NEW YORK — There is a bigger contingent of People within the U.S. Open males’s bracket than at any time prior to now quarter-century. May be one of the best crop in practically that lengthy, too, and two of the leaders — Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton — obtained the event began on Sunday with dominant performances.
Shelton, the No. 6 seed and twice a Grand Slam semifinalist, wanted simply 2 hours, 7 minutes to get previous qualifier Ignacio Buse of Peru 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 within the first contest in Arthur Ashe Stadium on the occasion’s debut of a Sunday begin as an alternative of Monday.
Fritz, the No. 4 seed and the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Flushing Meadows a 12 months in the past, wanted about 10 fewer minutes to maneuver on with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory over yet one more U.S. man, Emilio Nava, a wild-card entry, at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
In all, there are 23 males from the host nation within the subject, probably the most because the identical quantity have been within the attract 1997 at what Fritz referred to as “an important event for us People all 12 months.” There are 25 U.S. girls, which is much less of a milestone for a bunch that recurrently produces Grand Slam champions and finalists.
“I do think the competition among all of us,” Fritz mentioned in regards to the males, “pushes all of us and gives us motivation to be better.”
They’re all chasing the identical prize: the primary Grand Slam singles trophy for an American man since Andy Roddick triumphed in New York in 2003.
That is fairly a methods away at this level, although, particularly contemplating that Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz have mixed to win every of the previous seven main titles.
“As soon as you start looking ahead of yourself, you stumble over your own feet,” mentioned Shelton, who misplaced to Sinner within the Australian Open semifinals in January, to Alcaraz within the French Open’s fourth spherical in June and to Sinner within the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July.
“This is the one, for sure,” Shelton mentioned in regards to the U.S. Open, the place he reached the ultimate 4 in 2023. “This is the pinnacle of tennis for me, what I dreamed about when I was a kid.”
He produced some highlight-worthy moments Sunday whereas accumulating greater than twice as many winners as Buse, together with one swerving, around-the-post forehand that appeared very very similar to one thing his idol — one other lefty, by the identify of Rafael Nadal — used to do.
Shelton received the purpose on 26 of 33 journeys to the online and saved all 5 of Buse’s 5 break probabilities.
Fritz, equally, went 13-for-14 on the web and swept apart all 4 break factors he confronted, buoyed, he mentioned, by “the confidence that I know I’ve played well here before.”
What else occurred on the US Open on Sunday?
Emma Raducanu received a match in New York for the primary time since she claimed the 2021 U.S. Open title, eliminating Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2. No. 1 seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1. Alexandra Eala turned the primary lady from the Philippines to win a match at any Grand Slam event, overcoming a 5-1 deficit within the remaining set and getting assist from a video overview that flustered her opponent throughout a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) victory over No. 14 seed Clara Tauson. At evening, Novak Djokovic beat 19-year-old Californian Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2 to enhance to 19-0 within the first spherical of the U.S. Open, earlier than 2024 runner-up Jessica Pegula topped Mayar Sherif 6-0, 6-4 within the final match in Ashe.
Who’s on Monday’s schedule on the US Open?
Venus Williams is slated to make her return to Grand Slam tennis after a two-year absence, assembly 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova on Monday evening. The 45-year-old Williams is a seven-time main singles champion. Others on the Day 2 program embrace Alcaraz in opposition to big-serving American Reilly Opelka, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and two-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.
