Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
US Open
Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4
Women’s Singles: Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams 6-3 7-5
Men’s Doubles: Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4 7-5
Women’s Doubles: Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka beat Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty 7-5 7-5
Mixed Doubles: Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Michael Venus and Chan Hao-Ching 6-2 6-3
Junior Boys’ Singles: Jonas Forejtek beat Emilio Nava 6-7 (4) 6-0 6-2
Junior Girls’ Singles: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano beat Alexandra Yepifanova 6-1 6-0
Junior Boys’ Doubles: Eliot Spizzirri and Tyler Zink beat Andrew Paulson and alexander Zgirovsky 7-6 (4) 6-4
Junior Girls’ Doubles: Kamilla Bartone and Oksana Selekhmeteva beat Aubane Droguet and Selena Janicijevic 7-5 7-6 (6)
Men’s Wheelchair Singles: Alfie Hewett beat Stephane Houdet 7-6 (9) 7-6 (5)
Women’s Wheelchair Singles: Diede De Groot beat Yui Kamiji 4-6 6-1 6-4
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid beat Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda 1-6 6-4 11-9 (match tiebreak)
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles: Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot beat Sabine Ellenbrock and Kgothatso Montjane 6-2 6-0
Quad Wheelchair Singles: Andy Lapthorne beat Dylan Alcott 6-1 6-0
Quad Wheelchair Doubles: Dylan Alcott and Andy Lapthorne beat Bryan Barton and David Wagner 6-7 (5) 6-1 10-6 (match tiebreak)
OTHERS
Anna Blinkova beat Usue Maitane Arconada 6-4 6-2 to win the Oracle Challenger women’s singles in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Zhang Zhizhen beat Go Soeda 7-5 2-6 64 to win the Jinan Open in Jinan, China
Tommy Paul beat Marcos Giron 6-3 6-3 to win the Oracle Challenger men’s singles in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Lorenzo Sonego beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2 4-6 7-6 (6) to win the Aon Open Challenger in Genova, Italy
SAYING
“This victory is so important for me. Especially as the match became more and more difficult. I was able to hold the serves. They were so high. It was a crazy match and I’m just very emotional.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning the US Open men’s singles title.
“Because of the crowd, I was fighting like hell. In the third set, in my mind I was already thinking what to say in the speech. I was fighting and I didn’t give up, but unfortunately it didn’t go my way.” – Daniil Medvedev, after losing the US Open final to Rafael Nadal.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the longest time.” – Bianca Andreescu, after becoming the first Canadian — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam singles title.
“I’m so close, so close, so close, yet so far away.” – Serena Williams, after losing to Bianca Andreescu in the US Open women’s singles final.
“She just proved that she’s a true athlete. For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who on the court treats you like your worst enemy, but off the court can be your best friend.” – Coco Gauff, talking about Naomi Osaka, who beat Gauff in the third round.
“I fell in love with tennis again, so I appreciate the competition, I appreciate the stadium matches.” – Bethanie Mattek-Sands, after teaming with Jamie Murray to win the US Open mixed doubles.
“The way Colombia received us when we came back from Wimbledon was really breathtaking, and I think that – I mean, I don’t even want to think about how crazy it’s gonna be now that we come back from the US Open.” – Robert Farah, after he and Juan Sebastian Cabal became the first Columbians to win the US Open men’s doubles title.
“Congratulations @Bandreescu_! You’ve made history and made a whole country very proud. #SheTheNorth” – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a tweet to Canada’s first Grand Slam singles champion.
“CONGRATS GIRL! Canadian history.” – Eugenie Bouchard, who was the first Canadian woman to reach a Grand Slam tournament final, losing the 2014 Wimbledon title to Petra Kvitova.
“SHE THE CHAMP! Congrats, @Bandreescu_#WeTheNorth x #SheTheNorth” – The reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors who transmuted their slogan “We the North” to “She the North” in tribute to Bianca Andreescu.
“You’re #1!!! Congrats @Bandreescu_!#ShetheNorth #USOpen.” – The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks with a photo of a number one jersey bearing Andreescu’s name.
“What a performance! Congratulations @Bandreescu_ #SheTheNorth.” – The Toronto Maple Leafs, who last won the Stanley Cup in 1967.
“HISTORY Congratulations to @Bandreescu_ on becoming the first (Canadian) to win a Grand Slam singles title! #USOpen.” – Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, who last won the World Series in 1993.
“Congratulations @Bandreescu_ on an amazing performance and your first grand slam! Romania is very proud of you.” – Simona Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion, knowing that Andreescu’s parents are from Romania.
“I think she’s going to be number one soon. I mean, not too soon but in the future, because she has everything that’s needed to be number one.” – Patrick Mouratoglou, the coach of Serena Williams.
“I honestly don’t think Serena showed up. I have to kind of figure out how to get her to show up in Grand Slam finals.” – Serena Williams, after losing her fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament final.
SPANISH GOLD
Beating back the upset bid by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal won his 19th Grand Slam men’s singles title at the US Open. The thriller lasted nearly five hours as Medvedev, after dropped the opening two sets, won the next two to force the battle into a decisive fifth set. Medvedev broke in the last game of both the third and fourth sets to knot the score at two sets each. But Nadal broke to lead 3-2 in the fifth, then broke again for 5-2. The Russian refused to concede and broke Nadal again as the Spaniard was serving for the match. Medvedev held to pull to 5-4, but Nadal finally held serve, converting his third championship point to win his fourth US Open. Add to his 12 Roland Garros titles, two at Wimbledon and one at the Australian Open and Nadal is just only major title behind Roger Federer for the most by a man in tennis history.
SUPER CANADIAN
Serena Williams was after her record-tying 24th Grand Slam tournament singles title. Instead, Bianca Andreescu got her first. The 19-year-old Canadian handed Williams a fourth consecutive defeat in the final of a major and became the youngest Grand Slam tournament winner since Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2004 US Open. “It’s so hard to explain in words, but I’m just beyond grateful and truly blessed. I’ve worked really, really hard for this moment,” Andreescu said. Before the US Open, the teenager had won just two Grand Slam tournament matches in her career. But, in eight attempts she has never lost to an opponent ranked in the Top 10 this year, and with the victory she moves to fifth in the world. “This year has been a dream come true,” said Andreescu. “Being able to play on this stage against Serena, a true legend of the sport, is amazing.” It was Andreescu who was amazing on this day. “It wasn’t easy at all,” she said. “I tried to prepare my best like I do every match, I tried not to focus on who I’m playing. I’m really proud of how I dealt with everything.” Serena Williams has to wait until next year in her attempt to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam tournament singles titles.
SMART TACTICS
Belgium’s Elise Mertens teamed up with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to capture the US Open women’s doubles title, beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in the final. The champions lost only one set in the tournament to capture their first Grand Slam tournament title as a team. Barty won the title last year when she teamed with American CoCo Vandeweghe. Mertens and Sabalenka also won the doubles in Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season. This is the first Grand Slam doubles title for both.
SAME CHAMPIONS
Great Britain’s Jamie Murray and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands captured their second straight US Open mixed doubles title by stopping New Zealand’s Michael Venus and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-Ching in the final. “We have a lot of fun,” Mattek-Sands said. “He keeps me pretty grounded.” The winners finished with just 11 unforced errors while firing 23 winners. Mattek-Sands, who suffered a grisly knee injury at Wimbledon two years ago and underwent more knee surgery in March, picked up her ninth career Grand Slam doubles title. Her partner is the older brother former world number one Andy Murray. Jamie Murray also won the US Open mixed doubles in 2017 with Martina Hingis.
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
When top-seeded Naomi Osaka ended Coco Gauff’s run at the US Open, she hugged the 15-year-old and invited her to share the spotlight given to the winner. That gesture was one of the reason Osaka was given the women’s 2019 US Open Sportsmanship Award. Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman was the men’s honoree. Both received a trophy and a USD $5,000 donation to a charity of their choice. Todd Martin, a former player who co-chairs the committee that chooses the recipients, said Osaka and Schwartzman “demonstrated a level of sportsmanship that is even more impressive than their play on the court.
SUCCESS
Colombia’s Maria Camila Osorio Serrano crushed American qualifier Alexandra Yepifanova to win the junior girls’ singles title in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. “It’s unreal,” Osorio Serrano said. “It’s been a really great week for me. I’m just so happy and thankful for this. I can’t believe I won.” She did, in a dominating performance. The fourth-seeded Osorio Serrano began the match with an ace and never let up until the winner’s trophy was secured.
SUCCESS DOLLAR-WISE
After dropping the first set, fourth-seeded Jonas Forejtek of the Czech Republic roared past Emilio Nava to win the US Open boys’ singles title. Forejtek lost the first set in a tiebreak, but dropped only two games after that as he overpowered his American opponent. He is the first Czech to win the US Open boy’s singles title since 2006 and only the fourth Czech male to capture a major junior singles title. “They won it (and) I have to work hard to get at least close to them,” Forejtek said. “So, I think it’s motivation, too, and I got a lot of confidence from this.”
SPREAD THE WEALTH
Winning has become habit-forming for two Colombians. Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah added the US Open to their trophy case after becoming the first players from their nation to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July. They became the first South American duo to win the US Open by downing Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina. “This whole Colombian tennis power thing started with a dream of one guy who owned this huge business called Colsanitas, Farah said during the on-court trophy ceremony. One special guy who started it all was Roberto Cocheteux, who passed away 17 or 18 days ago. We couldn’t go to his burial because we had to stay here, and it was very tough for us. We said we would dedicate this tournament to him and there is no better way to dedicate something than to win it.”
SET OF BOYS
Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne halted Dylan Alcott’s bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam in the wheelchair quad singles. Alcott had won the title at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. And the Australian had bested Lapthorne in the round-robin portion of the competition, although he needed three sets. This time, it was Lapthorne who came out on top, dropping just one game in the final.
Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina also saw his bid for history stopped in the men’s wheelchair singles. Top-seeded, Fernandez lost in the semifinals to unseeded Stephane Houdet of France 3-6 6-2 7-5. In 2014, Houdet became the first man to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s wheelchair doubles. But his bid for another title ended when he lost in the final to defending champion Alfie Hewett of Great Britain.
Diede De Groot pulled off her second straight double at the Open, winning the women’s wheelchair singles over Japan’s Yui Kamiji, then teaming with fellow Dutchman Aniek Van Koot to stop Sabine Ellenbrock of Germany and South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane in the women’s wheelchair doubles final.
SWISS PAIN
Gérard Pique is hoping to persuade Roger Federer to take part in the new Davis Cup format. With Pique at the forefront with a team of wealthy backers, the Davis Cup has undergone a major overhaul this year. The international team competition final will take place November 18-24 in a week-long tournament. Switzerland failed to qualify for the final, but Federer may be forced to play Davis Cup if he wants to compete at the Tokyo Olympics next year. Eligibility for the Olympics tennis competition is dependent on playing a Davis Cup match within the four-year Olympic cycle and at least once in 2019 and 2020. However, Federer and other top players could apply for an exemption if they don’t meet those requirements. Pique said Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic have committed to playing Davis Cup.
SLEW OF OFFENSES
Russia’s Anna Blinkova won the biggest singles title of her career when she captured the Oracle Challenge in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Blinkova stopped American Usue Maitane Arconada in the final. The seventh-seeded Blinkova dropped the first set she played in the hard-court tournament, that to Japan’s Mayo Hibi. But Blinkova didn’t lose another set in her march to the title.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Genova: Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar beat Guido Andreozzi and Andres Molteni 3-6 6-4 10-3 (match tiebreak)
Jinan: Matthew Ebden and Divij Sharan beat Nam Ji Sung and Song Min-Kyu 6-7 (4) 7-5 10-3 (match tiebreak)
New Haven (men): Robert Galloway and Nathaniel Lammons beat Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-5 6-4
New Haven (women): Anna Blikova and Oksana Kalashnikova beat Usue Maitane Arconada and Jamie Loeb 6-2 4-6 10-4 (match tiebreak)
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/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Pekao: http://pekaoszczecinopen.pl/
Zhengzhou: https://cubingchina.com/competition/Zhengzhou-Open-2019
Osaka: https://cubingchina.com/competition/Zhengzhou-Open-2019
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN
$151,601 Pekao Szczecin Open, Szczecin, Poland, hard
WOMEN
$1,000,000 Zhengzhou Open, Zhengzhou, China, hard
$250,000 Hana-cup Japan Women’s Open, Hiroshima, Japan, hard
$250,000 Jiangxi Open, Nanchang, China, hard
DAVIS CUP
First Round
Group I, Americas: Brazil vs. Barbados at Criciuma, Brazil, clay; Venezuela vs. Ecuador at Miami, Florida, USA, hard; Uruguay vs. Dominican Republic at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay
Group I, Asia/Oceania: Lebanon vs. Uzbekistan at Jounieh, Lebanon, clay; China vs. Korea at Guiyang, China, hard
Group I, Europe/Africa: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Czech Republic at Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, hard; Sweden vs. Israel at Stockholm, Sweden, hard; Finland vs. Austria at Espoo, Finland, hard; Hungary vs. Ukraine at Budapest, Hungary, clay; Slovakia vs. Switzerland at Bratislava, Slovakia, clay; Belarus vs. Portugal at Minsk, Belarus, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$1,248,665 St. Petersburg Open, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard
$586,140 Moselle Open, Metz, France, hard
$162,480 Kaohsiung Challenger, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, carpet
WOMEN
$823,000 Toray Pan Pacific Open, Osaka, Japan, hard
