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Sports
Rising players increase the drama at the US Open
By VINCENT DAVIS
Special to the AmNews
Since Serena Williams’ exit from the US Open last Friday, falling to Ajla Tomljanovic, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 1-6, some of the electricity has left the tournament with her. There may not be any more record-breaking crowds, but exciting tennis and drama continue to mark the event.
Francis Tiafoe is one of the players keeping the excitement alive. The No. 22 ranked Tiafoe, 24, from Hyattsville, Maryland, upset No. 2 ranked Rafeal Nadal on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday to become the youngest American man to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Andy Roddick. At 24, Roddick made it to the finals in 2006.
Tiafoe, whose family migrated from Sierra Leone, displayed supreme confidence in handing Nadal his first grand slam loss this year. The four time US Open winner was 22-1 this Grand Slam campaign and won this year’s Australian Open and French Open. He withdrew from Wimbledon in July before his scheduled semifinal match.
He was the favorite entering the US Open after the men’s world No. 1 ranked player Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Open due to the United States’ COVID-19 travel restrictions. Djokovic is unvaccinated.
“They’re going to remember today for the rest of their lives,” said Tiafoe, speaking about his parents, who were in attendance along with other close supporters.
“To beat those Mount Rushmore guys, for them, I can’t imagine what was going through their heads,” referencing Nadal, one of the game’s all-time greats, who holds the record for the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles at 22.
Nadal’s assessment of his loss to Tiafoe was simple. “I played a bad match and he played a good match.”
Tiafoe took on No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev last night (Wednesday). Sharing the spotlight with Tiafoe was No. 24 seed Nick Kyrgios. He defeated the tournament’s No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 in the fourth round.
“I’m just trying to not let people down,” said Kyrgios after defeating Medvedev. “I was in this press conference room a while back, and I lost in the third round. It was the worst feeling, because I’ve just got so much expectation. I’m finally able to show it now.”
Kyrgios could not keep the momentum going as he was eliminated from the Open in a match that began on Tuesday night and ended in the early hours of Wednesday. The Australian lost a tough five set battle to the No. 27 seed, Russian Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6.
Hyattsville, Maryland native Frances Tiafoe, the US Open’s men’s No. 24 seed, met up with No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev last night in a quarterfinals matchup (Margot Jordan photo)
Serena Williams bows out gracefully while Coco Gauff ascends
Serena Williams was eliminated from the US Open last Friday in the third round while Coco Gauff lost in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Margot Jordan photos)
By B.L. OLIVER
Special to the AmNews
Coco Gauff Serena Williams
AMNEWS 07/07/22
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The Queen of the court played her last professional match in the US Open and a young star’s run ended on Tuesday. Serena Williams, who will turn 41 on Sept. 26, and 18-year-old Coco Gauff are at distinctly different stages of their lives and careers.
Williams reached the third round at the US Open but was defeated in a thrilling match by Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, 7-5,6-7,6-1. Afterwards, she honored the adoring crowd at a packed Arthur Ashe 01294Stadium with her signature twirl and wave while receiving a thundering standing ovation.
In an emotional farewell speech, Williams thanked her family, friends and fans for supporting her throughout her wondrous journey as a tennis and social icon. “Thank you daddy, I know you’re watching,” she said in acknowledging her father Richard Williams.
“Thanks mom. I just want to thank everyone that’s here, that’s been by my side so many years, decades, my gosh…but it all starts with my parents, and they deserve everything, so I’m really grateful to them.”
Williams also extended a special thanks to her older sister, Venus Williams, with whom she lost in their first round doubles match. “I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus. So thank you, Venus, she’s the only reason that Serena Williams existed.”
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, second all-time behind Margaret Court who had 24 during her career spanning 1960-1977 but the most in the Open Era of tennis which began in 1968, lastly thanked her husband Alexis Ohanian and her daughter Olympia.
The gifted Gauff, a native of Atlanta, advanced to the quarterfinals of the US Open on Sunday by defeating 33-year-old Shuai Zhang in straight sets 7-5, 7-5. It was the first time playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium for Gauff and Zhang.
“I mean, Ashe Stadium chanting my name, I was trying not to smile on the bench on the last changeover,” she said. “I was trying to stay in the moment. But in my head I was smiling.”
Gauff’s father, Corey Gauf, said the noise was so loud that he had to take an Advil and was surprised by the exuberance for his daughter. Zhang said it was the most noise she had ever heard at a match.
Gauff fell short of making it to the semifinals when she lost to 28-year-old Caroline Garcia from France in straight sets on Tuesday 6-3, 6-4. Gauff entered the Open ranked No. 12 world and Garcia ranked No. 17.
Earlier in the tournament in first round play, Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the No. 2 seeds in the women’s doubles, were defeated by Leylah Fernandez and Daria Saville 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5). It was a controversial match in which the American duo of Gauff and Pegula accused chair umpire Christian Rask of “stealing points” by making several questionable calls. Both Gauff and Pegula shouted at Rask at various times during the match.
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