Tag: US Open Qualifying Tournament

@ The US Open Qualifiers ~ 2019

Above, Jason Jung: the big news of the day at the US Open Qualifying Tournament was Jung’s hard-fought win over Donald Young

Tuesday August 20th, 2019 – The heat has become a factor in determining which days and how much time I can spend at the National Tennis Center, pursuing my favorite non-musical pastime. I’ve gone to the US Open every Summer since I moved to New York City in 1998. After a few years of attending for main-draw tennis, I discovered the Qualifying Tournament, and I have continued to attend matches during that event even after I gave up on the main tournament as being too expensive and too crowded.

The Qualifying Tournament has changed a lot since I started going. It used to be that only serious tennis buffs would attend. Sometimes only a handful of people would be watching a given match. Hardly any children were to be seen, and cellphones had not yet proliferated our culture. You could watch match after match, sure of getting a seat, and without worrying too much about extraneous distractions.

Over time, the general public has discovered the Qualifying Tournament…and the fact that it’s FREE. The Qualies have become a destination. Baby strollers are now a court-side fixture – even though the occupants themselves are indifferent to the game itself – and hordes of school kids always show up. People who run summer camps bring large groups, giving them something to do for a day.. Shopping, eating, and irrelevant musical entertainment became part of the Qualie Experience.

Despite these developments. I have continued to make the trek to Flushing; I have learned to move about to avoid chatterboxes, bored and fussing children, and listening to cellphone conversations about the most inane things while the players are giving their all.

The Open has become sleeker, more commercial, more…plastic…over time, and I suppose that was inevitable. But now there’s a different element to the Qualies (and the entire tournament): the heat factor. There have always been the random hot days at the Open, but now they seem far more frequent…and far more intense. Most of the courts are exposed to the baking sun from morning to sunset. I do not know how the players are able to carry on in such conditions; yesterday, apparently, a ball-kid fainted on court.

So, anyway: this year, I skipped the first day – temperatures exceeding 90 degrees were forecast and indeed came to pass. Today the heat was very slightly less extreme, and a breeze kicked up from time to time. I arrived before the 11:00 AM start of play, and planned to stay for the Go Soeda-Tommy Robredo match, which I knew would not start until 6:00 or later.

Above: Sumit Nagal (an Associated Press image)

Despite wearing a baseball cap and a light-weight long-sleeved shirt, by 4:00 PM I began to feel like the Roasted Swan in CARMINA BURANA. I realized it was time to head home during the Tatsuma Ito-Sumit Nagal match. When their first set was to be decided in a tie-break, I held on to see how it would end. Nagal, a very intense, good-looking guy, won the tie-breaker, and went on to win the match.

But the excitement of the day centered on Jason Jung’s victory over Donald Young. Donald of course had the enthusiastic support of much of the crowd, but a goodly number of Jung admirers were vocal throughout the match – which might have helped propel him to a 3-set victory which ended with a tension-filled tie-breaker. The crowd was hanging on every point.

The exhausted Jung was interviewed on-court after his win…

…and greeted fans…

…and posed for dozens of photos.

One charming element of Fan Week was a band of roving jugglers and stilt-walkers; the girl above towered over me with her out-sized racquet, and cheerily posed for my camera.

My other pictures from today are of players who – unfortunately – lost:

Italy’s Lorenzo Giustino lost to Spain’s Guillermo Garcia Lopez, though Giustino made a fine impression.

Taro Daniel was defeated by Mario Vilella Martinez, a big-hitter who plays a passionate game. Both of the first two sets ended with tie-breakers, with Martinez winning the first and Taro the second. But the Spaniard prevailed at the end.

Tatsuma Ito, a long-time favorite of mine, got off to a good start against Sumat Nagal, but then the player from India stepped things up a notch or two.

Despite the horrible heat, I had fun today and will try to go back – but not tomorrow, as I originally planned: I can’t take another episode of baking quite so soon.

~ Oberon

August 20, 2019
@ The US Open Qualifiers ~ 2017

Author: Oberon

Tuesday August 22nd, 2017 – As many readers of this blog will know, starting in early March of this year, I developed severe hip arthritis – or maybe bursitis: the exact diagnosis remains unclear. I was literally homebound until, after six weeks of physical therapy, things began to improve…very slowly. Aside from the pain, I also suffered from a literal terror of going outdoors. This hindered my progress considerably. But by the end of May, I began setting goals to commence re-connecting with my world of music, dance, and…tennis.

My improvement stalled more than once; but, encouraged by my physical therapist and by friends who had been thru similar interruptions in their lives (thank you especially, Ask LaCour and Lydia Johnson!), I stuck to my course and one by one achieved my goals. The final one was set for today: to attend the first session of the US Open Qualifying Tournament. This has been an annual event for me for several years and I was determined to be there, come Hell or high water.

Just two weeks ago, the last level of recovery I had hoped for was attained: I was essentially 95% pain-free and weaned off the meds. But then, going to the US Open is not the same as going to a concert or a dance event: it’s an all-day experience that includes a very long subway ride from Inwood, lots of walking and standing about, and plenty of stair-climbing. Just as I was leaving my apartment to catch the train, I thought: “Should I pop some Aleve just to be safe?” Nope. Fuck it.

I won’t complain at length about the many inconveniences and distractions of going to the Open; I guess you have to shut up and put up with things like tantrum-throwing toddlers (small children don’t belong at the Open, especially on blisteringly hot days); badged employees – there are hundreds of ’em – who seem to have nothing else to do but congregate courtside and gab with one another or on their walkie-talkies during play; and staff members barking at you for one reason or another. And it’s all become so terribly commercialized.

But…on to the tennis:

Seventeen-year old Félix Auger-Aliassime (above) of Canada prevailed…

…over Japan’s Hiroki Moriya (above). Hiroki’s a good player and he made some nice shots, but he didn’t have the replies for what Félix was sending him from the opposite end of the court.

One court over, a huge throng had gathered to watch another Canadian teenager, Denis Shapovalov, who is building a reputation as a giant-killer. Today he defeated Denis Kudla; I had no energy to fight the crowds to get even a glimpse of the Battle of the Two Denises. Another bright young player on the ascent, Noah Rubin, succumbed to Germany’s Tobias Kamke in two sets; Rubin was treated for a shoulder or neck issue during the match, which undoubtedly affected his chances.

I stopped by to watch part of a match between two gentlemen from Portugal: Gastao Elias (above) and Goncalo Oliveira. Each player took a set, and it seemed to me that Oliveira had gathered steam in the second and might outlast Elias in the third, but instead Goncalo seemed to wilt and Gastao claimed the win. One fun aside: Goncalo Oliveira has a unique service preparation: it’s something you really have to see.

The only match I watched in its entirety today was between…

…Argentina’s Leonard Mayer (above)…

…and the Frenchman Maxime Janvier. Both men are tall, and both are big hitters: the Wilson balls took a real pummeling during their match. Mayer, seeded #1 in the Qualifying draw, made one exquisite drop-shot and had a bit of luck as one of his returns caught the tape and then dropped into Janvier’s end of the court. Despite his height, Mayer is an agile mover and was great fun to watch. It took just one break in each of the two sets for the Argentine to secure the victory.

More images of Leonardo Mayer from today’s match:

The serve…

…on guard…

…liftoff…

…signing autographs…

Leonardo turned pensive as well-wishers surrounded him after his win.

The predicted cloud-cover had dissipated into a haze and the sun was baking the courts. The match I had most wanted to see today, between Japan’s Go Soeda and India’s Yuki Bhambri, was scheduled for Court 10 but when I went to see if they’d started, the match preceding theirs was just getting underway.

I went to watch Japan’s Tatsumo Ito (above) playing against the Frenchman Kenny de Schepper but it was during their first set that I began feeling ‘the burn’. Ito is often a slow starter, and de Schepper took the opening set. When I got home, I checked the website to find that Ito had turned things around and scored a win.

I swung by Court 10 again to see if the Soeda/Bhambri match was anywhere near ready to go but that was not the case. It would have been one of those matches that’s hard for me to watch, as I like both players; in fact, they are my only tennis-playing Facebook Friends. I later found that Go had prevailed in a 3-setter.

On the women’s side, one name piqued my curiosity: Vera Zvonareva. In 2010, Zvonareva was a finalist both at Wimbledon and the US Open and reached a career-high ranking of #2. Injuries, marriage, and motherhood subsequently took her away from tennis. She is now making a comeback. I wish I had seen her play today; I didn’t notice her name in the listings until her match was over. Maybe I’ll catch her on Thursday, when I plan to go back to the Open.

So, In the end, my day turned out very well. The only pain involved was the sunburn I acquired, and that will fade in a day or two.

Leaving the tennis center, I couldn’t resist photographing this poster which reminded me so much of my Brix:

~ Oberon

August 22, 2017
US Open Qualifiers 2016

Above: US Open ball-boys waiting for the first match of the day

Wednesday August 24th, 2016 – Last summer, I only made it out to the US Tennis Center for two days of the 2015 US Open Qualifying Tournament. This year, I was hoping to make it three days, but looking at the schedule for Tuesday it seemed that none of the players I am most interested in seeing were going to play til Wednesday, so I decided to skip the opener (despite perfect weather) and head out to Queens for day 2.

After a sluggish ride on the #7 train, I got to the Center with time to do a walkabout before my first match. Major changes have been made: the new Grandstand is ready for use, walkways have been widened, and the addition of more restrooms and drinking fountains will be a boon when the crowds pour in for the main tournament next week.

I couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable day of tennis than what today offered. Mercifully, there’s been a lull in the recent heatwave, though temperatures will soon start creeping upwards again; hopefully last year’s catastrophic Hell-like conditions at the Open won’t be repeated. Honestly, I don’t know how the players do it: especially on certain courts, the sun is utterly merciless and there is no place to hide from it.

My day started with checking out a new (to me) player: China’s Yan Bai (above). He was facing the American Noah Rubin, who was a huge favorite with the very large crowd that had gathered for this qualifying match. Yan Bai seemed out-of-sorts, and after watching him lose three games in a row, I wandered over to have a look at his compatriot Ying-Ying Duan. I later learned that Yan Bai retired from his match, leaving Rubin to proceed into the second round.

Things were rosier for Ying-Ying Duan (above). After losing a tight first set to the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the Chinese woman’s athleticism and power prevailed: she dominated in the two remaining sets.

I then went out to the far courts to have a look at the new Grandstand; while there, I could hear the sound of some really big hitting coming from court 4, so I went to see who was playing, and found a really exciting match in progress.

The players were João Souza (Brazil), above…

…and Andrew Whittington (Australia), above.

Whittington has a cracking serve which Souza was pretty much able to reply to: they pounded away on point after point. The Aussie’s tendency to over-hit allowed the Brazilian to take the upper hand; if Whittington can develop the accuracy to match his power, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Souza reveled in his return-of-serve ability; his own serve (above) has an almost operatic quality: a slow build-up leading to a walloping bang! The final score of 6-4, 6-4 doesn’t quite reflect the threat Whittington posed, but Souza carried the day. It was a hard-fought match, and the forceful, charismatic Brazilian enjoyed vociferous support from his fans.

Above: João Souza takes a celebratory selfie with fans after the match.

The rest of my day was vastly pleasing, as three of my favorite players notched up straight-set victories over combative opponents.

Japan’s Yuichi Sugita (above) was the #1 seed among the qualifiers this year, and in his spirited match against the Frenchman Alexandre Sidorenko, the handsome Japanese displayed the wonderfully neat and crafty aspects of his game that make him a formidable opponent.

Sugita is a stylish player who likes to maintain cool control over his matches. That he can also dig deep and show a ferocious willpower was displayed in the sixth game of the first set where Sugita came from being 0-40 down on his serve to win the game in a series of impressively-constructed points. I truly enjoyed watching him play.

Above: Steve Darcis

I made it over to Court 17 (“The Oven”) just in time for the start of the Steve Darcis match. Steve is a Belgian player who I have admired since first seeing him play at the 2007 US Open Qualifiers. In the ensuing years, his career has been something of a roller-coaster: once ranked as high as #44 worldwide, he seems to have been hampered by injuries which have kept him from attaining the position in the tennis world one might expect from him, given his skills. When he’s on, he is ON…he plays textbook, winning tennis, and he’s a joy to watch.

And that is exactly what we saw today: Steve Darcis methodically dismantled the game of American Tommy Paul, a bigger and stronger player. Undeterred by the blistering mid-day heat, the Belgian found his rhythm immediately and played some gorgeous points: his shot placement is just so much fun, and he can vary the pace by sumptuously floating the ball over the net, achieving enviable depth and control.

The crowd was very pro-Paul; Steve barely got a hand-clap when his name was announced. A bit later, a group of enthusiastic Darcis supporters arrived at the court, supporting him with shouts of “Allez! Allez, Steve!” Darcis marched to victory as if it was pre-destined. I was able to catch up with him on his walk back to the clubhouse; literally drowning in sweat, he thanked me for my congratulations.

After the exhilaration of the Darcis win, I wanted the best possible finish to my wonderful day of tennis, and it was Japan’s Go Soeda (above) who gave me just what I was looking for. The day had turned sublime: a breeze had kicked up, shadows fell atmospherically across the courts, most of the children had been taken home, and a crowd of serious tennis-lovers ringed Court 6 for Go’s match against the Roumanian Marius Copil.

Go Soeda would probably be considered a veteran player at this point, yet his still-boyish looks, taut physique, and bursts of energetic bravado remain intact; I’ve seen him play so many times, but never better than today. Copil was a strong opponent – and who knew there were so many Roumanian fans in Gotham? – who took Go to a tie-breaker in the first set. The second set was pretty much dominated by the Japanese, and I sat in the high bleachers savoring the beautiful evening and the brilliance of Go’s playing.

Above: Go Soeda

Overall, this was one of my happiest US Open experiences since I started going in 1998. The drawbacks were relatively minor, though annoying: cellphones, babbling bystanders who indulge in lengthy court-side conversations with friends while ignoring the match at hand, and – this year more than ever – huge number of babies being carried about by earnest moms. I wonder if it’s a good idea to bring tiny children out on such torrid days, a-glare with inescapable sunshine.

I also wondered if the linesmen should be required to take an eye exam each year: there were so many bad calls along the way.

My plan to return for the Thursday session was abandoned after I realized how sunburnt I had gotten on Wednesday. Hopefully some of my Wednesday heroes will continue to move onward.

August 24, 2016
US Open Qualifying Tournament 2014 #4

Above: Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka

Friday August 22nd, 2014 – Really nice day at the US Open Qualifying Tournament. Clouds kept the heat index at a comfortable level, and there was a breeze stirring. Around 3:00 PM, a ceiling of dark clouds settled over the Tennis Center, and just as Yoshihito Nishioka finished signing autographs after his win, the rains came down. I had really wanted to see the end of Hiroki Moriya’s match and to see Tatsuma Ito, a player I realy like and whose first two matches I missed this time around. But the rains were heavy enough to send the crowds scurrying, and it was obviously more than just a passing shower. I knew that even if play resumed within an hour, it would take an additional hour or more to dry the courts. So I left, though I didn’t really want to.

I started my day watching Japan’s Taro Daniel (above) in a hard-fought match against the experienced Canadian player Peter Polansky. Polansky took the first set convincingly, and Taro was showing visible frustration and fatigue in the second set when I had to walk away so as not to miss any of Steve Darcis’ match on Court 17. I was a bit surprised to find – after the truncated Darcis match – that Taro was still playing: he had apparently pulled himself together and taken the second set, and he was just a couple of games away from winning the third. He played really well, and the crowd was loving him. After the final point, he sank to his knees in disbelief. He had to sign a ton of autographs.

Above: Taro Daniel after his win

Over at Court 17 (above), I was totally psyched for the Darcis match. I found a nice seat very high up with no one in my immediate vicinity and a breeze to keep me cool. Tennis heaven! Steve played a stupendous first set. His opponent Emilio Gomez of Ecuador simply couldn’t get anything going against the Darcis Machine. Gomez managed to take one game in the first set but otherwise it was all-Darcis, all the time; Steve won the first set in 23 minutes, concluding with a superb passing shot.

Steve won the first game of the second set and then Emilio walked over to the chair umpire and asked for the trainer. After a long wait the trainer showed up, taped Emilio’s ankle, and play resumed. But as soon as Steve finished the second game, Emilio limped off the court and retired. So Steve’s victory, however assured, was a bit bittersweet. Nevertheless, it’s good he’s into the main draw and I hope he has a success.

Above: Steve Darcis of Belgium

After watching the end of the Taro Daniel/Peter Polansky I went over to Courts 4/5/6 where four Japanese players were to be playing their matches in succession. Yuichi Sugita was over-powered by Germany’s Matthias Bachinger today. Yuichi didn’t show the same energy as he had in his previous match. He had the trainer out during the second set for his ankle; though hobbled, he was still able to play out the match. Hiroki Moriya, following his thrilling match on Wednesday, seemed subdued today as he met the powerful Swiss Marco Chiudinelli. Marco thoroughly dominated the first set, but Hiroki came out swinging for the second set and fought hard to take it in a tie-breaker. However, he could not sustain the momentum and in the end Chiudinelli was the winner.

Yoshihito Nishioka (above) held the Japanese banner high with a stunning win over Turkey’s hard-hitting Marsel Ilham. Like Sugita and Moriya, Nishioka is small of stature. But he was able to answer Marsel’s blistering strokes with well-placed, authoritative hitting. Nishioka only had one patch of trouble: a long service game where he kept being stalled at deuce. But once past that it was smooth sailing for the Japanese boy. The lopsided score (6-3, 6-1) does not really reflect the threat posed by Marsel Ilhan. But the crowd was over-joyed to celebrate Nishioka’s win, and he was engulfed by fans at the end.

Above: Yoshihito Nishioka signing autographs after winning his match

The rain prevented me from seeing Tatsuma Ito; I’m following his match now on the website.

August 21, 2014
US Open Qualifying Tournament 2014 #2

Above: Yuichi Sugita of Japan

Wednesday August 20th, 2014 – Today was a really good day at the US Open Qualifying Tournament. What constitutes a “really good day” at a tennis tournament? A day when the players you like…win!

Today started excellently with China’s Di Wu (above) scoring an impressive victory over Gerald Melzer of Austria. Di Wu dominated the match with his steady play, slowly wearing down his opponent. Patience and surety of technique kept the Chinese boy on the path to victory. The 6-2 6-2 score says it all.

Above: Di Wu signing autographs after his match

A new face from Korea, Hyeon Chung (above), convincingly beat Argentina’s Augustin Velotti. Hyeon Chung, rather gangly and loose-limbed – and sporting some funky sunglasses – kept his opponent under control and was enthusiastically supported by a large contingent from New York’s Korean community.

Yuichi Sugita (above) played an exciting match against Germany’s Tim Puetz. Yuichi had opportunities to close out the first set sooner than he did, but his patience paid off. In the second set. Tim Puetz put up a strong battle, with some rowdy vocal support from the German fans, but Yuichi never lost his cool and he prevailed in the end, playing some beautiful tennis along the way. Rather reticent throughout the match, Yuichi let out a celebratory whoop when he scored match point.

Above: Yuichi after the match

Yuki Bhambri (above), the tall player from India, took an early break from the Lithuanian Laurynas Grigelis. But Grigelis broke back and the match progressed with some very exciting rallies and fantastical shots from both players. They seemed well-matched in the first set – it seemed it could go either way – but then Yuki took the edge. He sustained his high level of play throughout the second set, giving Grigelis few chances to make any headway. A strong victory for the Indian.

Above: Yuki Bhambri

I don’t get to watch many women’s matches at the Open; there are so many male players I try to follow, plus – to be honest – women’s tennis at the qualifying level is not always exciting. Today I did watch China’s Qiang Wang (above) fighting hard to sustain a win over Russia’s Evgenia Rodina in a three-set match buoyed by good audience particpation.

I hadn’t been over to the corner courts (4, 5, and 6) on Tuesday and I was surprised today to see the renovations that have taken place since last Summer. The three courts are streamlined, with new scoreboards, seats that don’t over-heat as the sun beats down on them, and added “mezzanine” seating at each end of the court.

One funny thing happened: the girl at the food stand misunderstood me, thinking I wanted a beer. She asked for ID! I said, “I need ID to buy a diet Coke?”

August 20, 2014
US Open Qualifying Tournament 2014 #3

Above: Steve Darcis at the US Open Qualifiying Tournament 2014

Thursday August 21st, 2014 – Another great match from Steve Darcis at the US Open Qualifying Tournament today as the Belgian player eliminated the popular American Michael Russell. Steve showed off his impressive style yet again, hopefully heading to the main draw after tomorrow’s final qualifying round.

Michael Russell broke Steve’s serve early in the match but Steve broke right back. There were some great shots being exchanged, and Steve was coming to the net quite a bit, usually with good results. Despite some fine moments, Michael could not overcome Steve’s aggressive and technically sturdy momentum.

Over on Court 6, Japan’s Hiroki Moriya (above) – who played in the 2012 US Open – bounced back from losing the first set to Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium and played two very strong sets to clinch a place in the qualifying finals. Hiroki pulled off one incredible shot as he and Ruben tangled at the net. An enthusiastic crowd of Japanese fans gave Hiroki vital support throughout the match.

On Wednesday, as my horoscope accurately predicted, I was on an energy high. Today it seemed to have evaporated. The sun was baking the courts and I had a long space of time to wait til my next anticipated match. Between the heat and the crowds, I grew restless, walking from court to court.

I stopped to watch Gastao Elias (above) of Portugal play a set. Eventually the heat got to me and I decided reluctantly to leave. Checking in at the website later in the evening I found I missed several of my heroes chalking up wins: Tatsuma Ito, Di Wu, Yuichi Sugita, and Taro Daniel all advanced, with Rajeev Ram still playing.

I’m planning to go to see the final qualifying matches on Friday, though rain is predicted. It’s a long trek from Inwood to Billie Jean’s place, so we’ll see what the morrow brings.

It’s a bit odd that the heat defeated me today: I have been at the Open on far hotter days in past seasons. As someone who used to savour the heat and who spent many summers sunbathing devotedly, I’ve done a complete volte face since turning 64. Now I love the cold, the ice and the snow. Winter can’t get here fast enough.

August 20, 2014
US Open Qualifying Tournamement 2014 #1

Above: Belgium’s Steve Darcis

Tuesday August 19th, 2014 – Steve Darcis played an immaculate first set at the US Open Qualifying Tournament today. The Belgian is one of my favorite tennis players; I first encountered him in 2007 when he played in the Qualifiers and secured a position in the main draw. He has been ranked as high as #44 (in 2008) but his successes have been counter-balanced by injuries that have kept it from attaining his rightful place in the tennis world. He has everything: serve, return-of-serve (really on today!), depth, variety of shots, great court coverage, and agility at the net.

Throughout the first set today there was virtually nothing Spain’s Inigo Cervantes could do to keep the steam-rolling Darcis at bay. As the second set started, Cervantes seemed newly energized: his powerful serve began to work more impressively and there were some great rallies. And also some vocalism: both players loudly questioned line calls – Steve at one point rushing towards the chair umpire yelling “Jamais! Jamais! Jamais!” – and a bit later Cervantes smashed his racquet to the ground in frustration. Darcis had Cervantes at 5-4 and was serving for the match but he couldn’t close it out. They went on to a tie-breaker where Darcis finally prevailed.

Earlier, Go Soeda – a great favorite of mine and ranked #2 among the qualifiers – played his usual gorgeous game. But Oscar Hernandez’s power and grit were too much for Go to handle. The opposite happened when Ireland’s Louk Sorenson, a powerful and almost brutal player, took the first set from Portugal’s Gastao Elias. Thereafter Elias seized the upper hand, grinding down Sorenson’s stubbornly sturdy game with craftiness and finesse and going on to victory.

Above: Gastao Elias

Sorenson is a player who grunts emphatically every time he hits the ball. God help us if he and Azarenka ever team up for mixed doubles.

Growing weary of the crowds, I decided to head home a bit earlier than I had originally planned.

August 18, 2014