US Open: None Is the Number

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell it and speak it and think it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my songs well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

None sure is the number. No American’s have reached the quarterfinals of a slam in singles this year. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Not a one. Only one chance still remains for the Americans. If Williams loses to Kanepi they will have reached a new low. Serena should win. Never before has there been a year where no men or women have reached the quarterfinal of a slam. The American men are already in a serious drought. The situation is pretty serious. It is now abundantly clear the American system is broken. They had so many riches and now have but a few battered semi-precious stones and some fossils. They are in dire straits. A hard rain has fallen.

In the 1970’s the American men won twelve slams. It was ten in the 1980’s. It was 21 in the 1990s. That is over half. In the first decade of this century it was eight. That is respectable. So far it is zero in this decade. It looks as if the Americans are going to win less than five slams this decade. There is still time, of course, but who is there to win the slams? They would have to be coming through at the moment. And nobody is coming through. We can assume the current top ten will dominate for the next five years. Maybe the Americans will never win a slam this decade. Maybe the Americans are permanently finished as a major force in this sport.

The future of American tennis on the WTA looks far better. It looks more solid, more reliable. That is probably because it is. There’s a plethora of young talent coming through now. They look to be doing fine, but that does not make up for what has happened to the men.

Well I shall now get back to what happened in New York...

ARTHUR ASHE: DJOKOVIC d. QUERREY
...Querrey has been a solid player throughout his career. Despite some dips in form, and some occasional injury issues, he has been able to make a great career. He has seven titles. He has been up as high as 17 in the world. He has won titles on three different surfaces, including more clay titles than Murray. He has been to the fourth round here four times. The surgery on his elbow may have done lasting damage. Perhaps not physically, but mentally. He has made semifinals this year and he has started to look back to his old self. He beat Djokovic in Paris last year despite losing to love in the first set. Querrey was stifled 6-3, 6-2, and 6-2. In the 85-minute contest Querrey won only 44 per cent of points on his own serve. He hit just seven aces. He went 18-33 in winners, but Djokovic went 25-19. Djokovic broke seven times and looked imperious. He never let the American into the match. He returned too well. And for all his dominance he only won 66 per cent of serves. And he got broken twice. In his armor I see some chinks. I see that there are gaps that can be taken advantage of. Djokovic gets a test next up. He gets very tricky German Kohlschreiber. He was the last man to beat the Djoker in a slam before the quarterfinals. That was at the French Open way back in 2009. He has made the fourth round of every slam at least twice except Wimbledon, where was a quarterfinalist. He is in his third consecutive fourth round appearance here. Is this the year he finally steps up?
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ARTHUR ASHE: ROBREDO D. KYRGIOS
....Kyrgios is here to stay. He made it to the third round here, backing up his supreme Wimbledon debut. If I made the quarterfinals on my Wimbledon debut [HA!] then I would be pleased. Robredo had too much experience for the youngster. He knew how to handle the power and the rocket shots. He knew how to defeat wild reckless abandon with nothing to lose. He is a veteran. It’s what he does. Kyrgios tried to hit through him and that would have worked on grass. This is a different surface to my beloved grass. Robredo had to be solid. And he was. Kyrgios went 20-3 in the aces count but went 55-47 overall. Big numbers. Robredo managed 33-15. In the two hour, twenty minute contest the turning point would be the fourth set breaker. Robredo took it and Kyrgios had not the energy to come back. Robredo would end up taking it 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. He won that breaker 7-4 because he knows how to handle those big moments. He knows how to win those big points. Somehow Robredo won 37% of receiving points. Kyrgios had an average first serve speed of 120 MPH. This Robredo win is mighty impressive. Robredo gets Wawrinka next. Last year he beat a highly seeded Swiss one hander to reach the quarterfinals. Wawrinka has not played for several days and match practice may be an issue. Wawrinka beat Robredo in this round at the last hard court major. Robredo couldn’t do again what he did last year. Could he?
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LOUIS ARMSTRONG : MURRAY D. KUZNETSOV
...I don’t know what has happened to Murray. Is it age? Is it fitness? Is it, most likely of all, just a complete lack of form? Murray is a very good player and at his zenith he did belong in the three-four ranking area. Now he belongs in the 6-10 area depending on the time of year. During the clay court season, for example, he should be ranked around ten but closer to six when we move to grass. I find it surprising that Murray would lose a set to Kuznetsov. I was not even aware Kuznetsov had anything he could hurt Murray with. Apparently Murray’s lack of form was enough. In the two hours, thirty-five minute match Murray came through eventually, and inconsistently, 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. I just don’t understand. Murray played a horrible match and would have been made to pay against a better opponent. He won the break duel, breaking eight times to his opponent's four and went 47-37 in the error count. Muzza won just 63 per cent of his service points though he did win 49 per cent of receiving points. He did not play a very good match but he should still have run way with it. It is a baffling scoreline. Murray currently looks shakier than the Republicans' grasp on reality. Tsonga has been on fire. He has come through against tricky, inspired opponents. Murray has dropped sets here and there. Murray has looked vulnerable. Tsonga is going to have him. I call Tsonga in four.
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LOUIS ARMSTRONG : KOHLSCHREBER D. ISNER
...There is a horrible feeling when lightning strikes twice. It hurts me when...

* = I watched the Patriots lose in the AFC Championship in back to back years
* = I watched George Bush get elected TWICE
* = I lost in chess to my friend 9 times in a row [none were close and I’m not a bad player]
* = I had to fly back to London from Sydney all those times

For Isner it must hurt him to face the same man in the same round with the exact same seeds. I know I’d be annoyed. Really, though, Isner should be winning these matches and especially with the form that he has. In the three hour long four set epic , Kohl failed to break but won anyway 7-6 [4],4-6, 7-6 [2], 7-6 [4]. What stands out immediately? Three breakers and Isner winning just ten points is ridiculous. That is a horrible statistic. Isner hit 42 aces and won 76 per cent of his service points. Isner even won 151 points to Kohlschreiber’s 147. Isner also went 77-38 on the winner, much better than his opponent's 55-28. Isner played a good match but fell apart when it mattered. Ah, it seems I have summed up his career pretty much in just one sentence. Isner now leads in the aces department but as he is out that is now rather pointless. Kohlschreiber and his whippy backhand now have a path through to the final. If Kohlschreiber can upset Djokovic, he gets to face Tsonga for a place in the semifinals. If he beats Tsonga, he might get Wawrinka or Raonic. He can handle them. So, if he beats Djokovic, he has it. Sadly, he will do not much more than perhaps nick a set off the top seed.
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Grandstand Selection: RAONIC D. ESTRELLA BURGOS
...I mentioned earlier how good the debut of Kyrgios was. It was very impressive, but so is this US Open debut from Estrella. He has bloomed onto the ATP tour in his thirties which makes him a late bloomer. At the age of 34 he has debuted at the US Open. Not only that, but he has made the third round. That is an impressive accomplishment. It is so difficult to do that, especially at the age of 34. Burgos played Raonic tough in a match where there were three breaks apiece. Raonic won 7-6 [5], 7-6 [5], 7-6[3] in a match where he served 22 aces. The sets lasted 52 minutes, 55 minutes and 56 minutes, respectively. Estrella his 32 winners and 33 errors in what was an even performance. Raonic decided on aggression as usual and hit 51 winners. In his next match he has to cut down on his 46 errors, however. I was wrong. Nishikori has had the physical fitness to last this far. Now we have one of the best fourth round matches, though they are all pretty good. Raonic needs to test the physicality of the Japanese man. Raonic needs to be physical and drag this match into lengthy tiebreaker sets. Raonic is going to have a horrible match but he should be able to win it anyway.
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OUTER COURT SELECTION: PEYA/SOARES D. GROTH/GUCCIONE
....And now for something different. I am going to start focusing on the doubles a little now. Guccione and Groth, an experienced doubles pairing though they usually play with different partners. The second seeds needed 82 minutes [three minutes less than Djokovic needed] to finally come through 7-6 [5], 6-4. With just one break in the match, it was a serving exhibition though that was expected. The Australians won 67 points, just eight less than their more illustrious opponents. Next up is Kukushkin and Michael Venus, the less known Venus in tennis. The second seeds are unlikely to be tested. They will have a test in the quarterfinals with either the eleventh or sixth seeds waiting for them. The sixth seeds are defending champions.
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Any other notes?

* = Djokovic loves to prove people wrong. Perhaps he decided to look shaky on purpose so as to throw everyone off.

* = I don’t understand how Venus got bageled by Errani. The US Open should have given her a friendlier schedule. I think that once a player gets to a certain set age the schedulers should make it easier for her.

* = I liked Nadal’s and Federer’s ice bucket challenges.

* = On a completely tennis unrelated note: the Eagles are a great band. Definitely worth a listen. Hang on. Eagles are a band but share a name with a football team. That team plays in a division with the New York Giants. New York is where the US Open is. There’s the connection.

* = Why do they bother with seedings in the mixed doubles?

* = Pain doesn't kill me, I kill the pain.



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