Second day of the US Open, between confirmations and surprises. In the men’s draw, world number 1 Jannik Sinner and 2023 semi-finalist Carlos Alcaraz won in four sets to reach the second round, Tuesday, August 27, unlike Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the French clan, three of the eight participants also qualified. But not Caroline Garcia, eliminated from the start.
Alcaraz and Sinner reassure themselves
Troubled by a positive doping test case before starting the US Open, Jannik Sinner seemed tense at the start of the match against the American Mackenzie McDonald. But after losing the first set (6-2), the Italian pulled himself together and won the next three, against an opponent who lost his fighting spirit as the match progressed (2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2). Same number of sets, and almost three hours of play for world number 3 Carlos Alcaraz against the Australian Li Tu (6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1). Initially very easy, the Spaniard overcame a small air pocket in the second set to claim his 15th consecutive Grand Slam victory.
It also goes for Daniil Medvedev, the outgoing finalist, still in four sets. The Russian, world number 5, defeated the Serbian Dusan Lajovic (6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1). By eliminating the number 22 seed Karen Khachanov, the British Dan Evans (184th) won the longest match in the history of the US Open, in five sets (6-7 [6-8]7-6 [9-7]7-6 [7-2]4-6, 6-4) and 5h35 of play. The previous record belonged to the 1992 semi-final between Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang (5h26).
Tsitsipas takes the front door against Kokkinakis
Things are not going well for Stefanos Tsitsipas. Facing Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (86th) for his entry into the US Open, the world number 11 player lost right from the start. Injured in the abdominals and put in difficulty by the quality of his opponent’s service (17 aces), he lost in four sets (7-6 [7-5]4-6, 6-3, 7-5) and 3h54 of play. Still no second week in New York for the Greek, who has never done better than a third round, in 2020 and 2021.
This defeat confirms a difficult period for Tsitsipas, who has won only one small match in his last three tournaments (Montreal, Cincinnati and US Open). Separated for several weeks from his father and coach, Apostolos, Stefanos Tsitsipas approached this US Open without a regular coach, for the first time in his career. Another seed who was hoping for better, Felix Auger-Aliassime, 19th in the world, was also eliminated sharply in the first round, by the Czech Jakub Mensik (6-2, 6-4, 6-2).
Osaka signs a winning return, Garcia confirms his bad run
Absent from the circuit last season because she gave birth to a baby girl, Naomi Osaka won a first prestigious victory for her entry into the competition, against the world number 10, Jelena Ostapenko (6-3, 6-2). The Japanese, holder of a wild-card for the tournament, thus offers a first victory against a player in the world top 10 for four years and two hundred and thirty days. An eternity and a relief for the former boss of the circuit who burst into tears on her chair after the game. The current number 1, Iga Swiatek, imposed herself against the lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova (6-4, 7-6 [8-6]).
The day went less well for Caroline Garcia. The Frenchwoman, not confident this season, was eliminated at the start by the Mexican Renata Zarazua, 92nd player in the world, who had never played a match in the main draw of the US Open at 26 years old. Guilty of 33 unforced errors in the match, Caroline Garcia was swept away (6-1, 6-4). For the first time since 2021, the Lyonnaise has not reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament once this season.
Mannarino, Ponchet et Fils, the good French points
Apart from Caroline Garcia’s defeat in the women’s draw, Quentin Halys (6-3, 6-3, 6-7 [7-4]6-2 against Otto Virtanen), Constant Lestienne (6-1, 6-3, 6-2 against Jordan Thompson), Hugo Gaston (6-1, 6-4, 6-2 against Facundo Diaz Acosta), and Corentin Moutet (7-6 [9-7]6-1, 6-0 against Sebastian Korda) were also eliminated on the French side.
Adrian Mannarino, more comfortable on hard courts, started the tournament well with a clear victory (7-5, 6-2, 6-3) against Borna Coric. Arthur Fils assumed his status as seeded player by winning against the American Learner Tien despite conceding a set (6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2). The nice surprise of the day came from Jessika Ponchet, 128th player in the world, who won her first match in a Grand Slam tournament at 27 years and 335 days. Thanks to her victory over the Chinese Zheng Saisai (6-4, 6-1), she thus becomes the oldest Frenchwoman in her first success in one of the four Majors since the start of the Open era. Coming from the qualifications, she will face Elena Rybakina, seeded number 4, in the second round.
