US Open Qualifying Tournament 2015 – Day 2

Above: Yoshihito Nishioka

Wednesday August 26th, 2015 – Today’s first match at the US Open qualifying tournament was a tough one for me, because I really like both players and I didn’t want to see either one of them lose. Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who recently made tennis news with this improbable shot, was pitted against Yuki Bhambri of India. 

Above: Yuki Bhambri

Yuki is much taller than Yoshi, with a powerful build. But Yoshi, a lefty, has great technical skills and is able to generate strong pace. For eight games, they stayed on serve and there were some very dynamic rallies. Nishioka broke Bhambri in the 9th game and was able to stave off 3 break points in the following game to take the set.

The second set found the Japanese experiencing a perceptible dip in energy. Bhambri took advantage; he broke Nishioka and held on to take the set 6-1. I did a walkabout, wondering which way the match would go.

When I got back to the court, a breeze had kicked up and Nishioka, having changed to a red shirt, seemed revitalized. He took control and, with some well-fought points along the way, won the match…and the crowd’s acclaim.

Another fine Japanese player, Yuichi Sugita (above), was unfazed by the powerful hitting of his imposing opponent, Austria’s Gerald Melzer. Melzer had his moments, and his fans, and he managed to break Sugita in the second set. But overall, Sugita sailed confidently through the match with the authority of a young prince. I really loved watching him play.

Above: Yuichi Sugita

After the Sugita-Melzer match, I’d hoped to see Nicolas Almagro in action. Yes, surprisingly the Spaniard, who had a career-high ranking of #9 in 2011 – has fallen down the charts following a prolonged layoff to recover from an injury and was thus forced to qualify for the US Open. Approaching the court where Almagro was playing, I could see there was no chance of getting anywhere within viewing distance. I later heard that he won his match, so that augurs well.