Stan Wawrinka Advances When Novak Djokovic Retires - Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

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US Open (First Week)

Stan Wawrinka beat top-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-5 2-1 retired

Wang Qiang beat second-seeded Ashleigh Barty 6-2 6-4

Johanna Konta beat third-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-7 (1) 6-3 7-5

Thomas Fabbiano beat fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2

Taylor Townsend beat fourth-seeded Simona Halep 2-6 6-3 7-6 (4)

Andrea Petkovic beat sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-4

Alex de Minaur beat seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-3

Julia Goerges beat seventh-seeded Kiki Bertens 6-2 6-3

Andrey Rublev beat eighth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 64 6-7 (5) 7-6 (7) 7-5

Vasek Pospisil beat ninth-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-5 7-5 4-6 6-3

Yulia Putintseva beat ninth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 7-6 (3)

Mikhail Kukushkin beat 10^th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-3

Elina Svitolina beat 10^th-seeded Madison Keys 7-5 6-4

SAYING

“She was crying, she won. I was crying. Everybody was crying.” – Coco Gauff, following her third-round loss to top-ranked Naomi Osaka.

“It is what it is.” – Dominic Thiem, after being upset in the first round by Thomas Fabbiano.

“Actually, I’d rather not be tested in every match. But that doesn’t happen, so it’s important for me to have those, like, really rough, rowdy matches. That helps a lot.” – Serena Williams, after being pushed before beating Caty McNally 5-7 6-3 6-1.

“I walked out there and I had the chills. That was the most insane atmosphere. I’ve never played on a court nowhere near that big, especially a night match. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was just an unbelievable experience, something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.” – Caty McNally, following her loss to Serena Williams.

“Definitely was one of the nicest, I would say, crowd that I played. Of course, they were against me, but I just tried to accept this and tried to actually turn it the other way, to say to myself that, you know, they’re cheering, but they’re cheering for me, which actually was not true.” – Elina Svitolina, after beating crowd favorite Venus Williams 6-4 6-4.

“I’m excited to get to my next matches and sad it had to end early here.” – Venus Williams, following her second-round loss to Elina Svitolina.

“I can get angry with myself by being 6-1 5-3 and missing a ball. But that’s me, and I guess also because of this I’m playing the level I am because I’m not going to give up on any point and I just want to, you know, play every point perfect, which I know it’s not possible.” – Karolina Pliskova, after beating Mariam Bolkvadze 6-1 6-4.

“I haven’t really figured out where I’m going to go from here, like what to think from that match. I don’t even know what my emotions are regarding that match. I don’t know if I should be frustrated, sad. I’m not sure.” – Felix Auger-Aliassime, following his first-round loss to fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

“It’s not an easy road. It’s never been. To find myself playing a night match at the US Open with people excited about the matchup, it’s a pretty big deal. I’m fortunate to be a part of that.” – Maria Sharapova, who lost to Serena Williams 6-1 6-1 in the first round.

“I was happy with today, so I’m not going to ask for more. Whether the win is easy or whether it’s tough, a win is a win.” – Venus Williams, following her first-round 6-1 6-0 win over Zheng, Saisai.

“I hope I can be the one to beat top three, but I feel like those three guys are still at a different level.” – Kei Nishikori, when asked if he felt he could beat Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadar or Roger Federer in a Grand Slam tournament final.

“I feel like I come to the US Open and you feel all the girls can win and they’re playing incredible. Everybody is a threat.” – Garbiñe Muguruza, after being upset by Alison Riske.

“Now you never know what is going to happen during the tournament. Every match is tough, first round, second round, doesn’t matter. It’s the same level.” – Simona Halep, when asked about the parity in the women’s game.

“What I do on court is great, but what really matters is what happens off court, the people who you affect.” – Coco Gauff, at 15 the youngest player in the US Open, when asked about her new-found fame

“It’s tough to put lot of pressure on her now or talk too much about her new. Even if she’s doing amazing things, she is very young.” – Rafael Nadal, when asked about 15-year-old Coco Gauff.

“It’s a combination. I’m definitely bummed out. At the same time I think I do have a new perspective, that it’s not life and death out there. It’s a privilege to be on a court like that against a player like that.” – Nicole Gibbs, who is playing again after conquering cancer.

“I’m just happy to be here. There’s not much to complain about. I’m in New York, playing the US Open, some great weather and playing some great tennis.” – Alex de Minaur of Australia.

“This is tennis, this is sport, and we have to deal with this. I will deal with this as good as I can.” – Angelique Kerber, speaking of her first-round 7-5 0-6 6-4 loss to Kristina Mladenovic

“I’ve always tried to be ready for anything, to have the Plan A, Plan B, maybe even Plan C in my pocket.” – Elina Svitolina, after beating Whitney Osuigwe 6-1 7-5.

“You learn how to play under pressure, you learn how to play on the big stages in front of so many people. Yeah, just focus on your action and what you can control. That comes with experience.” – Elina Svitolina, after beating Whitney Osuigwe 6-1 7-5

“Call Me Coco.” – Printed on Cori “Coco” Gauff’s shoes.

“What people have to understand is how (Althea Gibson) persevered and what she means to our sport. But not just to our sport, to all society, to everyone. I want the young generations to understand what she did for all of us – particularly people of color – but she inspired all of us.” – Billie Jean King, on the unveiling of the Althea Gibson Sculpture Garden at the US Open site.

“(Angela Buxton) was a pioneer in her own right to stand up and say, ‘This isn’t right. Just because you look different doesn’t mean you are different.’” – Serena Williams, acknowledging the role of Buxton, who was Althea Gibson’s doubles partner.

STAN’S SHOCKER

Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka grabbed a spot in the quarterfinals when top-ranked Novak Djokovic retired while trailing 6-4 7-5 2-1. It was the sixth time Djokovic has retired in Grand Slam matches, this time apparently because of a problem with his left shoulder. The defending champion retired after dropping his serve in the third game of the third set. He had not lost before the quarterfinals in Flushing Meadows since 2006. Wawrinka won the US Open in 2016, one of his three Grand Slam tournament titles, when he beat Djokovic in the final. This time Wawrinka overpowered the Serb with his serves and huge ground strokes. It was his fifth career win over a player ranked number one in the world. Djokovic was seeking his third major win of this year, having triumphed in the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

SUPER SWEET

When top-ranked Naomi Osaka and 15-year-old Coco Gauff met in a third-round battle in Arthur Ashe Stadium, everybody won, including the crowd. Osaka advanced with a marvelously-played, high-quality 6-3 6-0 victory, then shared the spotlight with her young opponent. “I thought about what I wanted her to feel leaving the court,” said Osaka, the defending US Open champion. “Like, I wanted her to have her head high, not walk off the court sad. I want her to, like, be aware that she’s accomplished so much and she’s still so young.” The score didn’t tell how well Gauff played, how many of her well-struck groundstrokes came roaring back with even more mustard. What Gauff did, Osaka did better. “I think I’ll learn a lot from this match,” said Gauff, who was the crowd favorite. “She’s the number one player in the world right now, so I know what I need to do to get to that level.”

SMART TACTICS

Playing a game from the past, American Taylor Townsend shocked Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the second round of the US Open, 2-6 6-3 7-6 (4). “This was a huge, monumental moment,” the 23-year-old Townsend said. “It was a very defining moment for me to realize that I belong here. I’ve had a lot of people doubting me being able to break through. It’s just confirmation more for myself that I’m on the right path, doing the right things.” A qualifier, Townsend pulled off the biggest victory of her career by playing serve-and-volley on nearly every point in the final two sets. It was the style of play that was used when the courts were grass and bumpy. Today, most are either hard, like the US Open, or clay. And smooth. “I know who I am. I know what makes me tick. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” Townsend said. “You dust yourself off and you keep going.”

Townsend didn’t stop there. In her third-round match, she beat another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea, 7-5 6-2 to advance to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career.

SHOULDER TO STAND ON

Finally, Althea Gibson is getting her due. The first African American to break the color barrier in tennis and winner of 11 Grand Slam tournament titles was recognized at the US Open with a statute. The sculpture – Gibson’s head emerging from a granite block with five blocks on the side – sits on the southeast side of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis venue in the world. One of Gibson’s shoulders is exposed. It’s the shoulder that “everyone since has stood on,” said its sculptor, Eric Goulder. Gibson was the first black player to win the French Nationals, Wimbledon and the US Nationals, now the US Open. When she retired in 1958, she was the top-ranked woman in tennis, having won more than 50 singles and doubles championships. Then Gibson became the first African American woman to play on the professional golf tour.

At the unveiling ceremony were former players Leslie Allen, Kim Sands, Kyle Copeland-Muse, Katrina Adams, Zina Garrison, Jeri Ingram, Wendy Driver, Renee Blount, Carol Watson, Chanda Rubin, Diane Morrison Shropshire, Billie Jean King and Angela Buxton as well as former US Open winner Sloane Stephens.

STICKING AROUND

She hasn’t won the US Open since 2001, but that doesn’t mean Venus Williams has quit trying. The elder Williams sister was not seeded in her 84^th Grand Slam tournament singles draw, the most appearances at a major by any player in the Open Era. Her sister Serena is playing in her 73^rd Grand Slam tournament, second among women. Roger Federer tops the men’s list by playing in his 78^th major singles tournament. This is the 21^st US Open for Venus, which ties her with Martina Navratilova as the most by a woman. Jimmy Connors played in 22 US Opens, one more than Andre Agassi among the men. Federer is playing in his 19^th US Open.

SHE’S IN

Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open three times, is the latest inductee into the US Open’s Court of Champions. Clijsters is the first Court of Champions inductee since Tracy Austin in 2016 and the 28^th overall. The Belgian won her first US Open women’s singles title in 2005 before retiring two years later. After having a daughter, she returned, winning two more titles in 2009 and 2010. To be eligible for the Court of Champions, players must have won at least one singles title at the tournament and have been retired from singles at the US Open for at least five years. Clijsters also is an inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

SET FOR DOUBLES

Naomi Osaka is the world’s top-ranked women’s player in singles. Doubles is a completely different game. The 21-year-old was asked if she would possibly join Kei Nishikori in mixed doubles at the next year’s Tokyo Olympics. “I would play,” Osaka said. “I would definitely play with him. I just, I would actually need to practice doubles for the first time in my life.” While she would be proud of representing her country in the Olympics, Osaka also realizes the responsibility. “Because you cannot play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori and lose in the first round of the Olympics in Tokyo,” she said. “That would be the biggest – like, I would cry.”

SPORT OF THE WORLD

Proving tennis is a world-wide sport, 51 nations were represented in the singles competition at this year’s US Open. The United States, as expected, had the most players, 39 – 23 women and 16 men. Fifteen countries were represented by just one player: Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Tunisia and Uruguay.

SISTER ACT

Sisters Venus and Serena Williams won the US Open doubles title in 1999 and again in 2009, the only two times they reached the final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Their streak of winning every 10 years won’t be repeated in 2019, however. The sisters did not enter the women’s doubles this year.

SPECTATORS

There was plenty of star power in her player’s box when Naomi Osaka beat Poland’s Magda Linette 6-2 6-4 in their second-round match in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Watching the action were five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “I did want to play well,” Osaka said of her special guests. “It’s just funny to me. Last year compared to this year, there’s no way Kobe would sit in my box. Kaepernick, too. It’s just crazy who you run into in life.” She sped through her victory because of her company, she said. “It was just like I really didn’t want them to sit in the sun too long, honestly. That was the thing that was on my mind.”

SUCCESS DOLLAR-WISE

Although she lost to Karolina Pliskova 6-1 6-4 in the second round, her first US Open was financially successful for Mariam Bolkvadze of Georgia. Second-round losers at the year’s final Grand Slam tournament receive USD $100,000. Bolkvadze’s career earnings before qualifying for this year’s US Open main women’s single draw was USD $79,882. By reaching the second round, the 21-year-old also is guaranteed to break into the Top 200 in the women’s rankings for the first time in her career.

SPREAD THE WEALTH

Roger Federer is reportedly worth more than USD $140 million, but is concerned about the players who are on the bottom of the earnings ladder. Having recently rejoined the ATP Player Council, Federer said he will work to see that lower-ranked and qualifying-grade players will get a larger share of any prize money increases the players’ organization negotiates in the coming years. “I do believe the Challenger players (those playing on the ATP Challenger Tour, one rung below the main ATP Tour) and also maybe qualifying and second-round loser should get more,” Federer said. “I think if there should be increases, it shouldn’t be at the top any more. I feel like we have reached a pretty good level there.” Both US Open singles champions this will pocket USD $3,850,000.

SPECIAL REQUEST

A ball boy was a little bewildered when Venus Williams asked for a cup of coffee. Williams made the request to someone on her team. When it arrived courtside, the coffee was given to the ball boy to deliver it to her. One problem, however. The ball boy watched as Williams left the court and was heading into the tunnel, leaving him holding the cup of coffee. With everyone watching, the unidentified ball boy placed the cup next to her chair for when she returned.

SIBLING SETS

Seven sets of siblings played in this year’s US Open, but only two pairs played together. American twins Bob and Mike Bryan played men’s doubles, while Taiwan’s Chan Hao-Ching and Latisha Chang competed in the women’s doubles. Neal Skupski teamed with fellow Brit Jamie Murray, while Neal Skupski paired with Romania’s Marius Copil. The Kichenok sisters from Ukraine have split up, Lyudmyla playing with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko and Nadia teaming with American Abigail Spears. Mischa Zverev of Germany paired up with Frenchman Benoit Paire, while his brother, Alexander, concentrated on singles only. Not playing doubles were Karolina and Krystyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic and Americans Venus and Serena Williams.

SET OF BOYS

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic has a growing family. The 2008 Roland Garros winner tweeted, “We are bursting with love and happiness. Our boy got a little brother.” Ivanovic retired at the end of the 2016 season after marrying Bastian Schweinsteiger, a professional soccer player. She gave birth to her first child, Stefan, last year. The 31-year-old Serbian star currently lives in Chicago, where Schweinsteiger plays for the Chicago Fire.

SPANISH PAIN

Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro was fined USD $40,000 for retiring during her first-round match against qualifier Timea Babos of Hungary while trailing 6-2. “After reviewing reports from medical staff and Grand Slam supervisors, the determination was made that Carla Suarez Navarro did not perform to the required professional standards,” tournament referee Soeren Friemel said in a statement, citing the First Round Performance Rule. The 28^th seed said on Twitter that she had had “not the easiest weeks” this year due to back pain, but she did not directly refer to the fine.

SLEW OF OFFENSES

Playing in the US Open is costing Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. The tournament’s fifth seed was fined USD $9,000 for a slew of offenses during his third-round victory over Feliciano Lopez of Spain. That brings Medvedev’s tally up to USD $19,000 through his first three matches at this year’s event. He was fined USD $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct when he angrily snatched a towel from a ball person and was USD $4,000 for giving hi middle finger to the crowd. “I am working on myself and hopefully I will be better next time,” the 23-year-old said. Medvedev was fined USD $7,500 for verbal abuse in the first round and USD $2,500 for throwing his racquet in the second round.

STUPID MOVE

American doubles specialist Mike Bryan was fined USD $10,000 for pointing his racquet as if it were a gun during his match. Bryan was called for a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct in the last game of the second set after making the gesture. Mike and his twin brother Bob challenged a call when a lob by their opponents was ruled in. When the replay showed the ball had landed out, Mike Bryan pointed toward the chair umpire and line judge with a finger, then placed the head of his racquet on his shoulder and pretended to “aim” the handle. The match was played hours after a man in Texas fatally shot seven people and injured 22 others. It was the biggest fine given out so far at this year’s US Open. “The gesture warranted that amount,” said United States Tennis Association (USTA) spokesman Brendan McIntyre.

SURFING

New York: https://www.usopen.org/index.html

New Haven: http://ww1.oracelchallengerseries.com/

Genova https://www.challengergenova.com/

Szczecin: www.pekaoszczecinopen.pl

Hiroshima: https://www.jta-tennis.or.jp/jwo/tabid/549/Default.aspx

Nanchang: http://www.jxopen.net/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

US Open, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)

$162,480 Jinan Open, Jinan, China, hard

$162,480 Oracle Challenger, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, hard