Nick Kyrgios provided the headlines for the first day of the U.S Open when he ousted 21st seed and two-time Semi-finalist Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(1) . The 19 year old Wimbledon quarter-finalist won the first two sets, then dropped the third and fell a break down in the fourth. But 4-5 down, Kyrgios really went for his shots and hit winner after winner to take the fourth set on a tiebreak.
Kyrgios struck down 26 aces, and hit 68 winners to 57 errors in all. Watching him belt the ball until he gets the short ball or the open court is an exciting experience, as is witnessing his approaches to the net (16/36 approaches won) and the crowd certainly reacted to the show, giving the Australian a big cheer for his attacking efforts. Kyrgios clearly likes the big stages and the crowd’s applause, and will be dangerous for Tommy Robredo(16) in the third round and Stan Wawrinka (3) in the last sixteen.
Stan Wawrinka was rattled in his opening match against the young Czech Jiri Vesely. Vesely had Wawrinka on the ropes in the second set when he served to level at a set all, but the 21 year made too many errors (33 in the match) when he needed to be making the winners (21) that got him into such a good position. Wawrinka managed to win the match 6-2, 7-6(6), 7-6(3) between muttering to himself in disgust at a performance which saw him manage only 47% of first serves in and hit 38 errors to 41 winners.
Andy Murray, seeded 8, started out well enough in his first round match against Robin Hasse, winning the first two sets, but cramps got the better of him in the third. Robin Hasse took it 6-1 and then the world No.70 served for the fourth set at 5-3.
With Murray pulling at his leg every few points and grimacing it looked like his year might be about to get even worse, but the Dutch man could not put the Scot away. How often Hasse will have someone of the caliber of Murray clinging to the ropes ready to be knocked out no one knows, but we can guess it won’t be often. Hasse though seemed as perturbed as Murray by the cramps at times, netting a volley at break point in the final game, and it is testimony to the Scot’s talent that he wriggled out of the mess 6-3, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-5.
Milos Raonic looked impressive as he put away 21 year old qualifier Taro Daniel. Milos cruised through the first two sets and served for the match in the third before Daniel broke back. Raonic, who served at 135 mph late in the third, struck his 20th ace to take the match into a tiebreaker, did not his slip up have any long lasting effects as he grabbed an early break and took the breaker and the match 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(1).
Raonic’s stats were impressive. He had 67% of first serves in, hit 20 aces and compiled a 58-17 winners-errors ratio. His return game was decent, too, winning 41% of his receiving points.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded 9, dropped a set as he beat former top tenner Juan Monaco 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1. Tsonga struggled on serve, facing 13 break points in all, but he did save 11 of those points, and his 20 aces was a positive to take into the next round, too. Hitting 48 winners to 49 errors, it was a hit and miss affair, but it is probably good to get a bad match out the way early as a very vulnerable looking Andy Murray looms further down the draw.
In the match of the first round, Benoit Paire, the frustrating talent that he is, knocked out countryman and 24th seed Julien Benneteau 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. In a heated affair on a hot day in New York City (30 degrees), Paire won 36 of 59 points at the net and hit 85 winners to 77 winners on one of those days when his attractive game is more on than off, which have been few and far between the last year. It was good to see it in action again, and a potential third round match up with Tsonga could be something to savor.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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