👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.
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Let’s tennis!
Four Points
🎾 Coco’s marathon: After three hours of play on Tuesday night, Coco Gauff managed to survive her first-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic, winning 6-4, 6-7, 7-5. Gauff tallied 10 double faults and 59 unforced errors, but also faced an opponent who was punching well above her ranking of 79 in the world. Still, Gauff squandered her opportunities while up a break in the second set once again while serving for the match at 5-4 in the third. Eventually, her super competitor spirit and supreme athleticism took over for the win.
- What she said: “This is the match that I needed,” Gauff said in her post-match news conference. “I don’t think it can get any more stressful than this.”
- On her serve: “I was spending a lot of time on court literally serving until my shoulder was hurting,” she said. “It’s like learning a new language … I know this is the part of my game that needs to improve if I want to get the results I want.”
- Next: Gauff faces Donna Vekic in the second round. Their head-to-head record is 1-1.
🎾 Again, the schedule: It’s certainly not the fault of U.S. Open organizers that the two matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the day session were so dominantly won that, combined, they lasted just two-and-a-half hours. The problem? The flood of people who left Ashe once again congested the outside courts. The problem, problem? Because the U.S. Open started a day earlier, there were even fewer courts to accommodate that influx of people. Sure, they scrambled to put another match on Ashe. But Linda Noskova vs. Dalma Galfi will only keep so many people who bought Ashe tickets occupied. Today, with eight fewer matches, the situation could be much worse.
🎾 Catch-up time: Are you just getting started with this year’s U.S. Open? We’ve got you covered! Check out the Court Theory guide to the U.S. Open, filled with all the big questions and fine details you need to enjoy this year’s tournament.
🎾 Your attention, please: Just a few notes while you’re catching today’s action...
- Curious match of the day: Iva Jovic, the 17-year-old American who is currently ranked 73 in the world, goes up against Jasmine Paolini today. A long shot? Not if the last time they played is any sign. Paolini needed three competitive sets to take down the American teen at Indian Wells this year.
- The match we’re not missing: Arthur Rinderknech vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Two all-courters facing each other in a best-of-five scenario? Yes, please.
- Potential upset alert: Caty McNally vs. Emma Navarro. Yes, Navarro is ranked nearly 80 spots below Navarro. But McNally is playing with confidence, and Navarro is not. That’s because the world number 11 has only gotten beyond a single match win in five of her tournaments this year, which includes back-to-back first-match exits coming into the U.S. Open. Add to that the pressure McNally will put on her with her style of play and the pressure of having to defend last year’s semifinal points.
- Zach Svajda deserves your attention as he goes up against Novak Djokovic today after a rough year and some for his family.
And, that’s game.
On The Radar
Matches we’re monitoring today:
New York - Women (Hard)
- Jessica Pegula vs. Anna Blinkova (2nd round)
- Emma Raducanu vs. Janice Tjen (2nd round)
- Iva Jovic vs. Jasmine Paolini (2nd round)
- Emma Navarro vs. Caty McNally (2nd round)
- Vika Azarenka vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2nd round)
- Elise Mertens vs. Lulu Sun (2nd round)
- Cristina Bucsa vs. Alexandra Eala (2nd round)
- Jelena Ostapenko vs. Taylor Townsend (2nd round)
- Ann Li vs. Belinda Bencic (2nd round)
New York - Men (Hard)
- Novak Djokovic vs. Zach Svajda (2nd round)
- Mattia Bellucci vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2nd round)
- Lloyd Harris vs. Taylor Fritz (2nd round)
- Ben Shelton vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (2nd round)
- Joao Fonseca vs. Tomas Machac (2nd round)
- Frances Tiafoe vs. Martin Damm (2nd round)
- Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Holger Rune (2nd round)
- Arthur Rinderknech vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (2nd round)
- Benjamin Bonzi vs. Marcos Giron (2nd round)
- Jordan Thompson vs. Adrian Mannarino (2nd round)
- Luciano Darderi vs. Eliot Spizzirri (2nd round)
📺 Learn how to watch today’s action over at Tennis Watchers.
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Read, Watch, Listen
- Court Theory friend Caira Conner serves up a beautiful feature on Amanda Anisimova and her difficult journey that has led to triumph.
- Venus Williams isn’t done yet. She and Leylah Fernandez have been awarded a wild card into the women’s doubles draw.
- Janice Tjen, who faces Emma Raducanu today, has a different kind of Cinderella story.
- Naomi Osaka put together quite the fit for this year’s U.S. Open.
- Jannik Sinner says he is healthy and happy to have kicked off the U.S. Open the way he has.
- Aryna Sabalenka said she would help Wilson create a limited edition Blade, but “it must have fire.”
- Eliot Spizzirri talks about the parallel journey his twin brother Nick is taking in squash.
- It was a rough day at the office for British women.
- How the WTA’s Come Play program continues to make a difference.
- The ATP has a coach spotlight on Bryan Shelton.
