Out of the first round instead of flying high again: Despite a big fight, Tatjana Maria failed at her high opening hurdle at the US Open. The 35-year-old from Bad Saulgau lost 4-6, 6-3, 0-6 to world number three Maria Sakkari from Greece on Monday (29.08.22).
Maria was not able to continue her sensational run at Wimbledon, which, among other things, only ended in the semi-finals after beating Sakkari. The world rankings-85. failed as the first of four German starters. Maria started strong against Sakkari, taking a 3-0 lead with her unconventional style of play, but then lost control of the game and conceded two double faults to lose the game when the score was 4-4.
She missed subsequent chances for a direct re-break, but hit back in the second set. In the decisive round, Sakkari pushed the pace and prevailed.
For Maria it was the third Grand Slam duel this year against Sakkari. In her semifinals on grass in Wimbledon, Maria had prevailed in the third round, at the Australian Open at the beginning of the year the Greek won the opening match. At the US Open in New York, as in Melbourne, hard courts are played.
Medvedev wins at the start – Murray also continues
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev did not show any weakness at the start of the US Open in New York. The tennis world number one from Russia clearly prevailed in his first game against the American Stefan Kozlov 6: 2, 6: 4, 6: 0. In the second round, Medvedev meets Arthur Rinderknech, who prevailed in the French duel against compatriot Quentin Halys.
Unlike the recent Grand Slam on grass in Wimbledon, Medvedev is allowed to take part in the US Open because the organizers give Russian and Belarusian tennis players the right to start. They were denied this at Wimbledon because of the war in Ukraine.
British tennis star Andy Murray also went one round further. The three-time Grand Slam tournament winner defeated Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo in three sets 7: 5, 6: 3, 6: 3. It is the 16th participation of the former world number one at the US Open.
On Tuesday all other Germans in action
On Tuesday Laura Siegemund (Metzingen) meets the Romanian Sorana Cirstea, Andrea Petkovic (Darmstadt) takes on the Olympic champion Belinda Bencic from Switzerland after the announcement of her career end. Jule Niemeier (Dortmund) challenges the former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin from the USA.
The world number 41. Oscar Otte, who goes into the last Grand Slam tournament of the year as German number one after Olympic champion Alexander Zverev did not start, meets number eight seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz. No less difficult are the challenges for Daniel Altmaier against the Italian Jannik Sinner, Peter Gojowczyk against the Dane Holger Rune and qualifier Maximilian Marterer against the Croatian Marin Cilic.