US Open – Alcaraz beats the impact giant

The most important thing from the night of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year in Flushing Meadows, short and crisp.

Alcaraz conquered Giant Opelka

Carlos Alcaraz – Reilly Opelka 6: 4, 7: 5, 6: 4

There are players that nobody really likes to play against them – especially not in the first round of one Grand Slam-Tournament. Reilly Opelka is such a caliber. The American has a very natural advantage, he is a proud 2.11 meters tall. Ergo: Thanks to its height, Opelka serves almost directly from the third floor. For the opponents, this means: it strikes the surcharge. Over and over again. A real game hardly arises, certainly not rhythm. The frustration potential can be high-not an easy task even for tournament co-favorite Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard’s approach: full concentration at the return, which he also succeeded from starting. Alcaraz, equipped with a new, short haircut, earned the first break balls early on, the American was able to take the first break for this set in the third serve game. So it continued in round two (at 5: 5) and three (at 4: 4). In the crucial places, Alcaraz was simply wide awake, defended even break balls in the second and third round. In the end he won this complicated opening match relatively confidently.

• Women, 1st round
  

• Men, 1st round
  

Andreeva sweeps across parks

Mirra Andreeva – Alycia Parks 6: 0, 6: 1

Youngster Mirra Andreeva has reached the second round in New York in absolute rapid pace. The still 18-year-old defeated the regrettable Alycia Parks in a whopping 55 minutes with 6: 0 and 6: 1 in the Louis Armstrong Stadium and showed no mercy.

Afterwards Andreeva said: “I was extremely nervous before the game.” Aha. There was not much of it in these 55 minutes in any case.

Williams is eliminated with a set win

Venus Williams – Karolina Muchova 3: 6, 6: 2, 1: 6

The very big stage: Venus Williams got it again in New York. Night session. Arthur Ashe Stadium. Full hut. An entire stadium on your side. In 1997, the 45-year-old played for the first time at the US Open, and was able to end up with a wildcard this year. And on Monday evening against the number of eleven Karolina Muchova, which was placed on number eleven, showed that she can still play tennis extremely well.

After the first sentence had gone to the Czech, the seven-time Grand Slam winner, dressed in white, fought back into the match, in the second round with courageous and powerful tennis, the first two games and in the end actually the second set. The Arthur Ashe stadium was actually at eye level.

The fact that Muchova rapped quickly in the decisive third set and then pulled the connector with her game made the plug with the remarkable appearance of the 45-year-old. Whether they are again after Flushing Meadows Williams had left open before the tournament. Anyone who saw her on Monday evening when she left the space under Standing Ovations certainly thought: Why not?

Ruud has little trouble with Ofner

Casper Ruud – Sebastian Ofner 6: 1, 6: 2, 7: 6

Casper Ruud has moved into the second round at the US Open. The Norwegian, who was in the final in New York in 2022, made short trials in three sets with Sebastian Ofner. The Austrian had no chance, especially in the first two sentences, was then treated and was only then a serious opponent for Ruud.

The third set went into the Tiebreak, in which the Norwegian still had the better end. After just under two hours, the one -sided game was over.

Strongly performing struff in the second round

Jan -Lennard Struff – Mackenzie McDonald 3: 6, 7: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2

Jan-Lennard Struff was the first German to move into the second round. The Warsteiner, who had had to fight for the qualification in the past few days, played strong against the American Mackenzie McDonald and won his first round match on Court 12 in four sets. After Struff had lost the first round with 3: 6, the game tipped over in the tie -break of the second set at the latest.

At 5: 4, Struff only benefited from a double error by the local hero McDonald, then peppered a return in the field – the set compensation was there. Afterwards, McDonald looked physically struck, Struff used it, played his game consistently with a lot of pressure and a few network attacks, set sentence three with a decisive break and finally – with the cheering of the German fans on the square – also the fourth round.

“The start was difficult, I didn’t get into the rhythm. But I worked in. In the third and fourth set I played really well and fought in – also thanks to the German fans. The support was incredible, that really gave me a push”, “ Said Struff “Sky” on TV channel. In the second round, Struff now meets Holger Rune.

Maria fails in round one

Maria Sakkari – Tatjana Maria 6: 3, 6: 2

The US Open are already over for Tatjana Maria. The opening hurdle was too high for German number one in the women’s competition. The now 38-year-old defended herself against the safely playing Greek Maria Sakkari, played good tennis in phases, but did not really have a chance. After an hour, an exceptionally cut back hand of the German Slice Queen sailed into the end, the first round was gone.

In the second set, Sakkari then took the game even more, Maria ran from left to right, hit one slice ball after the other, went online, tried, did – did – alone, it didn’t help. After 1:25 hours, the Greek used her first match ball. In the women’s competition, hopes from a German perspective are now resting on Wimbledon quarter-finalist Laura Siegemund and Eva Lys.

Rune without problems Round-round match

Holger Rune – Botic van de Zandschulp 6: 3, 7: 6, 7: 6

It has recently become a little calmer about Holger Rune. The sensation climber from 2023 has had a difficult year so far, at the Grand slams he failed twice in the round of 16 (Melbourne, Paris), once in the first round (Wimbledon). The extrovert Dane now wants to get back on track in New York. The start of this mission is at least done.

After three competitive sentences, Rune was able to wrestle his first-round opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in exactly three hours, gained the tie-break impressively in the third set and thus fueled plenty of confidence at the start in New York. In the second round he now meets Jan-Lennard Struff.

Draper in the second round

Jack Draper – Federico Agustin Gomez 6: 4, 7: 5, 6: 7, 6: 2

The whole tennis world always speaks about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, there are – from a German perspective, the exception of Alexander Zverev – many players from the top 10 sometimes go under. For example Jack Draper. The up -and -coming Brit, number five in New York, won the Masters in Indian Wells this year and was already in the semi -finals at the US Open last year.

Also this year, Draper has made up for a lot, after a more mixed summer in Europe with a second-round-off in Wimbledon and a spectacular round of round of 16 in Paris against Alexander Buthik. His first mill in “Big Apple“Draper has at least won confidently. He defeated the Argentinian Federico Agustin Gomez in the afternoon in four sets. Let’s see how far it can be done for the British.