The US Open began on Monday August 29 with a day of masters. Before Serena Williams’ long-awaited match – which could be the last – Caroline Garcia kicked off the 2022 edition perfectly. The Habs reached the second round without difficulty, leading the way for the blue-white-red contingent at Flushing Meadows. They are 11 French on the courts during this first day, after the repechage of Hugo Grenier as lucky loser in the men’s draw. World number one Daniil Medvedev qualified without difficulty.
Idyllic start for Caroline Garcia
Caroline Garcia is in great shape and it shows. In full confidence with his two crowns in Warsaw and especially in Cincinnati in recent weeks, the seeded number 17 of the tournament continued his momentum to qualify for the second round. The 28-year-old dominated Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in two sets (6-2, 6-4). Without being imperial, Garcia dominated the game from start to finish (32 winning points to 6) with his offensive style of play which he has been so successful with lately. She will face another Russian, world No. 60 Anna Kalinskaya, in the next round.
She is solid Caroline Garcia!
The French played for her entry into the running against Rakhimova (6-2, 6-4) #USOpen #HomeOfTennis pic.twitter.com/AP0eOlPnHQ
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) August 29, 2022
A series of successes which allows the Frenchwoman to be ambitious in New York, where she has never been further than a 3rd round so far: “I am confident that I can improve on my best Grand Slam result [quart de finale à Roland-Garros 2017 et, à l’US Open, 3e tour], she said after her victory. Lhe Cincinnati title gave me a lot of positive energy. Winning a Grand Slam tournament has been one of my goals since I started on the circuit. My win in Cincinnati changed the way a lot of people thought about my chances of getting there.”
Medvedev at a trot, Sakkari passes after a scare
No bad surprise for Daniil Medvedev. The world number one did not tremble against the American Stefan Kozlov (6-2, 6-4, 6-0). The score does not say everything about the performance of the defending champion, far from reaching heights of intensity. But against the 111th in the world, frequently far from the standards of the men’s circuit by his low speed in service (flashed at just 100 km / h several times), that was enough. Kozlov suffered physically at the end of the match, making it a little easier for the world number one to win in just over two hours (2:01).
Among the ladies, the battle of the Marias this time turned to Sakkari’s advantage. The Greek, seeded number 3, dominated the German Tatjana Maria, not without difficulty (6-4, 3-6, 6-0). If the Hellene finished the game well, she passed more than once close to the correctional entry, and was trailing 4-1 in the 1st set. But by dint of crossing each other during each Major – they had already crossed paths in the 1st round in Melbourne, and in the 3rd at Wimbledon! -, Sakkari was able to make the difference despite his 39 unforced errors.
Relief @mariasakkari outlasts Maria, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/pX4JfmSZOX
—wta (@WTA) August 29, 2022
Murray and Berrettini secure, Bautista Agut stumbles
The first seed pushed out in the New York fortnight is called Roberto Bautista Agut (n°17). Affected by the Covid-19 before his second round at Wimbledon and forced to forfeit, the Spaniard was this time taken out on his debut by the American JJ Wolf, 87th in the world, (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) . No worries, however, for Matteo Berrettini. The Italian, seeded No. 13, disposed of Chilean Nicolas Jarry (6-2, 6-3, 6-3).
Andy Murray, 51st in the world, is not seeded, so he turned into a cador executioner. Opposed to Francisco Cerundolo (n°24), the Scot signed one of his best matches since his return to the fore by winning in three sets (7-5, 6-3, 6-3). He had not won a Grand Slam match without dropping a set for five years and Wimbledon 2017.
Rinderknech gets the ball rolling
Tricolor tennis is entitled to a little extra. If its leader Gaël Monfils is absent, they will still be eleven in New York in the men’s draw. Beaten in the third and final round of qualifying, Hugo Grenier inherited the status of lucky loser. The 26-year-old replaces the Spaniard Pablo Andujar, who injured his arm and retired at the last minute. Grenier is playing his first career US Open against Argentinian Tomas Martin Echeverry (86th in the world)a few weeks after winning his first Grand Slam match, at Wimbledon.
The first French qualifier is Arthur Rinderknech, winner of the first 100% tricolor match of the day, against Quentin Halys (4-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2) in 3h07 of play.