American tennis fans hope the Keys to victory will be executed by the only American who will take the Arthur Ashe Stadium court on Sunday
Day 7 of the 2016 US Open sees quarterfinal appearances on the line, with some looking to continue their history of good form in majors while others are looking for that first breakthrough in a Grand Slam. The first match on Ashe is a perfect example of that. Johanna Konta, who used a surprising run to the Round of 16 as a springboard to knock on the door of the Top 10 (including her first tour victory at the Bank of the West Classic earlier this summer) will take on a player who, just three years ago, was officially retired from tennis, Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova.
Also, there are some amazing doubles action that’s out there on the outer courts, including Martina Hingis and Coco Vandeweghe looking to continue a deep run in their maiden voyage as a team Grand Slam against the No. 11 seed, Yifan Xu and Saisai Zheng in China. Yesterday, we talked with Yaroslava Shvedova, who advanced in singles to the Round of 16 at the US Open for the first time. Today, she has two doubles matches: in women’s doubles with her partner Timea Babos of Hungary against the American team of Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend and a mixed doubles match with Bruno Soares of Brazil against the team of Eric Butorac of the USA and…Timea Babos! How about that?!?
Let’s make this Labor Day eve count! As always, the most recent blog entries are on the top!
10:35 PM EST: More photos from Day 7! Here are a few more snaps from “Rob Snappypics” (Robert Cole) from today…
9:56 PM EST: And a double fault ends it. Kerber off to the quarterfinals, and Roberta Vinci awaits the German.
9:53 PM EST: Now match point for Kerber.
9:45 PM EST: Now a backhand error. Then Kerber holds for 6-5.
9:44 PM EST: Here we go again: Kvitova gets upper hand early on Kerber service game, 15-30. Then a forehand error from Petra. 30-30.
9:41 PM EST: Winners in the match: Kvitova 27, Kerber 8; Unforced Errors: Kvitove 37, Kerber 7. That’s all you need to know. Kvitova holds for 5-5.
9:37 PM EST: It’s been frustrating to see Petra get deep into Angelique’s service games, but not capitalize because of unforced errors. In the last three service games, Petra’s been right there nut not able to break. After a Kerber hold, it’s 6-3, 5-4 for Kerber, with Kvitova about to serve to stay in the match.
9:04 PM EST: Here’s our view now for Kvitova-Kerber from Ashe in the media box. Not bad…
7:56 PM EST: More from Wozniacki/Keys…
7:54 PM EST: This sequence pretty much sums up that match…
7:53 PM EST: We have some photos to show you, courtesy of Robert Cole! What we will do is sprinkle them in between our continuing blog entries, which will continue at Ashe Stadium during the Petra Kvitova-Angelique Kerber match. First off, here are a few photos from the second match on Ashe Stadium today: Caroline Wozniacki vs. Madison Keys.
7:26 PM EST: OK, I’ll use lowercase letters. On that fourth match point, Pouille absolutely had no fear unleashing powerful forehand after powerful forehand. And, at the end of the rally, Pouille hit a forehand winner down the line. Game. Set. Match. Nadal out. Vive la France! Pouille to the quarterfinals.
7:29 PM EST: ALLEZ, LUCAS! POUILLE UPSETS NADAL!
7:26 PM EST: EVEN MORE CAPITAL LETTERS: NADAL HITS A FOREHAND INTO THE NET ON A SHORT BALL! MATCH POINT FOUR FOR POUILLE!
7:26 PM EST: MORE CAPITAL LETTERS: NADAL SAVES ALL THREE MATCH POINTS! SIX-ALL! CHANGE OF ENDS!
7:22 PM EST: Pouille with a forehand winner! THREE MATCH POINTS FOR THE FRENCHMAN TO UPSET NADAL! WHY THE CAPITAL LETTERS, ADE?!?!
7:21 PM EST: Nadal holds both his service points. Pouille now serving up 4-3.
7:19 PM EST: The players change ends with Pouille up 4-2 after Lucas hits a backhand into the net.
7:18 PM EST: Down-the-line backhand winner from Pouille and it’s 3-1. Now 4-1, Pouille!
7:17 PM EST: Nadal dumps a forehand into the net and now it’s Pouille with the mini break, at 2-1.
7:16 PM EST: Pouille approaches the net, then hits a backhand volley winner to tie the tiebreak at 1.
7:15 PM EST: FIFTH SET TIEBREAK IT IS! And Pouille loses the first point on his serve. Minibreak to Nadal.
7:10 PM EST: Don’t let all of these recent entries fool you: I’ve definitely been keeping my eye on Ashe Stadium, and…OMG! First off, the match is in the fifth set. Second, Rafa got a break to go up 3-2 in the second. Third, Pouille got the break right back tie it at 3-3. It’s been on serve ever since, and it’s 6-5 Pouille. Nadal looking to hold to force a fifth-set tiebreak.
6:30 PM EST: Although, the interview request got turned down, that means we got a chance to head to the new Grandstand, where Martina Hingis and Coco Vandeweghe were on the verge of winning their match. A fun 10 minutes ensued, with Martina and Coco winning the third set. Robert went down to the photo pit and got some GREAT pictures, including of Martina and Coco embracing after the win.
6:21 PM EST: Sadly, Timea declined the interview request, as she lost both of those matches and, as told by Nick Imison of the ITF, she passed on the request after losing twice in the same day. Bummer.
6:21 PM EST: Sadly, Timea declined the interview request, as she lost both of those matches and, as told by Nick Imison of the ITF, she passed on the request after losing twice in the same day. Bummer.
6:15 PM EST: So we have to leave the Nadal-Pouille match, as I just remembered that I put in an interview request with Timea Babos, who played with Yaroslava Shvedova in women’s doubles, then against her in mixed doubles!
5:59 PM EST: Two Grand Slam champions who are here at Ashe Stadium shown on the big board during the changeover: Yannick Noah and Manolo Santana. Nice warm round of applause for both.
5:58 PM EST: Nadal closes out game with four straight points to go up 3-2.
5:57 PM EST: It’s back to 30-30. Again, it’s 2-2, fourth set, Pouille up two sets to one.
5:55 PM EST: Two double faults from Rafa to begin his service game and he’s under pressure again! Then a “Vamos, Rafa!” is belted from one of the spectators as Nadal is about to his his second serve. C’mon, people!
5:54 PM EST: Pouille is able to hold with an ace. Chant is “LU-CAS, LU-CAS!” Of course, in French, the “s” is silent, so it sounds like “LU-CA!” Anyone else think about the character Ray Luca from Crime Story just now?!
5:52 PM EST: Strategy is clear from Nadal: keep ball away from Pouille’s forehand! Advantage: Nadal. Then Pouille’s forehand does the talking on the next point, forcing an error. Deuce again.
5:51 PM EST: Great rally from both players ends with a Nadal backhand volley winner into the open court after both were made to run! Back to deuce. Third deuce of this game on Pouille’s serve.
5:49 PM EST: Forehand volley at the net goes wide from Pouille and it’s deuce.
5:48 PM EST: Pouille dictates with heavy groundstrokes, but Nadal’s defense gets him out of trouble, and a backhand pass is too much for Pouille. 30-30. Now a return error gives Pouille a game point.
5:46 PM EST: Holds in three straight games to start the set and it’s 2-1 Nadal in the fourth. Nadal then goes up 0-15 on Pouille’s serve…Pouille fights back to 30-15 now.
5:37 PM EST: Here’s our view from Ashe…
5:32PM EST: We’ve made it to Ashe, and at the perfect time, too: Pouille wins the third set, and has a routine hold at 5-4 when having nerves would be understandable. Here we go!
5:10 PM EST: Nadal was able to hold, then back-to-back holds leaves us at Pouille still up a break, 3-2, in the third set..
4:57 PM EST: Back in the media room and I’m currently watching Lucas Pouille playing out of his mind!! He and Nadal are tied at a set apiece, but Pouille has the break and has put Nadal under serious pressure to try and get the double break! A couple of wonderful down-the-line shots have set up break points, only for Nadal to save them…for now. It’s 2-0 Pouille in the third set. Might have to make it Ashe after all!
4:45 PM EST: Took a while to get the internet going in Armstrong (as per usual) but same story in terms of what happened while there. Tsonga untouchable on his serve, and Tsonga wins 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2.
4:13 PM EST: We get to Armstrong and Sock is broken at 1-1. Tsonga up 2-1, then holds for 3-1. Not looking good for the American, who I think has only broken once today against Tsonga’s serve.
4:00 PM EST: Monroe and Young go down to the Spaniards on the new Grandstand, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 3-6. OK, off to Louis Armstrong.
3:58 PM EST: Heading to Armstrong now! Jack Sock wins the third set in a tiebreak, bludgeoning a winner down the line off a Tsonga second serve at 7-8 in the tiebreak. Sock had a set point earlier in the tiebreak and lost the point, then was match point down three points later and saved it on his serve.
3:41 PM EST: Scary moment on the new Grandstand, as Nicholas Monroe takes a tumble over the retaining wall and into the stands after trying to run down a shot in a doubles match. He’s been taken into locker room for treatment. The team of Monroe and Young are currently down 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-4 to Carreño Busta and Garcia-Lopez.
3:31 PM EST: Rafael Nadal is on Ashe now, and, surprisingly, has lost the first three games of the match against No. 24 Lucas Pouille of France. Another Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, is two games away from the match on Louis Armstrong against Jack Sock. It’s 6-3, 6-3, 5-5, Tsonga serving.
3:10 PM EST: So an international journalist, who was having trouble identifying Sevastova and Konta when playing back video of their press conferences, asked me to get the attention of my new friend Bobby so she could help him identify the players. Umm, I could have done that for you, international journalist! Oh, well. We all had smiles on our faces, so it’s all good.
3:01 PM EST: Our photographer, Robert, is here! So excited! Great photos coming! Again, Rob Cole is the man!
2:51 PM EST: So we have one quarterfinal match set. Caroline Wozniacki, the former world No. 1 whose form has fallen due to injuries and inconsistent play that she started this tournament outside of the Top 50, will play Anastasija Sevastova, who, at this time two years ago, was studying leisure management at a school in Austria and had given up the sport of tennis. Gotta love it!
2:47 PM EST: WOZNIACKI WINS! Keys returns a serve down the “T” into the net, and Caroline is back in the US Open quarterfinals for the fifth time.
2:46 PM EST: Forehand into the net from Keys and it’s match point for the Dane.
2:45 PM EST: Keys has been clearly frustrated by Wozniacki’s ability to get every ball back, limiting the power and the number of winners Keys can generate. Wozniacki throws in a double fault and now it’s 30-30.
2:42 PM EST: Getting ready to head out onto the courts, including seeing Donald Young and Nicholas Monroe, who took out No. 2 seeded doubles team of Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the first round, take on Pablo Carreño Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on the new Grandstand. But now, we’re looking to see if Caroline Wozniacki can close out Madison Keys now. She’s up 6-3, 5-4, and now up 30-0 on her service game to close it out.
2:16 PM EST: Just came from an entertaining press conference with Sevstova, who, once again, is in the quarterfinals just over two years after retiring from the sport. Her personality just oozes from her, as she’s loose as anyone yet mixes in humor with a touch of bluntness. We’ll have the “many faces of Anastasija” coming up shortly.
2:09 PM EST: If you hadn’t heard of Anastasija Sevastova before today, I wouldn’t blame you. As a matter of fact, you literally didn’t hear from her between May of 2013 and the start of 2015. Why? Because she retired. Not from a match. From the sport. Ongoing injuries and illness forced her to retire from the game in May of 2013. She’s back, and, evidently, better than ever!
2:04 PM EST: Another great story would be Roberta Vinci returning to the US Open final, and she’s two wins away now from doing just that. She defeated Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 7-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. Honestly, we just want more on-court interviews from the Italian!
2:01 PM EST: Late start for us, as we got here just before two, but we were watching some of the matches at home before heading out. I got to see Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova win the first set, 6-4, over No. 13 seed Johanna Konta. We get to the tennis center and we see that Sevastova pulled out the win, 6-4, 7-5. The woman who took out No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round continues to march on, and she’s now into the quarters! What a story.
[Cover photo (Caroline Wozniacki) courtesy of Robert Cole]
