2018 US Open tennis live: Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur win in New York
Another New York heatwave, another Nick Kyrgios meltdown ... but scorching finish gets Aussie’s US Open campaign on track.
- Kyrgios: ‘I’m cooked’
- De Minaur wins through
- Ice bath saves Djokovic
- Day 2: Aussies in action
- Heatwave strikes US Open
Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur have survived a New York heatwave and dangerous opponents to win through to the second round of the 2018 US Open.
Debbie Schipp 12.20pm: “I’m cooked, I can’t play”
He spent most of the match complaining about tiredness, and opted out of chasing down shots, before finally focusing to win his first round match at the US Open.
And Nick Kyrgios found himself again under fire from critics as he ambled around and muttered his way to losing the second set.
Looking to the player’s box, during changeovers he said: I’m fucked, my legs are f***ed. I’m cooked, I’m f***ing done. I can’t play,” he said while seemingly clutching at his calf, AAP reports.
Asked by ESPN’s on-court commentator Brad Gilbert if he did it to get himself going, Kyrgios responded: “Not really. It keeps me relaxed. I speak to my team a lot. I was speaking to you a lot. It was a lot of fun. (Albot’s) a great competitor.”
The win will see him play Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, next, with the winner likely on course to meet Roger Federer in the third round.
Kyrgios’ victory at Flushing Meadows means four Aussie men won through on day two of the competition.
It continues a flying start for Australia in the US Open — as well as Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden, John Millman and Ajla Tomljanovic also notched impressive wins on Tuesday after Jason Kubler, Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova progressed to the second round on day one.
But while rising Aussie star de Minaur was winning accolades for his easy demolition of Japan’s Taro Daniel — he dropped just three games on his way to the 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory.
Debbie Schipp 11.35am: Kyrgios wins it
Nick Kyrgios has won through to the next round of the US Open with a win in four sets over Radu Albot. It took Kyrgios about two hours and 20 minutes to dispose of Albot 3-1 after a rollercoaster opener. He finally focused in the final 40 minutes to close out the match, nailing his serve, and stamping out the double faults.
That didn’t stop the always-erratic Kyrgios keeping fans on edge with unconventional shots like a no-look, behind the back winner in the eighth game of the fourth set.
In the end he took the win 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-2.
Just some routine stuff from @NickKyrgios tonight...
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2018
😉🔥#USOpen pic.twitter.com/b1NllLpw8M
"48 winners? What's the big deal?"@NickKyrgios made it rain with Hot Shots, defeating R. Albot 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to move into the second round.https://t.co/NWOTntf1a2#USOpen pic.twitter.com/Qa1g80HpzT
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2018
Debbie Schipp 11.30am: Game on
Nick Kyrgios appears to have declared it game on, breaking Radu Ablot twice, and easily holding his own serve, to lead 4-0 in the fourth set and take control of the match.
11.20am: Fed nice and easy
Five-time champion Roger Federer has eased into the second round, beating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
Federer, who claimed his last title at Flushing Meadows back in 2008, needed an hour and 52 minutes to dispatch Nishioka, who was ranked 58th in the world last March before tearing a left knee ligament and sliding out of the top 150.
Second-seeded Federer, who earned his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, next faces France’s Benoit Paire.
— AAP
Debbie Schipp 11.15am: Kyrgios takes third
A more focused Nick Kyrgios has taken the third set of his match with Radu Albot. Kyrgios broke Albot mid-set to pave the way to take the third. Seven aces and no double faults sealed it. At 9.11pm local time in New York, it’s still a steamy 32 degrees Celsius.
Debbie Schipp 11.05am: Sluggish, then sublime
With his game continuing to oscillate wildly between the sublime and sluggish, Nick Kyrgios broke Radu Albot’s serve to lead the third set 4-3. Kyrgios then made it 5-3 with an unconventional finish — sealing the eighth game with a shot between the legs, followed by a crosscourt winner. He’s had no double-faults so far this set.
Only Nick Kyrgios would hit a 135mph second serve, then on the next point swap a jokey tweener for an easy passing shot and still win the point (this begins and ends my live-tweeting of the 2018 US Open)
— Brian Miller (@bmill42) August 29, 2018
Debbie Schipp 10.45am: “I want to get away”
He spent the break between sets mouthing the words to Lenny Kravitz’s Fly Away as it boomed out across Arthur Ashe Stadium, and it seems Nick Kyrgios wouldn’t mind being somewhere else as the third set opens. “I want to get away …” Kyrgios sang along as he recovered between sets. He’s returned to be 2-1 down in the third.
Debbie Schipp 10.35am: Kyrgios loses second set
Nick Kyrgios has let the second set slip away as erratic play melts down his game. Radu Albot has evened the match with a 6-2 second set win, breaking Kyrgios several times, including the last game, to see the match at 1-1. Kyrgios’ unforced error rate is has spiralled to 36 and scorching shots are followed with little back-up and not chasing shots. Eight aces in the second set from Kyrgios were matched by 12 double-faults. Meanwhile, Albot has made just 12 unforced errors.
Debbie Schipp 10.20am: De Minaur wins through
Aussie Alex de Minaur has taken just 90 minutes to cruise to the next round of the US Open with a win in three sets over Japan’s Taro Daniel. De Minaur confirmed his status as a rising star — dropping just three games as he swatted Daniel aside for the 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory. He slammed down seven aces along the way.
It continues a flying start for Australia in the US Open — Matt Ebden, John Millman and Ajla Tomljanovic also notched impressive wins on Tuesday after Jason Kubler, Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova progressed to the second round on day one.
Debbie Schipp 10.05am: Kyrgios takes first set
Nick Kyrgios is turning up the heat on himself despite taking the first set against Radu Albot after breaking the Moldavian player twice. Kyrgios took the first set 7-5 in a frustrating opener. He took the long way around, appearing at times almost disinterested, perhaps conserving energy to chase the big points in the heat. Then he would change take charge of the rollercoaster, nailing home the big points. Or resort to shots including one under-the-legs return. In a mixed bag of stats, he’s made 19 unforced errors to Albot’s nine, but drove the big serves — including seven aces — and points home when it counted.
Debbie Schipp 9.55am: Federer on fire
Roger Federer has taken the first set of his match against Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 and leads 3-0 in the second.
🚀🔥🎾@rogerfederer blasts his first rocket forehand of the night...#USOpen pic.twitter.com/BPHUuflOqH
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2018
Debbie Schipp 9.50am: Escape artist
Nick Kyrgios is creating, then escaping traps of his own making. He’s managed 13 unforced errors and came close to having his serve broken again by Radu Albot in the seventh, but pulled off a miracle drop shot, followed by an ace, to fight back on serve to make it 4-4.
Debbie Schipp 9.45am: De Minaur takes second
Alex de Minaur has made easy work of Taro Daniel to take the second set 6-1. De Minaur has dropped just one game so far, and has slammed down four aces as he takes easy charge.
Debbie Schipp 9.35am: Kyrgios goes break for break
Nick Kyrgios has gone break for break with Radu Albot in the first set. Kyrgios was broken in the fourth game to go 3-1 down, failing to post a point on serve. He broke straight back with Albot on serve to make it 3-2. The erratic Kyrgios has made nine unforced errors in 18 minutes, but also slammed home five winners and two aces.
Debbie Schipp 9.30am: Serve on point
Nick Kyrgios is even-pegging with Radu Albot with the scores 1-1 in the first set. The Australian’s serve is kicking in nicely, clocking in at about 178 kmh, with one ace.
9.15am: Kyrgios on court
Aussie Nick Kyrgios is on court and is doing final warm-ups ahead of his match against Moldova’s Radu Albot.
Debbie Schipp 9.10am: De Minaur cruising
Alex de Minaur has cruised through the first set of his match against Japan’s Taro Daniel, taking the first set 6-0. De Minaur made easy work of Daniel, to take the set in 21 minutes in the searing heat.
Debbie Schipp 8.50am: Alex breaks out of blocks
Alex de Minaur is on court and has broken Taro Daniel early to take a 3-0 lead in the first set.
Courtney Walsh 8.25am: Millman fires up
John Millman became the second Australian man to progress in New York when a convincing winner yesterday.
But after disposing of American teenager Jenson Brooksby 6-4 6-2 6-0, Millman queried the differences between how the stars are treated on centre court at Flushing Meadows compared to those playing on outside courts.
He said there was a clear disparity in the time players are allowed at the change-of-ends and also between points, which could prove critical in extreme heat.
“We got 60 seconds from when the umpire calls the score. They get a minute and a half in there,” he said. “Look, that’s a massive difference. How’s that fair?
“Sixty seconds goes pretty damn quick by the time you get the towel
and the ice towel around you’re neck.”
Millman said the shot clock, which allows the server 25 seconds between points, should not have been introduced at grand slam level without further trials being held.
It has been reduced from 30 seconds but the Queenslander said it was problematic in conditions like today’s scorching temperature.
“The umpire starts the shot clock after he calls the score,” he said.
“Well, if there’s a big round of applause on centre court there, then they get, what, an extra 10, 15 seconds. “It’s got to be the same for everyone, no?”
8.15am: De Minaur delay
Aussie Alex de Minaur’s match against Japan’s Taro Daniel has been pushed back to 8.35am AEST as heatwave conditions continue to plague the US Open. The mercury has soars past 35 degrees Celsius on court, forcing a number of players to retire from matches.
— Debbie Schipp
7.45am: Young German powers through
Fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev punched his ticket to the US Open second round on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Canadian lucky loser Peter Polansky.
Zverev, tipped as one of the highly touted “NextGen” stars poised to break through for a first Grand Slam, next faces either French lucky loser Nicolas Mahut or French wildcard Corentin Moutet.
— AFP
7.19am: Zverev in control
Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the no. 4 seed, obviously isn’t bothered by the heat in New York today. He’s making light work of Canadian Peter Polansky on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev has won 10 of the last 11 games, leading P. Polansky 6-2, 6-1, 2-0.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/rN7CQGkHwK
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2018
Courtney Walsh 7.15am: Ice bath saves Djokovic
Novak Djokovic, whose championship hopes looked in peril when he trailed Marton Fucsovics 4-2 in the third set, said the break at the end of the third set as part of the extreme heat policy enacted at the US Open today was beneficial.
“We obviously both struggled and you could feel that and see that. Before that, it was a survival mode,” he said.
“I was actually praying that the next moment, I get to feel better. I definitely wasn’t feeling great for most of the three sets. I am not the only one. A lot of the players struggled today … but it is what it is.”
The Wimbledon champion, who progressed 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-0, said he and Fucsovics lay beside each other in ice baths during the ten-minute break trying to cool their body temperatures.
“We were naked in the ice baths,” he said.
“It was quite a wonderful feeling … battling with a guy for two-and-a-half hours and then you are naked in the ice baths.”
7.10am: Djokovic fires up in heat
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic defied debilitating heat and humidity to beat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 and reach the second round of the US Open.
Djokovic was clearly struggling in the soaring temperatures that contributed to at least three retirements today, but he regrouped for the win in his first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court since he fell to Stan Wawrinka in the 2016 final.
The Serb star next faces American Tennys Sandgren, a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Serbian Viktor Tricki.
— AFP
Daniel Sankey 7am: Ebden takes first set
Australia’s world no. 54 Matthew Ebden has taken the first set of his first round encounter against 32nd-seeded Serbian Filip Krajinovic with a dominant 7-1 tie-break victory.
There was little between the players heading into the tie-break, with neither man able to capitalise on two breaks of serve. Each had four aces, four double faults, four winners and four unforced errors for the set.
The tiebreaker, though, was a different story, with Ebden dominating throughout to take the advantage.
6.55am: Ostapenko outlasts Petkovic
Jelena Ostapenko sweated out a 6-4 4-6 7-5 win over German Andrea Petkovic to reach the second round of the US Open as the heat was turned up at Flushing Meadows.
With the thermometer pushing towards 38 degrees Celsius, the pair battled for two hours and 18 minutes under a ferocious sun before the 10th-seeded Latvian ended the marathon on her fourth match point, sending the few remaining spectators at the Louis Armstrong Stadium court scrambling to find shade.
“A very tough match. She was fighting for every point until the end,” said Ostapenko, who will meet American Taylor Townsend in the second round. It was very humid and also very hot, but it was the same for both of us. I mean, we had to deal with it.”
Earlier, Danish second seed Caroline Wozniacki progressed with a 6-3 6-2 win over Australia’s 2011 champion Samantha Stosur to tee up a date with Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko.
Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova beat Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1 6-4, but American CoCo Vandeweghe — a semi-finalist last year — crashed to a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.
— REUTERS
Courtney Walsh 6.30am: Heatwave alert strikes US Open
US Open officials have been on red alert due to a heatwave that is causing significant concern for players and fans in New York today.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, an extreme heat policy has been enacted for the men’s singles as players struggle to cope in 35 degree heat exacerbated by significant humidity.
Australian Sam Stosur, who was beaten 6-3 6-2 by world no. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, described the conditions as extremely difficult to play in.
“Everyone always talks about how hot Melbourne is (during the Australian Open) but the US Open is way worse than Melbourne,” she said.
By midway through the afternoon, four men had retired in the searing conditions, three of them citing heat related issues.
John Millman was able to progress in his opening round match against American teenager Jenson Brooksby 6-4 6-2 6-0, minimising the time he spent on court in the heat of the battle.
But Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has required treatment from medical staff in the midst of a battle against Marton Fucsovics that is currently in the third set on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Nick Kyrgios is due to begin his US Open campaign at 9am (AEST) on Louis Armstrong Stadium against Radu Albot.
Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden and Lizette Cabrera and Ajla Tomljanovic, who play each other, are also due on court later this morning Australian time.
Upon the recommendation of the #USOpen medical team, the Extreme Heat Policy will be implemented immediately for Men’s matches. The men will be offered a 10-min. break btwn the 3rd and 4th set.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2018
The Tournament Referee, along w/ the medical team, will cont. to monitor conditions. pic.twitter.com/zviMAPGX6l
6.15am: Aussies in action today
World no. 30 Nick Kyrgios is the headline act for Australia today, taking on Moldova’s Radu Albot on Louis Armstrong Stadium. The match is scheduled for a 9am start.
Rising star Alex de Minaur, currently ranked 45, has a tough first round encounter against Japan’s world number 64 Taro Daniel on Court 13. The match is estimated for an 8.10am AEST start, but given the match has already been pushed back from an original 5.30am AEST start, don’t be surprised if it’s pushed back further.
In the women’s draw, it’s an all-Aussie first round clash on Court 6 between Lizette Cabrera and Ajla Tomljanovic. They’re scheduled for a 7.55am AEST start.
Matt Ebden is already on court and contesting the first set against 32nd seeded Serbian Filip Krajinovic.
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