Now It Begins

by Savannah

As you undoubtedly know by now both the Men's and Women's US Open draws were released earlier today. If you haven't seen them here is the WTA Draw.

[1] WILLIAMS, Serena USA vs DIATCHENKO, Vitalia RUS

Qualifier vs LUCIC-BARONI, Mirjana CRO

Qualifier vs WC MATTEK-SANDS, Bethanie USA

VANDEWEGHE, Coco USA vs [29] STEPHENS, Sloane USA

[19] KEYS, Madison USA vs KOUKALOVA, Klara CZE

SMITKOVA, Tereza CZE vs MITU, Andreea ROU

LINETTE, Magda POL vs RADWANSKA, Urszula POL

SINIAKOVA, Katerina CZE vs [15] RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL

[12] BENCIC, Belinda SUI vs KARATANTCHEVA, Sesil BUL

HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK vs DOI, Misaki JPN

FALCONI, Irina USA vs WC CRAWFORD, Samantha USA

PUIG, Monica PUR vs [23] WILLIAMS, Venus USA

[31] PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS vs RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK

Qualifier vs DELLACQUA, Casey AUS

ZHENG, Saisai CHN vs BRENGLE, Madison USA

Qualifier vs [8] PLISKOVA, Karolina CZE

[3] SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS vs GAVRILOVA, Daria AUS

KONJUH, Ana CRO vs MARIA, Tatjana GER

ARRUABARRENA, Lara ESP vs JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB

MLADENOVIC, Kristina FRA vs [30] KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS

[17] SVITOLINA, Elina UKR vs Qualifier

FRIEDSAM, Anna-Lena GER vs KANEPI, Kaia EST

DAVIS, Lauren USA vs WATSON, Heather GBR

PEREIRA, Teliana BRA vs [13] MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS

[10] SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla ESP vs ALLERTOVA, Denisa CZE

KING, Vania USA vs VINCI, Roberta ITA

WC KENIN, Sofia USA vs DUQUE-MARINO, Mariana COL

WC DODIN, Oceane FRA vs [21] JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB

[25] BOUCHARD, Eugenie CAN vs RISKE, Alison USA

HERCOG, Polona SLO vs DIYAS, Zarina KAZ

Qualifier vs VAN UYTVANCK, Alison BEL

CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK vs [7] IVANOVIC, Ana SRB

[5] KVITOVA, Petra CZE vs Qualifier

DOMINGUEZ LINO, Lourdes ESP vs WC GIBBS, Nicole USA

KRUNIC, Aleksandra SRB vs KOVINIC, Danka MNE

GOERGES, Julia GER vs [32] SCHMIEDLOVA, Anna Karolina SVK

[18] PETKOVIC, Andrea GER vs GARCIA, Caroline FRA

ROBSON, Laura GBR vs VESNINA, Elena RUS

WC CHIRICO, Louisa USA vs Qualifier

WITTHOEFT, Carina GER vs [9] MUGURUZA, Garbine ESP

[16] ERRANI, Sara ITA vs Qualifier

Qualifier vs BECK, Annika GER

RODINA, Evgeniya RUS vs Qualifier

BABOS, Timea HUN vs [22] STOSUR, Samantha AUS

[26] PENNETTA, Flavia ITA vs GAJDOSOVA, Jarmila AUS

Qualifier vs NICULESCU, Monica ROU

MCHALE, Christina USA vs CETKOVSKA, Petra CZE

WC LOEB, Jamie USA vs [4] WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN

[6] SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE vs TSURENKO, Lesia UKR

LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA vs FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL

PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL vs BARTHEL, Mona GER

GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR vs [28] BEGU, Irina-Camelia ROU

[20] AZARENKA, Victoria BLR vs HRADECKA, Lucie CZE

SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA vs WICKMAYER, Yanina BEL

TOMLJANOVIC, Ajla AUS vs KNAPP, Karin ITA

DULGHERU, Alexandra ROU vs [11] KERBER, Angelique GER

[14] BACSINSZKY, Timea SUI vs STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE

Qualifier vs WANG, Qiang CHN

GIORGI, Camila ITA vs LARSSON, Johanna SWE

Qualifier vs [24] LISICKI, Sabine GER

[27] CORNET, Alize FRA vs NARA, Kurumi JPN

Qualifier vs WC VICKERY, Sachia USA

PUTINTSEVA, Yulia KAZ vs Qualifier

ERAKOVIC, Marina NZL vs [2] HALEP, Simona ROU

Come on now. Y'all knew that Serena was not going to get an easy route to the Final. Once again we see the WTA version of "someone, anyone take Serena Williams out so our goddess Steffi Graf will remain the only recent winner of a CYGS until Eugenie Bouchard is ready to take over". Forget that Graf wouldn't get half the hype Bouchard or Maria Sharapova gets(she would not be deemed marketable). Right now tennis purists are praying in front of hastily built shrines to Fraulein Forehand hoping that Serena fails in her quest.

I'm not joking. I'm serious.

I watched the draw live and the way they were carrying on I thought Maria Sharapova was in the same half of the draw Serena is in. She's in the bottom half of the top half and will have to get past an inconsistent Daria Gavrilova her biggest challenge in her part of the draw. The cries of "Oh poor Maria" from the ceremony were a bit disingenuous. Oh I forgot she's supposed to be injured and has played no warm ups coming into New York. Will that affect her? Who the hell knows? Her shoulder, that was supposed to be fixed how many years ago is still "giving her problems" so throw in the leg and you've got the perfect narrative to explain a loss by her.

The bottom half of the draw is weaker. I half watched Petra Kvitova destroy Madison Keys in New Haven last night, a match she should have and did win. This is her usual warm up event and while she doesn't do well in the heat and humidity of New York City she'll have at least played a warm up.

Everyone else seeded can best be described as inconsistent over the summer. Whoever comes out of the top half will be battle tested. The bottom half? Meh. Anyone can come out of that section.

The ATP draw? The usual players got the usual cake walks. Nothing to see here. Moving on.

[1] DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB vs SOUZA, Joao BRA

POSPISIL, Vasek CAN vs HAIDER-MAURER, Andreas AUT

GABASHVILI, Teymuraz RUS vs ANDUJAR, Pablo ESP

Qualifier vs [25] SEPPI, Andreas ITA

[23] BAUTISTA AGUT, Roberto ESP vs WC HERBERT, Pierre-Hugues FRA

JANOWICZ, Jerzy POL vs CARRENO BUSTA, Pablo ESP

SOUSA, Joao POR vs BERANKIS, Ricardas LTU

BOLELLI, Simone ITA vs [14] GOFFIN, David BEL

[10] RAONIC, Milos CAN vs SMYCZEK, Tim USA

VERDASCO, Fernando ESP vs HAAS, Tommy GER

CECCHINATO, Marco ITA vs FISH, Mardy USA

Qualifier vs [18] LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP

[32] FOGNINI, Fabio ITA vs JOHNSON, Steve USA

CUEVAS, Pablo URU vs SELA, Dudi ISR

Qualifier vs SCHWARTZMAN, Diego ARG

CORIC, Borna CRO vs [8] NADAL, Rafael ESP

[4] NISHIKORI, Kei JPN vs PAIRE, Benoit FRA

ILHAN, Marsel TUR vs STEPANEK, Radek CZE

GROTH, Sam AUS vs DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr UKR

Qualifier vs [26] ROBREDO, Tommy ESP

[19] TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried FRA vs NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN

LACKO, Lukas SVK vs GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP

STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy UKR vs MILLMAN, John AUS

Qualifier vs [16] MONFILS, Gael FRA

[9] CILIC, Marin CRO vs Qualifier

POUILLE, Lucas FRA vs Qualifier

LU, Yen-Hsun TPE vs KUKUSHKIN, Mikhail KAZ

Qualifier vs [17] DIMITROV, Grigor BUL

[27] CHARDY, Jeremy FRA vs WC SHANE, Ryan USA

MAYER, Florian GER vs KLIZAN, Martin SVK

KRAJINOVIC, Filip SRB vs Qualifier

ALBOT, Radu MDA vs [7] FERRER, David ESP

[5] WAWRINKA, Stan SUI vs RAMOS-VINOLAS, Albert ESP

CHUNG, Hyeon KOR vs DUCKWORTH, James AUS

MULLER, Gilles LUX vs BEMELMANS, Ruben BEL

ESTRELLA BURGOS, Victor DOM vs [28] SOCK, Jack USA

[22] TROICKI, Viktor SRB vs WC TIAFOE, Frances USA

RAM, Rajeev USA vs WC HARRISON, Ryan USA

GULBIS, Ernests LAT vs BEDENE, Aljaz GBR

YOUNG, Donald USA vs [11] SIMON, Gilles FRA

[15] ANDERSON, Kevin RSA vs Qualifier

WC KRAJICEK, Austin USA vs GIRALDO, Santiago COL

BECKER, Benjamin GER vs ISTOMIN, Denis UZB

GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP vs [20] THIEM, Dominic AUT

[30] BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA vs WARD, James GBR

Qualifier vs Qualifier

Qualifier vs MANNARINO, Adrian FRA

KYRGIOS, Nick AUS vs [3] MURRAY, Andy GBR

[6] BERDYCH, Tomas CZE vs WC FRATANGELO, Bjorn USA

KUDLA, Denis USA vs Qualifier

QUERREY, Sam USA vs MAHUT, Nicolas FRA

TIPSAREVIC, Janko SRB vs [31] GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP

[24] TOMIC, Bernard AUS vs DZUMHUR, Damir BIH

NEDOVYESOV, Aleksandr KAZ vs WC HEWITT, Lleyton AUS

HAASE, Robin NED vs BROWN, Dustin GER

KOKKINAKIS, Thanasi AUS vs [12] GASQUET, Richard FRA

[13] ISNER, John USA vs JAZIRI, Malek TUN

Qualifier vs YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS

VESELY, Jiri CZE vs LORENZI, Paolo ITA

DELBONIS, Federico ARG vs [21] KARLOVIC, Ivo CRO

[29] KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER vs Qualifier

WC DONALDSON, Jared USA vs ROSOL, Lukas CZE

BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP vs DARCIS, Steve BEL

MAYER, Leonardo ARG vs [2] FEDERER, Roger SUI

This and That

I guess after the mess Eugenie Bouchard made of the reputation and career of Sam Sumyk no established coach would come near her. That's how I see the announcement of Jimmy Connors as her next coach. Photos were posted on Instagram of her working with Connors away from BJK National Tennis Center.

People seem to think that Connors short lived time with Maria Sharapova reflects badly on him. He worked decently with Andy Roddick but women's tennis is a different animal. I never thought that the stint with Sharapova was real. I always felt that it was something cooked up by a publicist to get Pova some press at that time. That this arrangement was kept away from prying eyes in Flushing could mean it's a more legit and serious undertaking on both sides.

As usual the issue will be whether Bouchard accepts that she has to make changes in her game and actually listens to what a coach has to show and say to her. If she doesn't pay attention I don't see Connors being willing to put up with her mess. He'll walk. Sloane Stephens has finally found a coach who doesn't put up with her ish, screaming confrontations in parking lots aside, and she's won a title now. So does that make her a threat in New York? If Sloane wasn't listening I think Saviano would've been out of there by now. We'll know if Bouchard is taking her new coach serioiusly by the length of time he stays. He is not going to be "Sumyk'd" if I can coin a phrase.

Anyway here's a short video I found posted by Luigi Gatto



US Open Qualifying

I made it out to Flushing Meadows yesterday to watch some matches and practice sessions.

I saw Darren Cahill putting Simona Halep through her paces. He was cutting her no slack and neither was the guy she was hitting with.

I saw a bit of Carla Suarez Navarro too before heading to courts P1 - P5 and the gallery between Courts 5 and 6. On my way there I saw Alexandra Krunic, Naomi Osaka and Francesca Schiavone walking by. Krunic was doing a work out with her coach. She's very slight.

I watched the match between Alexander Zverev and Horacio Zeballos. Zeballos has nothing on a hard court and Zverev made short work of him. The only reason I wouldn't call Zverev a servebot is because of his movement. Maybe it was his opponent yesterday and he wasn't interested in putting on a bigger show for the nice crowd that showed up to watch him although he did engage with some fans. The outer courts have always been where you stop, look at part or all of a set, and move on. When the first set was over the places of those who left were quickly filled. People have heard of him.

Then I walked over to Court 17 and watched Taylor Townsend vs Pauline Parmentier. I can't even. Taylor is out of shape mentally and physically. You would never mistake her for an athlete. No muscle tone. No game. Just shots. I think I said the same thing about her last year when I saw her. So how did she win? Because Parmentier has no brain. If she'd had the common sense to make Taylor, who was puffing and blowing during the match, move she'd have had a fairly easy win. Taylor is always strong in the first set. It's the next two that get her. Try as she would to give the match away Parmentier was too polite to accept the gift hence the straight set win. Even the little amen corner of French coaches and players couldn't make up for the lack of court sense, hell tennis sense, from Parmentier. It was a horrible, horrible match by both women and I think I was the only person who wasn't cheering wildly for Taylor to win. It was not a performance to cheer on.

Note: I edited out my last comment re Taylor Townsend. She played on Thursday (reading is fundamental) and lost to Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-2. Apparently Daria does have a brain wired for tennis.

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