McIntyre Tennis

Naomi Osaka Wins The US Open Amid Serena Williams Argument With Umpire

By Mike McIntyre

Naomi Osaka became the first tennis player from Japan to win a Grand Slam title on Sunday at the US Open with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Serena Williams. It was not the way the 20 year old Osaka envisioned defeating her idol however as a sideshow developed between the 23 time major champion and chair umpire Carlos Ramos.

After a clean first set of tennis from Osaka and an error-filled one from Williams, things took a turn for the worse in the early stages of the second set. Ramos gave Williams a warning for coaching due to hand signals that Patrick Mouratoglou was making from the stands. Williams seemed stung by the accusation as if it somehow implied that she was looking for an advantage to get back into the match. She explained to Ramos that she understood how he might have implied there was coaching going on but that, "I don't cheat to win, I'd rather lose."

Regardless of whether or not Williams even saw the hand signal from her coach, the umpire is within his or her right to impose such a warning. The onus in this case to remain impartial and detached is really on Mouratoglou, although as he mentioned after the match, "100% of the coaches, in 100% of the matches" employ similar tactics. For a player like Serena Williams however, who never uses on-court coaching even when it is permitted at regular WTA events, the insinuation from Ramos clearly struck a nerve.

The exchange seemed to in-fact fire the American up as she would break to take a 3-1 lead in the second frame. Quickly however, Osaka broke right back to put the match back on-serve and after the fifth game ended Williams threw her racquet to the court in frustration. That enacted an automatic point penalty which meant that Osaka would start her next service game ahead 15-0. This was unclear to Williams until she got-up after the change-over and made her way to receive serve. It all started to unravel from this point onwards as a visibly shaken Williams asked Ramos for an apology.

It seemed as though Williams was under the impression that the previous warning for coaching was reconciled between her and the umpire at an earlier juncture of the match and that perhaps she believed it did not actually count in the progressive discipline she was now receiving. Ramos stuck to his guns (as he was entitled to do) and the match continued.

Skip ahead to the next changeover where Williams was still understandably seething from a combination of unfortunate events and continued strong play from her opponent, and things got uncomfortable very quickly. As she was getting up to receive serve with Osaka leading 4-3, Williams said to Ramos "You're a thief" for taking the point deduction from her two games prior. Without hesitation or reflection, Ramos then (again as he was entitled to do) decided to call her for verbal abuse. Due to the existing warning/code violation combo she had already received, the third strike against her resulted in the automatic forfeit of an entire game. Williams would now have to serve to stay in the match, down 3-5.

This is the point of the match where in my estimation the chair umpire should have used better judgement. He did not have to call Williams for verbal abuse at such a critical juncture of a Grand Slam final. She did not use any obscenities in her comments to him and was understandably rattled with the way things were proceeding both between herself and the umpire as well as herself and her opponent. To make a parallel to another professional sport, in the NHL referees officiate playoff games differently than they would a (relatively) meaningless regular season game despite the fact that the rules are the same in either setting. They are known to "put their whistles away" in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The US Open final is the equivalent to game 7 overtime in hockey, and yet Ramos decided to enforce the rules exactly as they appear in the book. Instead of finding a way to diffuse the situation, Ramos essentially lit the match that would trigger an explosive reaction from Williams.

Tournament referee Brian Earley and WTA Supervisor Donna Kelso both came onto the court to try to better understand the situation but after speaking with Ramos and listening to Williams plead her case, they walked-away saying effectively that their hands were tied and it was the chair umpire's decision to make.

Osaka then somehow managed to block-out the distraction and focus on her tennis - which she has done so well over the past two weeks - and closed-out the second set 6-4 to claim her first major title. The young phenom was moved to tears as she hugged her mother, coach and other family and friends in her players box after the victory and was again seen crying while having to deal with a chorus of boos that reigned down during the post-match trophy ceremony. Serena Williams' fans felt their star was robbed of the opportunity to end the match on her own terms.

Regardless of how you feel Williams reacted during the match, she showed enormous class to quickly take control of that awkward moment and address the crowd pleading for them to allow Osaka to enjoy her well-earned triumph. Osaka is a rising star on the WTA Tour who earlier this year won her first professional tournament in Indian Wells, defeated Williams in the next event in Miami and has now proved that result to be no fluke.

For Williams, a $17,000 fine was levied against her the day after the final for her behavior on court. While there are still tournaments that remain before the end of the tennis season, the American tennis legend will now have to wait until January at the Australian Open to try to capture her 24th Grand Slam and try to tie the all-time record held my Margaret Court. That quest is the driving factor that keeps Serena Williams going as she approaches her 37th birthday later this month. Given the controversy and drama that we witnessed in her last match at Flushing Meadows I'm sure it will only serve to provide Williams even more motivation to make that a reality.

Who Will Capture the 2018 US Open?

Article and Photographs by Mike McIntyre

With the final Grand Slam of 2018 fast approaching, it remains to be seen if someone unexpected can challenge for the US Open. The first three majors of the year have gone to the usual suspects - Roger Federer at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal (comme d'habitude) at the French Open and a resurgent Novak Djokovic recently at Wimbledon. What are the chances that those all-time greats can be bested in New York?

If you're looking to play the odds, sportsbettingdime.com has a list of trustworthy betting sites you can utilize.

Let's take a look at some of the next-tier of contenders.

Alexander Zverev

The leader of the so-called "Next Gen" on the ATP World Tour, the German has yet to translate the success that has propelled him to No. 4 in the world to the Grand Slam level. A disappointing showing at the Masters 1000s in Toronto and Cincinnati don't lend to much optimism however the young talent has recently brought Ivan Le

ndl into his team. Having an eight-time major champion in one's corner can't hurt. The fact that Lendl didn't win his first Slam until the age of 24 will probably also help this partnership thrive.

Kevin Anderson

The 6'8'' South African proved at Wimbledon that his finalist showing last year at Flushing Meadows was no fluke. He has found a consistent top-ten level in his game and is a class act both in victory and defeat. His confidence is now as powerful as his booming serve and he truly believes he belongs at the top of the men's game. Anderson is an opponent that nobody relishes playing at the moment.

Marin Cilic

Let's not forget that Cilic is one of the few players outside of the "Big Four" who has one a Grand Slam in the past 15 years. The 2014 US Open champion has had decent results lately making the quarterfinals in Toronto and the semifinals in Cincinnati and clearly enjoys playing in New York. He made the finals of the Australian Open at the start of the season and should not be overlooked on the other hard court Slam of 2018.

Stan Wawrinka

It has taken the three-time Slam champion a little longer than expected to start posting favorable results since coming back from a knee injury to start the year. He missed the US Open last year but has won there in 2016 and also has semifinal showings from 2013 and 2015. He fell to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati recently but put-up a brave challenge before going down 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.

Juan Martin Del Potro

There are few players who are more likeable on the ATP World Tour than the affable Del Potro. Nine years since his lone Grand Slam title here in New York, the Argentinian has rebuilt his game after multiple wrist surgeries and is back to displaying the ferocious game that we hoped he was still capable of showing us. A solid 2018 including the semifinals at Roland Garros and quarterfinals of Wimbledon are proof that he can handle the best-of-five set grind. His maiden Masters 1000 title back in March in Indian Wells was also a huge moment that reveals his prowess on the hard courts as well.

Check back with us often over the next two weeks as well for regular updates and analysis from the US Open. Whether is it Djokovic, Nadal, Federer or one of the above mentioned players, we will have you covered throughout the final Grand Slam for 2018.

Sharapova Defeats Halep in Epic First Round Match at the US Open

By Mike McIntyre

It was THE match that everyone was looking forward to as the US Open began on Monday. World No. 2 Simona Halep against wildcard Maria Sharapova, the Former World No. 1 and 2006 champion in New York. And it didn't fail to deliver on the hype.

Sharapova used her serve and aggressive groundstrokes to dictate play against Halep throughout the match but the Romanian found a way to stay with her. Sharapova led 6-4, 4-1 at one point and it looked like her opponent would be unable to make the necessary adjustments in her game to counter. Halep, however, kept her composure and approached each point as a fresh opportunity to get back into the match. She would amazingly reel-off five straight games over a suddenly jittery Sharapova to even the contest at one set apiece.

In the third however, Sharapova's risky and rewarding style of play would prove to be what she needed to pull-off the upset on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Despite holding a 6-0 career advantage over Halep coming into the match, Sharapova's limited match play this summer while she has dealt with injuries certainly afforded the No. 2 Halep the status as favorite.

Halep's groundstrokes were up to the task but her serve was not. In particular, Sharapova was consistently crushing the Halep second serve with both her forehand and backhand. There was no escaping the punishment from the Russian on this night, no matter what side Halep selected. Sharapova would advance with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory in a 2 hour and 44 minute opening night thriller. The New York crowd was on the receiving end of a performance worthy of a Grand Slam Final.

Sharapova summed-up her unexpected victory by saying, "Despite not playing a lot of matches coming into this, it almost seemed like I had no right to win this match today. And I somehow did. I think that is what I'm most proud of."

With No. 7 seed Johanna Konta also falling on opening day, the draw has opened right up for Sharapova who suddenly has a nice path towards the semi-finals. In her way, of note, is potentially Sloane Stephens who has made the semi-finals in both Montreal and Cincinnati this summer. Sharapova would have until the quarter-finals for that potential encounter.

Up next for Sharapova is the 59th ranked Timea Babos on Wednesday. The pair have never faced each other and on paper, it is now clearly Sharapova who is the favorite. After her win over Halep, Sharapova was uncharacteristically emotional on the court with tears welling in her eyes. We will see if she can recover emotionally from such a draining first round match to deliver on expectation. 

In the meantime here are some photos from last night courtesy of Jimmie48 Photography who captured the magic of perhaps the greatest first round match we've ever seen at the US Open.

Preview of the U.S. Open Women's Draw

By Mike McIntyre

There has perhaps never been more at stake in women's tennis at the final Grand Slam of the season as there is this year, as eight different players could leave the U.S. Open with the World No. 1 ranking. While some have a much stronger shot at accomplishing the feat than others, it reflects a WTA Tour that is still in-flux with the absence of Serena Williams and reveals a group of players who have yet to decide who among them might settle into the role for an extended period of time. Here is a look at the four quarters of the main draw and who we think stands the best chance of hoisting the trophy, and perhaps also emerging as the next No. 1 player in the world.

First Quarter

Current World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova assumed the role thanks to a Johanna Konta victory over Simona Halep at Wimbledon after she herself had already been knocked-out of the draw. Pliskova seemed comfortable talking about her new position at the top of the rankings while she was in Toronto at the Rogers Cup but was pushed to a third set there by 19 year old Naomi Osaka in the third round before falling to veteran Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals. Pliskova would get revenge against Wozniacki in the quarter-finals in Cincinnati before falling to eventual champion Garbine Muguruza in the semi-finals there. I foresee this progression continuing for Pliskova with a return to the finals in Flushing Meadows as a distinct possibility. She's in a great section of the draw filled with recent underacheivers like Kristina Mladenovic and over overachievers like Barbora Strycova in her path towards the final sixteen. Potential quarter-final foes include the struggling Aga Radwanska, a relatively dormant Svetlana Kuznetsova and a couple of dangerous floaters like Lucie Safarova and the young CiCi Bellis. By the quarter-finals I see Pliskova's game coming into a groove and believe she will fight hard to keep her No. 1 status. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Bellis, Safarova and Vandeweghe

Pass on: Kuznetsova, Mladenovic and Radwanska

Second Quarter

The two big seeds in this section of the draw couldn't be heading in more different directions. Fourth seeded Elina Svitolina may be a surprisingly unknown quantity to many quasi-tennis pundits - she was seriously undervalued by the media in Toronto - but she is a major obstacle to any serious U.S. Open contender. The 22 year old has won a whopping five titles in 2017 and is proving she is ready to claim her first Grand Slam. It may not happen in New York, but it will indeed happen at some point in the near future the way she has been playing.

Photo by Bob McIntyre

Also in this section is sixth seeded and defending champion Angelique Kerber who has had a abysmal season for someone who came into 2017 holding two Slam titles to her name. Kerber is limping into the Open and has not given any signs in match play that she is ready to raise her game to the levels it was at a year ago. Playing rising star Naomi Osaka of Japan in the opening round might very well afford Kerber a quick exit like she experienced at the French Open back in the spring. Osaka has pushed the likes of Konta, Halep and recently in Toronto, Pliskova, to three sets and seems poised to have a breakthrough. She's a hard hitter and if she's healthy I think this could swing her way.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Gavrilova, Keys, Osaka

Pass on: Bouchard, Ostapenko

Third Quarter

Caroline Wozniacki has had a resurgence this season and has climbed her way back into the top-ten in the rankings with appearances in six finals. Unfortunately for her she has lost every one of those finals and in straight sets to boot. Having made the finals twice at the U.S. Open (2009 and 2014) means that Wozniacki knows how to handle the pressure at the final major of the year. I can see a quarter-final appearance here this year but I don't think she has the fire of some of her younger top-ten peers.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Venus Williams at the age of - well, does it even matter anymore - is also in this section of the draw and the American superstar has already surprised us by making the finals of two Slams in 2017. Her summer appearances don't inspire confidence but you can't count out someone who has made the finals here four times previously including two tournament victories. Her last showing in the finals was fifteen years ago however so I'm not banking on Venus to make it past the fourth round or quarter-finals at best.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

My pick here - and it's not groundbreaking by any stretch - is Garbine Muguruza. She can play more freely now after picking up her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon as she proved with her recent win in Cincy. She has a nice draw, matches-up well vs Wozniacki and Venus, and isn't afraid to take her chances and go for it. I also like Caroline Garcia of France as a potential dark horse here who is the 18th seed in this part of the draw. People might also be mentioning Petra Kvitova and who wouldn't want to see her succeed, but I don't like her play on hardcourts this summer.

Keep an eye on: Garcia, Makarova

Pass on: Kvitova, Rybarikova

Fourth Quarter

Let's just get right to it and admit that the Simona Halep vs  Maria Sharapova match is one of the greatest first round matches of all-time at a Slam. We get the No. 2 seed against the former World No. 1 and U.S. Open champion of 2006. Halep must have been in disbelief when she found out who she drew in her opening match and yet I feel that overcoming this obstacle is almost a necessity for Halep if she wants to hoist a Grand Slam trophy one day. Mentally she needs something to prove to herself that she is a true champion and what better than by defeating one of the greatest players (love her or hate her) of recent history. Her 0-6 record against Sharapova is daunting, yet Halep has played very consistent tennis this year and has made it deep in almost every tournament she has played. Recent no-shows in the later stages of Toronto and Cincy have me concerned if I'm a Halep fan, as there is clearly something that is holding her back from playing anywhere near her best tennis when it seems to count. As if her 6-1, 6-1 thrashing by Svitolina in the semi-finals of Toronto wasn't bad enough, she followed that up by getting blitzed 6-1, 6-0 in the finals of Cincinnati by Muguruza. Halep is only five points behind Pliskova for the No. 1 ranking and that can either motivate or hinder her performance against Sharapova depending on how she reacts Monday night.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

The good news for Halep is that a) Sharapova has not proven to be healthy enough to compete in recent months and b) the rest of her draw is pretty favorable. Her second through fourth round matches don't make me blink an eye if she wins her opener, and Johanna Konta could meet her in the quarter-finals but the Brit has not really performed on the hardcourts since her Wimbledon semi-final run.

Photo by Jimmie48 Photography

Do keep a close eye on Sloane Stephens who has been straight-up fire this summer. In only her third tournament back after an eleven month layoff, the American made the semi-finals in Toronto beating Kvitova and Kerber along the way. She then followed that up with another semi-final appearance in Cincinnati to prove that Toronto was no fluke. That saw her ranking skyrocket from 934 in the world to its current spot at No. 84. Only a matter of time before she is back in the top 20 and with her recent confidence she is not someone you would want to face. A second round match against New Haven finalist Dominika Cibulkova is an early test, but she has had plenty of those lately and handled them with relative ease. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Goerges, Stephens

Pass on: Everyone else not named Halep or Sharapova

U.S. Open Review

Now that the US Open has finished for another year, all four of the major tennis tournaments have passed – effectively bringing the professional tennis season to a close. Let's look back at the 2016 US Open, detailing how the tournament panned out and who eventually came out on top.

This year’s tournament marked the 136^th time that the US Open has been played and the men’s tournament sprang a surprise right from the beginning with the absence of Roger Federer – due to injury. Among the top seeded men’s players, the number 1 and number 3 seeded players – Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka – went on to contest the final. However, several of the other high seeded players suffered surprising early exits, with Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic and Rafael Nadal all out of the tournament by the end of the fourth round. In the case of the former it was the latest in a series of setbacks, as he lost out to Lucas Pouille at the end of a five-set match. Britain’s biggest hope Andy Murray made it to the quarter finals before exiting, while another big name – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – was forced to withdraw thanks to injury at the same stage of the tournament. When it came to the women’s singles, we also witnessed surprising early exits for several top seeds. Madison Keys and Venus Williams of the United States, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Garbine Muguruza of Spain had all departed by the time the quarterfinals came along.

With defending women’s champion Flavia Pennetta having announced her retirement at the end of the previous season, most expected Serena Williams to at least reach the final. The defeat of the world number 1 by Karolina Pliskova was one of the more surprising moments in the tournament. This singled out the number 10 ranked player in the world as a Slam up-and-comer. The player who defeated her in the final – Angelique Kerber – has also staked her claim as a genuine challenger to Williams’ dominance.

In the men’s final, Wawrinka came out on top against Djokovic, with the latter’s defeat coming hot on the heels of early Olympics and Wimbledon exits. Djokovic clearly struggled with a wrist injury throughout the tournament but Wawrinka never lost focus during those injury delays and was a worthy winner. Djokovic was the defending champion and put up a valiant display despite his injury, but neither the men’s nor the women’s tournament saw the trophy retained. With Djokovic having been a dominant force in the men’s game for some time, there is growing evidence that injury may be set to bring this to an end. Thus it is possible that this year’s US Open marked the end of an era for both the men’s and women’s game, although it would be unwise to bet on Djokovic or Williams being finished. It would be far more sensible to bet on a tennis themed slot game like Centre Court available at mobile casino instead, as this gives you a great chance of winning a payout – or even the big jackpot – and is not dissimilar to normal tennis betting.

It will be interesting to see how the stars of this year’s US Open, like Wawrinka, Pliskova and Kerber, do in January’s Australian Open.

Men's 2016 U.S. Open Preview

 By Mike McIntyre

The final Grand Slam of the year is upon us in New York and 127 players on the ATP World Tour will be trying to wrestle the U.S. Open title away from Novak Djokovic. For the first time in over a year, Djokovic is likely not being considered the favorite at this event as he has struggled since winning his maiden French Open title at the beginning of June. With his health uncertain - a wrist issue has been bothering him in recent weeks - Djokovic will have his work cut out for him in order to take home his third U.S. Open championship.

First Quarter

First of all let me say that if Djokovic is playing 100% healthy, then he is still (along with Andy Murray) a very strong candidate for the title. It is the fact that we don't exactly know the full extent of his injury, coupled with an up-and-down summer that makes me feel he is going to be pushed really hard to repeat as the champ. Djokovic faces an underrated Jerzy Janowicz in the opening round. Janowicz is currently ranked 228th in the world but only recently returned to the court after an injury layoff (knee) that began after the Australian Open and ended but a month ago. Janowicz has not won a Grand Slam match since winning one round at the 2015 French Open. The 25 year old from Poland is best known for his 2013 run to the semi-finals of Wimbledon. He has never faced Djokovic before.

Djokovic could face Jiri Vessely in the second round, Mikhail Youzhny in the third and then American John Isner in the fourth round. These matches should give Novak some much needed confidence after his opening round loss to Juan Martin Del Potro at the Rio Olympics. An in-form Marin Cilic could be waiting in the quarter-finals.

Cilic just won the first Masters 1000 title of his career in Cincinnati a week ago and opens against Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil. Jack Sock is his likely third round match-up and a struggling Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looms in the fourth round. Cilic, let's not forget, won the Open in 2014 and has already proved he has what it takes to win here.

Second Quarter

Canadian Milos Raonic is seeded fifth in New York but many consider the Wimbledon finalist as the third most likely to win the Open behind Djokovic and Murray. Since falling to Murray on grass, Raonic made the quarter-finals in Toronto and the semi-finals in Cincy. He has a 42-11 record on the year and has John McEnroe back in his squad as he gets ever closer to the first Grand Slam title of his career. Milos opens against Dustin Brown of Germany and then has a favorable draw until a Rogers Cup re-match against Gael Monfils that looms for the round of sixteen. Monfils beat Milos in TO and was on a real hot streak this summer. For his part, Raonic did beat him in a best-of-five hardcourt match at the Aussie Open at the start of the year as well as at Indian Wells a couple of months later.

Rafael Nadal is in this section of the draw but it is hard to know what he will be able to bring to the table if the matches go into a fourth or fifth set. He made an incredible return to tennis at the Olympics where he won gold in doubles and lost the bronze medal singles match to Kei Nishikori. He doesn't sound too optimistic when talking about his current health status and lost last week in Cincinnati in his third round match to Borna Coric by a quick score of 6-1, 6-3.

Third Quarter

The most entertaining quarter of the draw in my opinion is right here with third seed Stan Warinka leading the charge. This is Stan's last chance to win a Slam in three straight years but he'll have his hands full if he is to accomplish that. Wawrinka has gone 5-4 on Tour since his semi-final result at Roland Garros. He opens against veteran Fernando Verdasco who defeated him at Queen's Club in June. He could get youngster Alexander Zverev in the third round and then Nick Kyrgios in the fourth. I think Kyrgios is due for a breakthrough at the Slam level and after putting his you-know-what together in Atlanta earlier this month, he could very well have that moment here in New York.

An admittedly tired Dominic Thiem is in this section as the eighth seed and so is Olympic silver medalist Del Potro. Whoever makes it out of this section is either going to be incredibly tired or on one heck of a roll moving towards the semi-finals.

Fourth Quarter

Andy Murray is the favorite this year at the U.S. Open and I don't think that can really be disputed one bit. In 2016 he can boast of being the runner-up at the Aussie Open, the French Open and the Master events in Madrid and Cincinnati. He was champion in Rome, Queen's Club, Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics. He is looking as good as he could possibly hope in his bid for a second U.S. Open title. Murray opens against Lukas Rosol, could see Gilles Simon in the third round followed by a reinvigorated Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth. Kei Nishikori is in this section and would be the likely quarter-final opponent for Murray here. That would be a repeat of the Olympic semi-finals where Murray routinely won 6-1, 6-4.

Nishikori faces Benjamin Becker in the opening round. It was ten years ago (wow!) since Becker knocked Andre Agassi out of the last tournament of his career at Flushing Meadows. He could see David Goffin in the fourth round. Add Goffin to the next wave of potential Grand Slam champions who are trying to unseat the usual suspects.

Check back with us throughout the next two weeks as we focus on the Grand Slam action in New York. You can also follow us on Twitter for regular updates.

Donald “The Comeback Kid” Young

By Tia Ko

Comeback #1: The nickname began when Young, a 26-year-old American, was down two sets to love to the 11^th seeded Gilles Simon in the first round of this US Open. No one could have imagined that the 68^th ranked player would turn the match on its head by winning the next three sets 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4. It was one of the first major upsets of the tournament and the beginning of a fantastic week for Young.

Comeback #2: Young’s second round match had him against Aljaz Bedene of Great Britain who is ranked slightly higher coming in at 57. Again, Young had a slow start winning only 58% of his first serves and 29% of his second serves along with a high ratio of unforced errors to winners resulting in a loss of the first set 3-6. The American wasn’t giving up anytime soon and gradually improved his serving stats to came back and win the last three sets with a final score of 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2.

Comeback #3: The Chicago native who was trying to reach his best ever slam result was down two sets to start off his match against the 22^nd seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia. The second set was a bagel set and I wasn’t expecting the third to be much different. Troicki looked fantastic out there; he was dominating Young’s serves and managed to convert 5/7 break points in the first two sets. Oh how I was wrong! The third set saw Young improve his serve dramatically and it gave him the ability to make plays up at the net where he was 16/20. He won the third in a tiebreak.

“Honestly, those two sets were over. I just kind of had to keep feeling. I felt like I was in the first set. Even though I lost 6-0, I had game points in the games. I felt like I still had more to give.”

Young won the final two sets and the match 4-6 0-6 7-6 6-2 6-4.

Now that Eugenie Bouchard has pulled out of the doubles and mixed doubles after a fall in the locker room, Young is the only player still in each of the three events. He’s into the fourth round of singles versus 5^th seeded Stan Wawrinka, the third round of doubles with his partner Michael Russell where the pair with square off against two fellow Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querry, and finally him and his mixed doubles partner Taylor Townsend are into the second round facing Andrea Hlavackova and Lukasz Kubot.

Friday Third Round U.S. Open Preview

By Tia Ko

Two easy rounds into the U.S. Open sees top ranked Novak Djokovic take on Andreas Seppi (25) in the third round this afternoon. Djokovic beat Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets on Wednesday night 6-4 6-1 6-2 while it took Seppi four to come out with a win over Teymuraz Gabashvili 3-6 6-3 7-6 6-1 to make it to the last 32.

 Djokovic has spent little time on the court so far, playing for a mere two hours and 39 minutes in total. His first match versus Brazilian Joao Souza lasted only one hour and eight minutes and was just one game shy in each set of being a triple bagel match with a score of 6-1 6-1 6-1.

Head-to-head, Seppi hasn’t been able to take a single match from the world number one in ten meetings. Their last match was more than two years ago during the quarterfinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships back in 2013 where Djokovic quickly won 6-0 6-3.

Will Seppi be able to pull off another huge upset in round three of a Grand Slam (think back to the Australian Open this past January) and improve his record versus Novak to 1-10?    

We’ll also see both of the Williams sisters in action today when Venus plays the young and vibrant Swiss teen Belinda Bencic who made headlines earlier this week for her heated exchange with the umpire during her second round match. Bencic is ranked at a career-high number 12 and will likely have a tough match playing on Arthur Ashe against the American veteran.

Serena will be playing the first night match tonight against fellow countrywoman Bethanie Mattek-Sands who is more known for playing doubles and will be playing her first third round match ever at the U.S. Open as a singles player. Serena, of course, is on route to make history by completing the calendar slam and she’s currently all the rage in the media. For the first time in history, the U.S. Open women’s final sold out faster than the men’s final; I think everyone wants to witness a piece of history that Serena Williams is writing!

The last match on Arthur Ashe will be a battle between Spaniard Rafael Nadal (8) and Fabio Fognini (32). The two have met three times this year: Fognini won twice in Rio De Janeiro and Barcelona but Nadal won the most recent encounter during the final in Hamburg. Nadal is 2-0 against the Italian on hard court.

Champion in 2010 and 2013, Nadal improved his record to 22-1 in his last 23 matches at the US Open.

U.S. Open Favourites

The fourth and the last Grand Slam event of the year is just round the corner, and exciting matches are bound to happen. According to TonyBet bookie some favourites are very clear, but as last year’s U.S. Open has shown, a dark-horse win can always happen. Here’s the top 3 leading players in our opinion – both at men’s and women’s courts – and the extra potential dark horses to watch out for.

Men’s Favourites:

1. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is firmly at the top of the ATP rankings. The world‘s no. 1 has already triumphed in two Grand Slam events this years – the Australian Open and Wimbledon – and went through to the finals in French Open. Even with these results, he lost to Roger Federer in Cincinnati and before that, to Andy Murray at the Canadian Masters 1000 in Montreal, both times playing in the finals. This shows he can be beaten – but he may also be saving up his best form for the US Open.

2. Roger Federer

While Roger Federer hasn‘t had as impressive a year as Djokovic, he still did well in the previous Grand Slam events, climbing up from a third round showing at the Australian Open, to the quarter-finals in the French Open, to the final at Wimbledon. The Swiss legend has been named the 2nd seed and while he lost again to Djokovic in the finals of Wimbledon, Federer then beat him in Cincinnati, along with a win against Murray in the semis. He seems to be in a brilliant form and definitely has good chances at winning.

3. Andy Murray

The world‘s no. 3 won the US Open in 2012, but hasn‘t gone further than the quarter-finals ever since. Murray started the 2015 majors going to the finals at the Australian Open, followed by making it to the semi-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon. He has managed to beat one of his main contenders, Djokovic, in Montreal, but afterwards lost to Federer in the semi-final in Cincinnati. Still, he is able to win the championship if he‘s in a good form.

The Dark Horse: Grigor Dimitrov

For a good chunk of promising players it would be quite a jump to dominate the US Open, however, Grigor Dimitrov looks like the one who just might be able to do it. Although it‘s admittedly unlikely that the world‘s No. 17 would become the champion, his recent loss against Murray actually revealed that he’s in a good enough form and what’s lacking is mostly in his mental game. Dimitrov has competed in all the Grand Slams this year, going out in the 4th round in Australia, 1st round at the French and 3rd at Wimbledon.

Women’s Favourites:

1. Serena Williams

The phrase “Serena Williams is the only real contender to Serena Williams” is quickly becoming a big cliché in the tennis world. The world’s no. 1 is in absolutely amazing form, having already won three of the major titles this year and is going for a calendar year Grand Slam. Besides, she’s already won the U.S. Open 6 times, and she’s a three-time defending champion. By now, it’s going to be far more surprising if Williams doesn’t win rather than if she does.

2. Victoria Azarenka

The Belarusian is a former no. 1 and current 20th seed. She has made it to the U.S. Open finals twice and to the quarter finals last year. Victoria Azarenka‘s 2015 season is looking very solid so far, and even though Williams looks unbeatable, Azarenka is the one tennis player that could challenge the no.1 - if she‘s in a good form. Even with her left thigh injury that had her retire in Cincinnati, Azarenka should be able to play some world-class tennis.

3. Simona Halep

Simona Halep hasn’t yet won a Grand Slam title, but after Serena she has been the most dominant player on hardcourts in 2015. Her hardcourt record of 33-5 this season proves that she is clearly at ease on the surface. Though her Grand Slam record has been suspect this year – quarter-finals in Australia, second round at the French and first round at Wimbledon – she has been on fire this summer and is a very deserving world No. 2 and perhaps the biggest threat to Serena’s calendar year Grand Slam.

The Dark Horse: Belinda Bencic

The world‘s no. 12 is only 18 years old – and yet she managed to beat Serena Williams in Toronto on a mere two weeks ago. Overcoming the world’s no. 1 on an extremely good year – even though it wasn’t in a Grand Slam event – shows that Bencic definitely has the potential to be the next big name in tennis. However, in Cincinnati she had to retire with a right wrist injury. If that doesn’t prevent her from being is a good shape, Bencic should be able to shake up the tennis world some more at the Open.

The first round of the U.S. Open 2015 starts on Monday, August 31st, and the championship will conclude on September 13th. Marin Cilic is the defending champion in the men’s singles, while Serena Williams is the three-time defending champion in women’s singles. Together, the participating tennis players will share more than 40 million US dollars in prize money but only two will have their names etched on that epic silver trophy.

U.S. Open Main Draws Revealed

The main draws for the 2015 U.S. Open were released this afternoon for both the ATP and WTA Tour's. Have a look at the links below. We will be posting our annual preview later on today so please be sure to check back with us at ProTennisFan.

Men's Singles Draw

Women's Singles Draw