By Scoop Malinowski
In no particular order these are my standout memories of the day…
Feels wonderful to be back at US Open for first time in three years.
Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock walked by going to grandstand to hit at 2 and Nick was unrecognizable in his new look, a bandana headband a la McEnroe. Nock also sported a black Michael Jordan shirt and blue shorts.
On the court he and Sock put on a dazzling show. I ran into an old friend Carl, who was the locker room manager at US Open for 28 years, who was already there for the practice and when Sock came to our side Carl remarked, “Oh that’s Sock.”
Nick totally stole the show, it was his court and Sock was just a second banana. Can you imagine the stories Carl has about managing the US Open locker room for 28 years? A book could be written about those memories, which range from a champion having sex in the shower with his girlfriend, to Andy Roddick leaving four figure cash tips for the staff and a locker full of Lacoste gear and Babolat racquets.
The Little Giant Danielle Lao, age 31, failed to qualify again for the US Open main draw, this time losing 60 60 Arianne Hartono. Lao has never won a main draw match at US Open, losing in 2017 and 2018.
Her coach now is Roger Smith from the Bahamas. Smith is famous for beating world no. 1 Ivan Lendl in Vermont 62 63 in 1988, a defeat which cost Lendl the no. 1 ranking and left him tied with Connors for most weeks as no. 1. Lendl later regained the top ranking and surpassed Jimbo in weeks at no. 1.
Smith told me he had a good run that week and was confident he could beat Lendl and played one of his career best matches. He said before talking with me he had just seen Lendl in the locker room (with Andy Murray) and the two had a short chat. Smith’s best ranking was 96 in the world.
Ethan Quinn, age 18, finalist at Kalamazoo in singles and champion in Zoo doubles, upset Ernesto Escobedo 64 in the third. Mariano Hood, the former doubles player from Argentina, was sitting next to me scouting the match for his player Facundo Diaz Acosta, who lost to Nico Jarry in three sets. Hood said he liked everything about young Quinn. By the way, Nico Jarry has his own clothing line and logo NJ.
Madison Keys was out on the court watching her longtime boyfriend Bjorn Fratangelo beat Juan Bautista Torres of Argentina, 76 36 76.
While watching Alycia Parks lost to Cadantu Ignatik after winning the first set by bagel, Stefan Kozlov ambled by to watch a few points and then a few more on the next court of Kuzmanov vs Nardi. After seeing one point the ever observant Kozlov remarked, “How is that not a foot fault?” Kozlov told me he practiced with Aslan Karatsev today and will play in the US Open main draw for the first time ever.
Wildcard 18 year old Martin Damm led 76 53 vs Filip Misolic but couldn’t close the deal and lost 67 76 63.
The most impressive player today was Corentin Moutet who beat Nino Serdarusic 64 62 but needed a fifteen minute final service game to close it out on about the fifth or sixth match point. It was the third time Moutet has beaten the Croatian. The previous matches were both in Croatia, Umag qualies 2022 and a Futures in 2016, also in straight sets. The 23 year old French lefty is now ranked 112 while Serdarusic is ranked 206.
At this match I had the pleasure to sit next to the former chair umpire Damian Steiner from Argentina. Steiner stopped umpiring in 2019, his last match was the Wimbledon final. He said he umped over 8,000 matches in his career. He’s now working as an evaluator of chair umpires. When asked if he ever had to take bathroom break – have you ever seen a chair umpire need to take a bathroom break? (I have not in 30 years) – he said he did a couple of times have an emergency and left court after a set. But he tried to not drink much before a match and not during a match. He said he started to drink liquids in the fourth set of the 2019 Wimbledon final. He’s a really nice guy and friendly too. Interesting tattoo of a dog’s face portrait inside his left wrist, presumably a beloved pet, but I didn’t ask about it.
Saw a player crying against the wall by court 10 after losing to Maria Carle 63 63, it was Sinja Kraus, who had to be pep talked by her team, devastating loss for the tall Austrian. She was there for at least 15 minutes disconsolate. I was tempted to take a photo but didn’t want to invade her private public moment of profound emotion.
Linda Fruhvirtova was also very impressive in winning in straight sets, she’s a high touted Czech teen with a million dollar backhand.
catherine · August 24, 2022 at 7:04 am
Angie is pregnant, so exits the pro life.
Cory · August 24, 2022 at 7:52 am
Nice post Scoop. Looking forward to hearing more after today.
Quinn looked really good. Escobedo inconsistent as usual but still. Quinn had great positive energy and focus.
Looking at the draw today. Kukushkin needs to get past these qualies or fall further into obscurity. He’s been bad, and looked bad too.
I like Dan Masur to get past E. Ymer today. Masur is a guy i’ve always been impressed with, and wondered why i haven’t heard more about him. Then i learned he’s had lots of injuries.
Verdasco is no lock to get past the very steady Mager. I’m not betting but I’d be all over Mager.
Where is Kohlschreiber?
Simon can get past Mmoh… Simon can eke out longer points and draw errors.
Unranked Dudi Sela is back, against Kai Uchida! Big underdog… Take the dude…
Scoop Malinowski · August 24, 2022 at 8:05 am
Catherine, she didn’t retire so, after the birth of the baby, expect one last hurrah from Kerber.
Scoop Malinowski · August 24, 2022 at 8:12 am
Cory, wish I could tell all the US Open locker room stories my ears heard yesterday – one famous player doing lines in the stall before his match. One player asking for marijuana. Leander Paes bringing the manager a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning. John McEnroe in at 10 am looking to tap the beer keg dispenser but it was empty as the manager forgot to reorder the new keg, Mac was ticked off and dropped an f bomb and tossed his empty cup. Pete Sampras seeing the oatmeal cookies in the manager’s office and then asking for a couple and then as a payoff brought a fresh new pair of Nike Air Oscillates for the boss, so two cookies for a pair of Pete’s nikes. Rafa always generously giving his practice clothes every day and very generous giving his nike shoes size 10 1/2. Agassi never used the shower in the locker room after matches or practice. So so many stories ) It’s been a nice atmosphere at US Open today, good crowds, not overly large. In some ways I prefer qualies over the actual tournament. Looking forward to another great day at US Open and sharing my observations. Will watch Verdasco and Simon. Kohlschreiber retired earlier this year.
catherine · August 24, 2022 at 8:16 am
Apparently she wants to play in the 2024 Olympics – but that’s just gossip. Is she skipping the wedding ? Seems so.
Kvitova engaged. Retire next year ? A couple of promising Czechs on the way to replace her.
Scoop Malinowski · August 24, 2022 at 8:33 am
You must mean the Fruhvirtova sisters and Noskova.
catherine · August 24, 2022 at 9:24 am
Scoop, yes, re Czechs.
Re Angie, her partner is Franco Bianco, an entrepeneur etc and they’ve been together for several years, something she managed to keep away from prying eyes. You can do it if you want to. Or maybe I wasn’t reading the right publications.
She’s definitely talking about returning to tennis but I’d say that’s a long shot.
Scoop Malinowski · August 24, 2022 at 9:40 am
Yes I saw some of Linda’s win yesterday, she’s really good, really slaps that backhand, that’s her money shot, she has that hungry intensity. Leos Friedl was there watching her. If Kerber does not show any pregnancy photos, don’t rule out her using a surrogate.
catherine · August 24, 2022 at 10:33 am
Ha ha Scoop – I knew you’d think up some angle:) But if she uses a surrogate she’d have to stay at home anyway. So it would be a little pointless.
I have seen the guy before – he’s been in the players’ box at various events. One of those men who looks like Patrick M, same beard. I should have been reading BILD which has all the German gossip.
catherine · August 24, 2022 at 11:41 am
A couple of people have pointed out that Angie withdrew from the USO after the qualies had begun to be played. Not the done thing. Getting pregnant isn’t like catching a cold. She must have known about the possibility well in time.
Scoop Malinowski · August 24, 2022 at 11:10 pm
As you may know by now Catherine, I’m an advocate of the quotation: “Believe nothing of what you read and hear and half of what you see.” )
catherine · August 25, 2022 at 6:32 am
Whatever, Angie’s career on court is over. Not the most organised of farewells but it’ll have to do.
Fans have always been very important to her. ‘You mean the world to me’ is often heard from her lips and seen online. I hope her attention can now shift from the parasocial to the real.