Coming into the 2015 US Open, it could be argued that Roger Federer and Johanna Konta had nothing – or at least little to nothing – in common. Federer had won 17 Grand Slam singles titles; Konta had won a single Grand Slam singles match. Federer’s career earnings checked in at more than $93 million, Konta’s were $575,000.
And yet, here we are, six days in the books on the final major of the year, and both are playing into Week 2, both among the precious few who can still dream a Grand Slam dream. For those who had Konta advancing deeper in the draw than Ana Ivanovic, Kei Nishikori, Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, well, we simply don’t believe you.
Speaking of the unbelievable, if there is a fairytale to match Konta’s, it’s being written by Donald Young. The versatile lefty has shown tremendous heart at this year’s Open, battling away on outer courts and into the fourth round. He is joined the round of 16 by compatriot John Isner, the No. 1 American man who has, for someone skying at 6-foot-10, incongruously flown under the radar at this year’s event – all despite not having lost serve in Flushing Meadows since 2013. (And yes, he played in 2014, just lost three tiebreaks to nemesis Philipp Kohlschreiber.)
And so marches on the 2015 US Open, with the singles fields set to turn the corner into the second week and the draw board slowly filling up line by line, bracket by bracket, with the first batch of quarterfinalists to be decided Sunday.
Here’s a look back at the day that was and a look ahead to Day 7 of the 2015 US Open.
Match of the Day: Lendl versus Sampras this was not. Two of the most demonstrative competitors – and two of its most pugnacious counterpunchers – squared off in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber exchanging winners, first pumps and calls of “C’mon” that echoed through the stadium’s newly renovated rafters. With games as loud as their bellows, the two women struck deft passing shots and screaming winners, scrambling deep behind the baseline to return every offering, all to the delight of the capacity crowd. After three sets and nearly three hours, it was the two-time US Open finalist Azarenka who prevailed, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, advancing to the fourth round in a match that gleamed with second-week quality.
Player of the Day: Donald Young has run the gamut in his tennis career, transitioning from acclaimed junior to professional grinder, mixing in some puzzling losses with a host of eyebrow-raising victories. On Saturday, he once again delivered the latter. For the second time in three matches at this year’s US Open, the 26-year-old American rallied from two sets down to advance, upsetting No. 22 seed Viktor Troicki, 4-6, 0-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4. That follows an opening-round upset of No. 11 Gilles Simon, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and a second-round victory in which he spotted Aljaz Bedene a frame before winning the next three. With those W’s, Young pulls into the fourth round at a Grand Slam event for the second time in his career (the 2011 US Open being the other) and gives the U.S. men two shots – along with John Isner – at reaching the quarterfinals.
Upset of the Day: Konta played three matches last week in the US Open Qualifying Tournament, winning all three to advance to the main draw. On Thursday, she played the longest women’s singles match in recorded US Open history, stretching nearly three-and-a-half hours to unseat No. 9 Garbine Muguruza. Having already logged more court time than Serena Williams does in her average Grand Slam triumph, Konta could easily be forgiven if she came out flat against No. 18 seed Andrea Petkovic on Saturday. Instead, she came out swinging. The Aussie-born Brit continued her Cinderella run into Week 2, toppling Petkovic, 7-6, 6-3, in a breezy one hour, 56 minutes. The victory not only ushered the world No. 97 into the fourth round of a major for the first time – she was 1-7 in Grand Slam singles play coming in – it also marked her 16th consecutive match win, victories posted over a series of two ITF Pro Circuit events, the US Open qualifying and, now, the main draw. Up next for the 24-year-old: a Monday date with No. 5 Petra Kvitova.
Quote of the Day: “I started wearing them when I was about 14 just because I thought I’d look cool and be different. That was honestly the reason that I wanted to start wearing them. As I got older it became just what I did, and now I can’t play without them.” – 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur, on being one of the few players who competes wearing sunglasses. The No. 22 seed defeated No. 16 Sara Errani in three sets on Day 6 to advance to the Flushing fourth round for the first time since 2012.
Looking Ahead: It’ll be Williams followed by Williams to try to set up Williams-Williams on Day 7 at the US Open. The day session in Arthur Ashe Stadium will feature a Williams sisters twin bill, with Venus taking on qualifier Anett Kontaveit, followed by an all-American affair between the reigning queen of American tennis, Serena Williams, and heir apparent Madison Keys. Victories by both Venus and Serena and they will meet in the US Open quarterfinals – their first Open matchup since the 2008 round of eight, when Serena edged big sis, 7-6, 7-6.
The top half of the men’s draw makes a tentative entrance back onto the court, still reeling from Fabio Fognini’s five-set shocker over Rafael Nadal on Friday night (well, technically, Saturday morning). With Nadal no longer in his path, Novak Djokovic will look to continue his pursuit of a sixth US Open final – and a second title – kicking off the evening session against No. 23 Roberto Bautista Agut. Fognini, meantime, will try to stage a repeat performance against another Spaniard, this time No. 18 Feliciano Lopez. The other men’s quarter in action on Day 7 features 2014 champion Marin Cilic and a trio of Frenchmen, No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 27 Jeremy Chardy and the unseeded Benoit Paire, who will be attempting to dismiss a third seed in four rounds when he takes on Tsonga.
And if any of these champions need a reminder of their roots, they can head to the outer courts to catch the US Open Junior Championships, which kick off Sunday.
