova /Rogers
4R: 13-Brady /22-Muchova
QF: 7-Swiatek/11-Bencic
SF 4-Pliskova /6-Andreescu/10-Kvitova/17-Sakkari
Final: 2- Sabalenka /3-Osaka /5-Svitolina / 8-Krejcikova

Spoiler: Tasty Round 1 matches

Tasty round 1

Norrie vs. Alcaraz
Ruud vs. Tsonga
Isner vs. Nakashima
Medvedev vs. Gasquet
McDonald vs. Goffin
Fritz vs. De Minaur
Berrettini vs. Chardy
Zverev vs. Querrey
Khachanov vs. Harris
--------------------------------
Keys vs. Stephens
Halep vs. Giorgi (!)
Kerber vs. Yastremska
Mladenovic vs. Konta
Vekic vs. Muguruza
Cornet vs. Jabeur
Collins vs. CSN
Barty vs. Zvonareva
Kudermetova vs. Cirstea
Kostyuk vs. Sakkari
Andreescu vs. Golubic

Spoiler: Draws

 

[BobbyMorri]

Sharma is the last Aussie player left in qualies. Schmieds is still kicking around and has also made round 3. Raducanu. the young brit, has made it as well.

Did you know Bernard Tomic has an official webpage. Hasn't been updated since 2015. The things you find out when you try and find if he bothered to turn up for qualies for a payday. he didnt.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Will Djokovic win the season Grand Slam ? That's the big question here.

 

[matt_897]

Coverage on ESPN (this is the final year of that contract so we'll see what happens) with all courts covered on their online service (watchespn or whatever it is now). It's good coverage but you can only get that if you have Foxtel/Fetch. Kayo doesn't have all the courts, only a couple. There are also some betting sites that show all the courts as well...

Nice write up, BobbyMorri. Lockdown here in Victoria means I'll be able to watch a lot of it. I haven't looked at the draw to closely yet apart from the Aussies who I don't see many winning tbh. De Minaur has possibly the toughest first round draw in Fritz and is coming off his Covid spell, Kyrgios has RBA first night match on Louis Armstrong which just screams another meltdown, Millman is trying to get over an injury he picked up in that Monfils match in Canada, Thompson & Popryin are in bad form and Duckworth might actually have a winnable first round.

But obviously it's all about Ash and with her great form coming in. Tauson in the 2nd round might be interesting...

Good effort from Sharma to qualify as well...

 

[JackNah_8]

Vaccine 'inconsistency' puts spotlight on US Open

'I'm sure they'll be frustrated with that'

wwos.nine.com.au

 

[BobbyMorri]

Sorry about the ugly formatting but to expand on Matts post on the Aussies, here are the Aussie draws. Ajla got a really good draw. Has Matric as her seed in the 2nd round. that would be very winnable. Hopefully, we can get 3 women in the 2nd round.

[1] Ash Barty (AUS) v Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 101
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 46 v [WC] Katie Volynets (USA) 197
Sam Stosur (AUS) 186 v [28] Anett Kontaveit (EST)30
[WC] Storm Sanders (AUS) 132 v Misaki Doi (JPN) 96
[Q] Astra Sharma (AUS) 114 v [8] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 9

[14] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 17 v Taylor Fritz (USA)41
John Millman (AUS) 43 v [Q] Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 130
Jordan Thompson (AUS) 59 v Gianluca Mager (ITA) 70
James Duckworth (AUS) 67 v Pedro Martinez (ESP)73
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 71 v Radu Albot (MDA) 108
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 85 v [18] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 21
[WC] Max Purcell (AUS) 205 v [13] Jannik Sinner (ITA) 16

In non-Aussie news, Schmied's is 1.07 to win her first-round match over Krueger. not sure how she is that short. This is the girl who wasted 7 match points in her first round of Qualies at 5-2 in the 3rd set(She won the very next game thankfully)

one more thing. Is anyone getting really bothered by the title of the thread(USA Open) Adding the extra A is angering my Nadal tendencies.

 

[JamisonRun40]

I don't really care about the title US or USA doesn't really bother me.

I for one would like to see Novak get the slam win, he works so damn hard and he is so consistent at them.

On the women's side apart from Barty others have injuries or out of form for one reason or another. I expect a surprise packet maybe Bencic.

Glad I have foxtel for now so I'll get to watch a number of different courts which will be good. Also happy that this will be last year of espn.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Vaccine 'inconsistency' puts spotlight on US Open

'I'm sure they'll be frustrated with that'

wwos.nine.com.au

On that



seriously tennis players. It will cost you chances if you get Covid. think of your career if you can't think of medical reasons.

 

[Me Myself and I]

seriously tennis players. It will cost you chances if you get Covid. think of your career if you can't think of medical reasons.

That's why Kenin is missing.

 

[JackNah_8]

On that



seriously tennis players. It will cost you chances if you get Covid. think of your career if you can't think of medical reasons.

It's the risk some players are taking. Eventually the players will have to be vaccinated or otherwise they will continuously withdraw from tournaments due to covid19.

I think Tsitsipas mentioned he will get vaccinated if it's mandatory. But then someone like Novak is anti vaccination.

 

[Drummond]

Is this being televised at all on FTA?

 

[matt_897]

Is this being televised at all on FTA?

SBS from the quarters onwards. Try the betting websites if you want to avoid Kayo

 

[matt_897]

one more thing. Is anyone getting really bothered by the title of the thread(USA Open) Adding the extra A is angering my Nadal tendencies.

Yes. Haha

 

[BobbyMorri]

Yes. Haha

Nah, can't do it. Have to change it

I had changed it to the United States Open but that still ruffled me.

 

[matt_897]

Looks like Kayo will be showing Court 5 & 17 plus ESPN's feed. Must be a rights thing.

 

[Me Myself and I]

Two injury prones Brady and Konta both late outs.

 

[Roobs321]

Nakashima beats Isner in straights!

Millman out in straights, Duckworth currently losing his 2-0 sets lead

Murray had 2 SPs to take a two set lead against Tsitsipas but Stefanos scurried out of that hole to take the 2nd in tight tb.

Kerber down 3-6 4-4

Halep & Garbine progress in close straights

 

[matt_897]

Duckworth has blown 5 mp's and is looking like he is going to blow a 2 sets to love lead. I don't like the guy he's playing. One of those guys that grunts 5 seconds after the ball.

Murray probably wasted his chance too

 

[JackNah_8]

Tsitsipas leading 5-0 in the 4th set

now going into the 5th set

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Checks results

Isner lost

Thank goodness!

 

[BobbyMorri]

Murray is such a great spokesman for tennis. Think he is the best for his generation, which is saying something as Nadal especially is a damn good one. Just think he takes a firmer view on things.



here here on the bathroom breaks.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I see Tsisipas up to his brat behaviour too calling for 15 minute toilet breaks lol

 

[JackNah_8]

I like Tsistpsas but he is overdoing it now, taking too many bathroom breaks.

 

[pepsi]

I like Tsistpsas but he is overdoing it now, taking too many bathroom breaks.

I'm quickly losing respect for Tsitsipas. Has been one of my favourites the past couple of seasons but he is losing me with this behaviour. Every match I watch of his recently he is taking toilet breaks that go 10-15 minutes, taking his bag with him which contains his phone. Needs to be pulled up on it and needs to stop.

 

[JackNah_8]

I'm quickly losing respect for Tsitsipas. Has been one of my favourites the past couple of seasons but he is losing me with this behaviour. Every match I watch of his recently he is taking toilet breaks that go 10-15 minutes, taking his bag with him which contains his phone. Needs to be pulled up on it and needs to stop.

I'm surprised the players are allowed to take their phone, he could be texting his coach during that break.

But as a fan, I'm also getting impatient with his toilet breaks. Someone in his team or officials need to talk to him about it.

Mentally he isn't always a strong player and needs to take time out to regroup.