U.S. Open Week 1 Takeaways: Serena Williams says goodbye with spectacle in New York

We’ve handed by way of one week of motion from Flushing Meadows, which is a bittersweet feeling.

Yes, the ambiance in New York has been outstanding, however we’ve additionally given one remaining farewell to the nice Serena Williams. Now, we now have only one week of grand slam tennis left on the 2022 tennis calendar.

Here are 5 takeaways from the primary seven days of tennis on the US Open:

Relentless Serena goes down swinging

It was an electrifying and emotional goodbye for one of many biggest athletes of all time.

23-time singles slam champion Serena Williams introduced her goodbye from the game simply weeks forward of the US Open in Vogue Magazine. With the data that this was to be her remaining exhibiting, followers got here out in droves at Flushing Meadows to catch a glimpse of the legend.

Who knew she would play such terrific tennis on her means out?

Williams opened with a routine 6-3, 6-3, victory over Danka Kovinic, and that set the stage for an enthralling conflict with world no. 2 Anett Kontaveit.

The six-time US Open champion produced her finest on court docket match in 2022 with a classic throwback efficiency highlighted by booming serves, scintillating groundstrokes, and an unwavering preventing spirit.

She’d knock off Kontaveit in a see-saw thriller 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.

The third spherical was equal components spectacle with a packed home on Arthur Ashe Stadium, enveloped by a titanic match between Serena and Australian Ajla Tomjlanovic.

While Williams fell in three units, her resiliency within the waning moments have been unforgettable, and he or she held off a outstanding 5 match factors earlier than Tomjlanovic closed out the 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 win.

Serena gave a wonderful tribute to her followers in defeat, and shared variety phrases for her older sister Venus.

Williams can now write a brand new chapter in her life.

The first 40 years of her life have etched Williams in historical past books as maybe the best tennis participant of all time.

Kyrgios, Ruud shine in high half

The expertise is staggering.

The behaviour is jolting.

When he has the latter below management, Nick Kyrgios has confirmed himself as one of the elite gamers within the sport.

The current Wimbledon finalist is taking part in the perfect tennis of his profession this season, and after a close to flawless 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over world no. 1 Daniil Medvedev, he’s instantly a decided candidate to win the US Open.

There is just no getting ready for Nick’s recreation type, which mixes in a smorgasbord of drop pictures, quick angles, baseline firepower, and undetectable serves.

The entertainer is so eager to placed on a present, it induced a complete bonehead mistake in his match in opposition to Medvedev:

Kyrgios has a transparent path to the championship match if he can keep level-headed and centered.

It begins with Karen Khachanov within the quarterfinals.

Norwegian Casper Ruud is one other potential challenger to keep watch over within the high half.

The 23-year-old is extra famend for his clay court docket prowess, reaching the finals of the French Open earlier this season, however is quick evolving into an all-court participant.

On onerous court docket, Ruud made the finals of the Miami Open in early April, and superior to the semifinals on the National Bank Open in Montreal.

Ruud’s footwork and motion is impeccable, and his baseline recreation is potent and dependable.

An intriguing showdown awaits with Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Is Rafa the favorite?

With Daniil Medvedev’s loss, he’s the one grand slam champion remaining within the area.

Oh, and he’s received 22 of them by the way in which.

Veteran Rafael Nadal has navigated some challenges by way of the primary week, from managing his stomach damage, to inconsistent patches of play, and even a freak racquet-into-nose accident in his second-round win over Fabio Fognini.

Nadal averted something severe on this incident, merely bloodying up his nostril, and known as it a wake-up name for his poor type in that match.

As he’s wont to do, Nadal considerably raised his degree the following match, dismantling France’s Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-1, 7-5, vaporizing forehands left and proper, and utilizing his chic court docket protection to render his opponent hapless.

The Spaniard is now by way of to the second week at Flushing Meadows for the twelfth time in his profession and holds a transparent path to the semifinals.

If his physique holds up bodily, and he retains his ‘nose’ to the grindstone, a twenty third main is in sight.

Iga, Gauff stand out as high ladies’s contenders

If you’re looking for unparalleled domination on the ladies’s circuit, look no additional than Iga Swiatek.

The fierce world no. 1 competitor has posted a season for the ages, with six titles, a French Open crown, and a 37-match profitable streak (the longest within the ladies’s recreation since 2000).

After a short dip in type in August, Swiatek appears to be like again to her finest tennis, and is but to drop a set by way of her first three matches at Flushing Meadows.

The high half of the sector continues to be stacked with heavyweight contenders, together with two-time slam champions Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova, Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, and high ranked American Jessica Pegula.

Swiatek has the psychological fortitude to resist any competitor, although there’s firepower ready within the wings and desirous to problem the world no 1.

On the underside half of the draw, Coco Gauff has stood out as probably the most distinctive athlete within the area, along with her lightning fast court docket protection, excessive octane serve, and a penchant for rising to the event in essential moments.

Gauff awaits one of many tour’s hottest gamers in Caroline Garcia within the quarterfinals.

Garcia has received three titles since late June and captured the WTA1000 in Cincinnati within the lead-up to Flushing Meadows.

Canadians bow out in singles, Gaby alive in doubles

It was principally every week of frustration and disappointment for the Canadian contingent in singles.

Montreal’s Leylah Annie Fernandez, defending finals factors from final season, opened with a formidable win over France’s Ocean Dodin.

In her second match, she was overwhelmed by the highly effective ball-striking of Ludmilla Samsonova, falling 6-3, 7-6.

Fernandez continues to be alive within the occasion, and can put together for a Tuesday quarterfinal in blended doubles with American Jack Sock.

2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu fared one singles victory higher than Fernandez, incomes stable wins over Harmony Tan and booming left hander Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Caroline Garcia defeated the Mississauga native 6-3, 6-2 within the third spherical at Flushing Meadows.

Toronto’s Rebecca Marino had an impressive event, reaching the third spherical on the US Open for the primary time in her profession.

Her constant summer season outcomes have her comfortably inside the highest 100 of the WTA rankings, a outstanding feat for a participant who took a five-year hiatus from the game from 2013 to 2018.

Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski continues to be competing in ladies’s doubles, having reached the quarterfinals with Giuliana Olmos of Mexico.

On the lads’s aspect, Felix Auger-Aliassime had a stunning early exit in his second match, falling to Jack Draper of Britain in straight units.

Arguably probably the most spectacular exhibiting in singles got here from Denis Shapovalov, who produced one of many epic matches of week one.

After defeating Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to e book a spot within the third spherical, Shapovalov squared off with ninth seeded Andrey Rublev in a mesmerizing encounter of brute pressure energy, shot making, and depth.

Rublev was victorious within the thriller, advancing with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6(7) rating line in 4 hours, 33 minutes.

The embrace between the 2 gamers afterward was simply as particular.

An ideal illustration of the razor skinny margins of tennis is the truth that Shapovalov received 184 factors within the match to Rublev’s 183.

The aggressive loss is hopefully a springboard for a robust fall season to shut for the Canadian.