Observations and Scoops at U.S. Open Qualies

It’s day one but the rain is sprinkling ever so lightly. What the heck, we drive out from N.J., cross the bridge and arrive at the greatest tennis complex in the United States – the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

It’s drizzling and wet but there are several hundred tennis fans already here at 1-ish. Pick up my credential in about a minute and head into the grounds. After the rain stops and some courts are dried, the first tennis action occurs on Armstrong where Marin Cilic is hitting with his coach Bob Brett while Rafael Nadal is at his chair fixing the tape on his hands. Rafa is here with #2 coach Francisco Roig and a friend.

Nadal is in all white with a backward Nike cap – which is going to be a stark contrast to the Nike outfit he is going to don for his first match, from what I have heard. Hint: Glow in the dark.

Nadal eventually steps on the court to start hitting with Cilic, who has about a ten minute head start, but Rafa struggles mightily to find his feel. He is very inconsistent, frequently looking at his taped fingers after errant shots, and making almost pleading gestures like of, What is going on with the speed of these courts and my timing? He even starts to mini-grunt which seems to help a little bit. He gets into a groove with some impressive, long rallys but still there are far too many long and net balls, especially on the backhand wing. While Nadal struggles it’s easy to forget that Cilic is a very dangerous and accomplished hard court player. At one point, Nadal even drops his racquet at his feet. He is clearly frustrated.

Help will arrive when presumably Toni will get here later in the week. Rafa several times motions to Roig some kind of technical point in his backhand swing which is apparently malfunctioning at the turnover point. It’s off today, no doubt about it.

Despite the dis-satisfying day for Nadal he still shows phenomenal respect and appreciation for his fans. He signs for about ten minutes behind the court chairs with Cilic and then, surprisingly, leaves the court – not through the conventional tunnel which fans can’t enter – but up over the first row railing and through the crowd, where he signs some more and takes more photos with the fans. Only one security guard accompanies this Champion of the People. I have never seen another player exit Armstrong like this after a practice session but Nadal is unlike the rest, isn’t he?

After Nadal and Cilic leave, Ni La, pardon, Na Li, I mean Li Na – now I’m really confused – takes the court with her coach Thomas Hogstedt. Later in the day Berdych is on Armstrong and practices his serves with cones set up in the service boxes. Youzhny and Schuettler play together on grandstand.

One of the first players I see in qualie action is Brazil’s Ricardo Hocevar who can pass for Nalbandian’s brother. It seems 25-year-old Hocevar plays qualies every year here and never makes it. I see he made it through to Australia this year but ran into Hewitt in the first round. He takes out American lefty Greg Oulette in three sets with USTA coaches Jose Higueras and Jay Berger watching.

Robert Kendrick defeats Matwe Middlekoop in straights but Alexa Glatch isn’t so lucky. On Court 13, the Californian bows out to Ukraine’s Olga Savchuk 6-3 in the third.

Michelle Larcher De Brito, in all pink, doesn’t have to grunt at full vocal power today as she defeats Karolina Pliskova in two. After the win Larcher De Brito heads back to the locker room without any coach or entourage and waves hello to American teen Christian Harrison who says he is just back from some kind bone disease which put him on the sidelines for over a year. I also ask Harrison about his practice set with John McEnroe from two years ago and he said he played Johnny Mac three times, losing 3-4-4. Older brother Ryan defeated Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy of France.

Chase Buchanan is an intense competitor who looks a bit like Tom Cruise. Chase upsets Federico Del Bonis from Argentina on Court 11.

It’s a big surprise to see Sam Querrey out by Court 11 hanging and talking with fans while Sloane Stephens is playing. He is with his coach David Nainkin. Boy, hasn’t Nainkin’s stock went up as a coach with the success of Querrey and Mardy Fish this year?

It’s also a surprise to see last year’s heroine Melanie Oudin walk by Court 7 while Alison Riske is falling to Zuzana Kucova. Oudin was the talk of the tournament here for several days, last year. Who will ever forget Oudin’s sensational run of 2009?

Kei Nishikori attracts a big crowd at Court 13, including almost a dozen Japanese reporters. Stylish Kei, with cap backwards now, hit a leaping backhand return winner off Capdeville’s serve down the line to take a 5-2 lead in the third set, but then the courts became wet and play was eventually suspended. I was able to snap a photo of this flamboyant shot by Kei, but Russ Adams I am not, it came out a little blurry.

How’s this for a name? Cagla Buyukakcay is from Turkey but she lost to Petra Cetkovska on Court 9. Oh, and I almost forgot. Sania Mirza defeated Ksenia Lykina on Court 4. The recently wedded Mirza looks focused and in very good condition. And sharp too in the white and purple adidas outfit. Mirza did have two straight double faults at one point but found her groove.

Faces In The Crowd: Nicolas Escude, who won the Davis Cup for France in 2001, with his countryman 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Arnaud DiPasquale – together watching Edouard Roger-Vasselin lose to Greg Jones from a bleacher at Court 14…Former U.S. Open semifinalist Karel Novacek enjoying the fare in the food court…Nicolas Escude walking with a pal to a far outer court, hardly recognized with his hoody over his now-world-renowned head…The only media guys I see here today are photographer Ed Goldman, Randy Walker of New Chapter Press, and a couple of Europeans I don’t know.

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