Bill Simons
THE ROGER AND RAFA EFFECT: When asked what the impact of Federer’s and Nadal’s absence was, Novak Djokovic said, “It means zero to me. On the tournament it’s a big effect.”
THE ROAR THAT WOKE UP FLORENCE: In a press conference, a reporter shared that the huge roar Djokovic let out when he scored a big break in the fourth set of his win over Kyle Edmund woke up his wife in Florence Italy. Djokovic apologized.
FOUR WEDDINGS AND A BACHELOR: When talking about reports that there’d been four weddings at the US Open player hotel, the Long Island Marriott, Alexander Zverev confirmed, “I didn’t get married. I need to find someone.”
THE SWEETEST, PUREST PERSON I EVER MET: Tonight Naomi Osaka featured the name of Elijah McClain on her mask. A 23-year-old massage therapist, McClain used to play his violin for shelter animals. Before he was killed in July, in Aurora, Colorado, he told police, “I’m an introvert. I’m just different, that’s all. I’m so sorry. I have no gun…I don’t even kill flies. I don’t eat meat. But I don’t judge people who do…You are beautiful and I love you. Try to forgive me. I’m so sorry.”
One of his clients called him “the sweetest, purest person I have ever met. He was definitely a light in a whole lot of darkness.”
Osaka told Inside Tennis, “When I heard about his story it was very hurtful. They’re all very hurtful, but just the fact of his character and the way he was, and just to hear stories about him was very sad. This was a bit different, because no one could really paint the narrative that he was a bad guy, because they had so many warm-hearted things to say about him… Today was very special…I wanted to represent him to the world.”
GIVE COCO KINDNESS: Former No. 1 and teen phenom Tracy Austin said, “I hope everybody gives Coco [Gauff] plenty of time. It would be kind, and the right thing. Take it from someone who has been through it and who all of a sudden was thrust into, I don’t want to call it chaos, but an intense spotlight.”
QUOTEBOOK:
“It’s utterly confusing to have two scoring systems in place in the same tournament.” – Jason Goodall on the fact that the Open’s two show courts have human linespersons and all the others use Hawkeye Live
“Jennifer Brady had to build her way through the ITF tournaments. That is the Hunger Games.” – Alexandra Stevenson
“One of my favorite things to do was to stand by the East Gate at 9:30 in the morning on Opening Day and watch tens of thousands of people stream in. I never lost faith that we would have the Open.” – Danny Zausner, Chief Operating Officer of the National Tennis Center
“There is no mistaking 2020 for any other year.” – Chris McKendry
“For someone who told Chris McKendry that she is a follower, Osaka certainly has become a leader.” – Mary Jo Fernandez on Naomi Osaka
“Everyone that I’ve encountered has been loving and supportive.” – Naomi Osaka
“Tsitsi-chan” – Naomi’s fun-loving nickname for Stefanos Tsitsipas
TWO GUYS, TWO LEAGUES: Brad Gilbert contended, “Never has there been a player you can think of that reminds you as much of one guy. Kyle Edmund looks like Jim Courier. Same kind of color and the same baseball swing on the backhand. It’s incredible.” Darren Cahill then noted, “They’re not quite in the same league in terms of end product.”
BRANDON NAKASHIMA NOT THE NEXT DJOKOVIC – BUT WHO IS? He was first coached by an Angel, that would be the San Diego Racket Club’s Angel Lopez. Now he’s got a money coach, Aussie Pat Cash, who won Wimbledon.
A while ago, Brandon Nakashima practiced with the man who in the old days was said to have the best return of serve in the game – Jimmy Connors. Last week he repeatedly practiced with the man who may have the best return of serve of all time – Djokovic. Rennae Stubbs even compared Brandon to the Serb. “He has such an upside, that kid. He reminds me of Djokovic the way he plays. He’s got to improve the forehand. The backhand is so good – and the serve – I’m telling you.”
Today Nakashima was playing only his second ever tour-level tourney. He’s only 19, but John McEnroe commented, “He’s not acting 19.”
Brandon had his coach nodding his head in approval and his opponent, Alexander Zverev, dropping his head in frustration. The commentators were in awe. “Brandon just looks like he belongs. That’s something, for someone who’s trying to break into the top 200,” said ESPN.
Brandon used his sublime backhand and fine movement to test Zverev, No. 7 and long an ATP heir apparent. But the German took the first set, 7-5. You figured Nakashima would fade away. But the Fila fellow was feeling it. Calm and confident, and running around his forehand, he took the second set on his seventh set point – 10-8 in the tiebreak. “He is tremendous. John, you’ve got to appreciate what you’re seeing from this guy,” Chris Fowler told McEnroe.
But Zverev proved to be too big, too powerful and too experienced. He hit 24 aces, a 137 mph second serve and swept to a 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-1 runaway victory. Still, the young German was impressed. Zverev said he was surprised by Brandon’s serve. “He doesn’t serve that fast, but his placement is incredible. He has all the serves you need. He can go to any corner. He has an incredible backhand, one of the best I’ve ever seen from the Americans. His development over the past months – years – has been very good. He’s going to be top 100 in no time. He has the talent to become a top 25 player.”
Nakashima may not be the next Djokovic. Indeed, there may never be another Nole. But as McEnroe concurred: “He has tons of upsides. The guy is making a name for himself.”
MAKING A STATEMENT: Osaka has been making a lot of statements recently, on and off the court. Rennae Stubbs noted, “Naomi was hitting twice as hard as she usually does in the warm-up [before her match against heavy-hitting Camila Giorgi]. She was setting the tone: ‘You may hit the ball big, but guess what? I hit the ball bigger.’”
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: Tuesday night, Venus broke Navratilova’s record of playing in the most US Opens. But her loss to Karolina Muchova was the first time she’d fallen in the first round at the Open. Until then she’d been 21-0.
CROWDED CALENDAR: Tennis enthusiasts are excited that the game is coming back with a vengeance. Last week there was the Western and Southern Open Masters. Now there will be the US Open followed by the Rome Masters and 15 days of the French Open. As for sports in general, Chris Fowler said, “It’s an amazing time on the calendar. The NFL is about to start, college football, Premier League, the NBA and NHL playoffs, the Kentucky Derby, the Tour de France, the US Open – are you kidding me? We will never see this again.”
HEADLINES
Tennis Anyone? How About Foosball? US Open Plaza Takes on Backyard Feel
Quiet Riot: US Open Begins Without Its Usual Uproar
No Rafa, No Roger, No Towel Service, No Problem
Despite All Her Drawbacks, She’s Still Serena
A Long Trip Into The Bubble And Then Out in 62 Minutes – On Anhelina Kalinina, who came all the way from Ukraine only to lose in the first round
BIG LITTLE LIAR: While questioning the accuracy of the electronic let cord device, John McEnroe complained, “I’ve had my issues with that little liar – which is why we should play the let cord on the serve.”
GO FIGURE: The odds for Serena to win the Open are 5-1…Newsday noted you could have flown from New York to Denver in the time it took for Andy Murray to beat Yoshihito Nishioka.
FIGHTING WORDS: Conchita Martinez sent a note to her fellow Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma: “Carla, by force and courage, nobody beats you. This match is special. And you will win it. All my love and strength.”
SCOREBOARD REPORT: No. 1 seed Karolína Plíšková lost in straight sets to Caroline Garcia. Americans Shelby Rogers and Ann Li took out the No. 11 and 13 seeds Elena Rybakinae and Ali Riske. Jen Brady, Madison Brengle and Jessica Pegula also picked up wins. American Taylor Fritz won, but Brandon Nakashima, Mitchell Kruger, Jack Sock, Michael Mmoh, Stevie Johnson, Marcos Giron and Maxime Cressy lost.
NAOMI’S GRATITUDE: Osaka noted, “The last time around, I just wasn’t grateful, because everything happened so quickly, and for me it was just go-go-go. I never had a chance to stop, so honestly, this quarantine let me think about a lot of things: what I want to accomplish, what I want to be known for.”
FASHION DIALOGUE: Tom Rinaldi looked up at Petra Kvitova’s well-dressed support team and said, “How about that matching kit [a British word for apparel] in the box!” Rennae Stubbs replied, “That’s called free.”
UTTER MELTDOWN: Stubbs noted that France’s Kiki Mladenovic was up 6-1, 5-1 and went down 6-1, 6-7, 0-6. “What a complete and utter meltdown from the former No. 10. It’s kind of a microcosm of her career. [She’s now ranked 44.] Just an unbelievable collapse.”
BUBBLE BATTLE: Bethanie Mattek-Sands shared, “I usually come to New York City and stay in Manhattan, and experience New York to the fullest. And trust me, this is nothing like that.” But a joking Alexandra Stevenson, a commentator who’s in a different, lower grade bubble, bristled, saying playfully, “Bethanie has a better bubble than we do. She’s got ice cream, movies and recovery [rooms]. Where’s all that for us? It pays to be a player.”
A MOTHER’S MESSAGE: Just after Osaka’s win, her mother was pictured on Ashe Stadium with a message featuring a series of emojis, which said, “Good job. Don’t do Instagram and Twitter – instead go to sleep. Drink green juice and get some rest. I love you.”
Also reporting Douglas Hochmuth and Frances Aubrey
