US Open: Whatever Happened to Baby Ryan?

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

Ryan Harrison and Grigor Dimitrov were the next generation. They were the future. Dimitrov had more flair, yes, and he had more about him, too. But Harrison was just as athletic, perhaps more so, and he had so many great weapons. They were both going somewhere. And Dimitrov is now a slam semifinalist and world number seven. Harrison has never been to a third round. He is ranked 184 though has been as high as 43. Harrison was one cut out of the typical American cardboard -- big serve, great forehand, shaky backhand, movement could be better and the less they get to the net the better. He had talent, though, he had something extra. Where did that all go?

Ryan upset Ljubicic in the U.S. Open a few years back. He then had multiple match points against Stakhovsky but could not take them. Was that his moment? His Oudin moment? Would he have disappeared even if he had beaten the Ukrainian like Melanie has? Harrison has been cursed with bad draw after bad draw after bad draw. He has so many matches where he was oh so close. He almost had Ferrer at Wimbledon. He has come close so many times. The fact he had to play such good players was disguising the fact he has lost what he had. Draws have been opening up for him this year and he has merely watched them pass on by. It is a worrying trend for the man, boy, who was once the future of American tennis.

What I hope for him is to slowly make a comeback. I think, I hope, he does what Young does and finds his way back. I hope in three years or when we’ve forgotten him he will come back to life. I hope he will fulfill his potential. I don’t want to watch as another tennis talent gets wasted. So much talent has been wasted -- Gasquet, Monfils, Tsonga, Mathieu. Wait they’re all French. Perhaps Ryan Harrison has French heritage? Anyway, here is one person who hopes we get to see Ryan back soon. Well, when he feels he is ready.



Dimitrov dismissed Harrison at Wimbledon in the opening round, as well. It was 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 then, a similar scoreline to now. Harrison is young, he still has time. But that kid's long gone and this old man is all that’s left. So I ask once more: whatever happened to baby Ryan?

Well, I had better start talking about what happened in New York. And so I shall...

ARTHUR ASHE: BERDYCH d. HEWITT
...The oldest former champion was handed a rough draw. It’s strange to think of it, but the Aussie has had a similar career to Murray, though it is of a better career due to the Australian reaching number one. That is something it looks like Murray will now not achieve, though one never knows. Hewitt beat Sampras in the U.S. Open. That I find incredible. Safin, Agassi and Hewitt were among the best players in the world at the time. Roddick was not yet a phenomenon, but the future. Federer hadn’t won anything yet. Fast forward ten years and Djokovic and Federer are among the best players in the world. The previous Wimbledon winner was not Ivanisevic, but Djokovic. Djokovic is world number one today and not Kuerten. The twin towers happened just after Hewitt flew out of New York and Berdych was 15. Hewitt fans should look away now. Hewitt went 2-9 in the aces count. He also only broke twice. He went 11-36 overall in the winners ratio. That contributed to him going down 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 in two hours and twenty minutes. Hewitt won just 52 per cent of his own service points. Berdych had 9 aces and didn’t double fault. He did however have 43-51 with the errors count. It was not perfect from Berdman, but it didn’t need to be. He did enough. He won 65 per cent of his service points and broke six times. With Hewitt averaging just 102 miles an hour on serve this was too easy. There is another test coming up, after the Czech so easily bypassed this one. Klizan came back from the dead to win in five. Klizan will be waiting in the next round. He has nothing to lose and a lot of power. Good luck, Berdman.
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ARTHUR ASHE: WAWRINKA D. BELLUCCI
...Match of the day? Wawrinka and Bellucci combined for a cover album. It was a cover album of a Fedal match. In this cover version, however, the righty outclasses the lefty. In the real thing the Swiss righty has no chance. The rallies look similar, the styles of play contrast in a similar way and there is a similar feel to it. There is a lot of slice and a lot of feel off the racket of the one-hander, but so much power off the lefty, though in this case the righty also has a lot of power. Wawrinka needed just over two and a half hours to negotiate a very tricky match. He hit sixteen aces on his way to a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 decision. Wawrinka even won that breaker 7-1. Bellucci showed his problems during the math. He went 31-37 in the winners department and only managed to knock down 7 aces. He did break three times from three chances, which is good. Wawrinka had fourteen chances to break, though, and he took four. It was enough. Bellucci did put up a fight in those last two sets but it was too little too late. He needs confidence and belief. Wawrinka won only fifty per cent of second serve points. That has to improve. After a couple of tricky lefties he gets a righty, though it is a righty with tremendous talent. Kavcic is the next man to go up against the gauntlet that is playing Wawrinka.
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LOUIS ARMSTRONG : CILIC D. BAGHDATIS [R]
...Disappointing. 6-3, 3-1 was all Bagman could last for. This is the former world number seven. This is a man who has beaten Federer, Murray, Nadal and a host of other good players. This is a man who has a lot of talent but put on weight and lost his edge, his fitness. Baghdatis has gone from the darling of men’s tennis to the drag. No form, no fitness and no flair. And now he has come into a slam just to win money. I know money is important. I know that one needs money, but what Marcos is doing is robbing a journeyman of a check. Marcos came in with no intention of winning, just of collecting a check. Cilic goes through but this match has left a bad taste in my mouth. Cilic goes through for a serving test. He can expect tiebreakers in his next match. He should still beat Marchenko fairly easily in the end.
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LOUIS ARMSTRONG : DIMITROV D. HARRISON
...Some matches are hyped and live up to that hype. Some matches do not and then there are those that look bad on paper but turn out to be classics. Once upon a time in a slam far far away, a young European girl [Serbia?] who would later play under the Australian banner drew Hingis in the opening round of Wimbledon. On paper Hingis, a former champion and the world’s best player by some way, should have come forward fairly straightforwardly. She lost two and love. Or was it love and two? I think it was the former. That is more than just an upset. That is a rout. That is a demolition. That is brutal. That young girl went on to have many great career highlights and she was proof that paper means nothing. Where is she now? Hers is a story that is not mine to tell though it certainly is a great story. You want the story? Find WTA BACKSPIN and they’ll tell you the story. That place is the place that knows her best. Harrison barely lasted two hours as Dimitrov dismissed him 6-2, 7-6 [4], 6-2. He came to net 31 times but converted just 14 times. That is part of the problem. The other is going 25-37 in the winners count. Dimitrov went 37-19, which was most impressive. Throw in Dimitrov winning 45 per cent of returning points and 76 per cent of serving points and this is starting to sound like a dominant performance. It was. Dimitrov also hit eight aces, which is an area Harrison really should edge him. Dimitrov was supposed to face a test from Harrison. Suffice to say this was not the case. He gets tricky Israeli, and former top thirty player, Sela. Dudi was a finalist in Atlanta just this year. He has few weapons that can hurt Dimitrov. And on paper this looks straightforward, but the thing about paper, well it can be misleading. Just ask a certain little girl.
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Grandstand Selection: GULBIS D. DE SCHEPPER
.. .here was a retirement in the other match. Yes, another one. That means that I have to talk about this match. Sadly there is not much to talk about in matches such as these. I really am looking for an angle in which this match is interesting. But there just isn’t one. I don’t know why this was on Grandstand. Gulbis needed only an hour and a half to dismiss the Frenchman 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Ten aces and 35 winners overall are complemented by six breaks, but he did lose his serve once in the match. His opponent double faulted ten times. Gulbis turned up and his opponent quite simply laid an egg. Thiem is up next for Gulbis and that is going to be a test. If Gulbis does not turn up then Thiem will likely take advantage of that. In fact Gulbis got handed a nice little section here. If he can upset Berdych then he has the section.
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OUTER COURT SELECTION: ANDERSON D. CUEVAS
...Anderson has been one of the most consistent slam players this year. He has made three fourth rounds and that is very impressive. He notched his tenth slam victory against Cuevas, though he was pushed to the limit. For a player ranked at about the twenty mark that is especially impressive. He has not been seeded to make that round all year and yet he has. It is a good slam year for a player if they notch anything more than 12 victories. Anderson needs to win two more matches and he has had a very strong year. He has a lot of grit and determination whilst also being very solid. Throw in a good serve and you have a good combination. In this first round match the African number one [I’d love to be the number one of a continent] was surprisingly challenged by a dirtballer. Anderson won out in the end 6-3, 6-7 [3],4-6, 6-2, 7-6 [1]. He served 29 aces in the four hour epic. He only double faulted five times. His opponent hit 47 winners and errors but the South African went 61-53. Anderson broke five times and managed to hold serve in every game but three. Anderson will need to win more than 49% of second serves in his next matches, however. Anderson has Janowicz up next. There are going to be breakers in that match. In fact I predict 50 aces plus in total in that match. The winner of that then gets another serving duel. That time it will be Cilic they have to out-serve. The winner of that does get Ferrer. This section is open. Now the question is who wants it?
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Any other notes?

* = I think we have finished the first round. So the US Open is on schedule. For me, a slam really starts in the third round. The first two rounds are the warm-up.

* = The amount of injuries is an eye opener, or it should be. I also think players shouldn’t come into slams not in full fitness just so they can retire and get a check. There are fit players who want it so bad and deserve it more.

* = Radwanska is gone. On paper this is a big upset. In reality? I’m not so sure. This also blows up my WTA year end top ten. At this rate I’m going to have to just list twenty candidates.

* = H and M keep messing up Berdych’s outfits. Berdych is an attractive man and has a great body shape. So why design awful clothes that don’t properly fit him?

* = It’s taken a while but I think that the ‘big four’ is no longer a thing. Wawrinka, Ferrer, Raonic have all disrupted them this year. Nadal is injured and Murray is nowhere.

* = Wawrinka moves well. He is all over the place and so, unfortunately, is his shirt. The longer you stare the more weird features you find on it.

* = What’s she looking at?


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