Simona Halep makes history
The world No.1 Simona Halep made history for all the wrong reasons on Monday, becoming the first top seed to get knocked out in the first round of a US Open tournament. She lost to 44th ranked Kaia Kanepi in straight sets (6-2, 6-4).
The loss came after Halep won the title in Montreal and lost in the final of the Cincinnati Open, so it wasn’t as if she was in poor form heading into the match.
Rafael Nadal goes sleeveless
Rafael Nadal never wore sleeves during his glory days. He wore tank tops for some time before Melbourne’s exhausting heat turned him sleeveless again. The fans adore his trademark look, which is why they were so excited to see Nadal wearing a sleeveless shirt. This time of year, the sun in New York can be as cruel as Melbourne’s, which is what most likely initiated Nadal’s outfit switch.
David Ferrer retires twice
Nadal progressed past the first round after his countryman and good friend David Ferrer retired in the second set. Not only did the 36-year-old retire from the match, but he retired from Grand Slams in general.
“This is my last Grand Slam,”
“I have great memories of this tournament and I am just sorry that I couldn’t finish it tonight.”
His plan is to officially end his career in Madrid next year.
Wawrinka is back
Slowly but surely, the other Swiss is returning to form. After getting as far as he could in Toronto (third round loss to Nadal) and Cincinnati (fourth round loss to Federer), Stan Wawrinka opened his US Open adventure with a straight sets victory over 8th seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Next up for Wawrinka, 20-year-old French qualifier Ugo Humbert.
Andy Murray defeats James Duckworth
Andy Murray did a good job getting past a tricky opponent, defeating Australian James Duckworth in four sets (6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3). The Brit, who is slowly building his confidence after a lengthy injury absence, has a date with Fernando Verdasco in the second round of a US Open tournament he conquered back in 2012.
Serena Williams and defending champion Sloane Stephens progress
Serena Williams had little trouble beating 68th ranked Magda Linette from Poland (6-4, 6-0) while defending US Open champion Sloane Stephens got the better of Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina (6-1, 7-5). Qualifier Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine is Stephens’ next opponent, whereas the six-time US Open champion meets Carina Witthoeft from Germany. The younger Williams sister is on course to face her sibling Venus in the third round.
US Open celebrates 50th anniversary with record attendance
A record number of fans were on the US Open stands on Day 1, setting an all-time single-day attendance record of 67.832. The day session was visited by 40.541 spectators, while the night session brought in 27.291.
