Kerber hits ground running, Gasquet out
Australian Open champion eases into second round; Frenchman shocked by unseeded Briton
The US Open got underway on Monday under sunny skies with no rain forecast for days, which could delay the first official use of the new retractable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The $150 million (`1007cr) roof, which can close in about seven minutes, is to be used, according to tournament officials, only “in the event of inclement weather or the strong possibility of inclement weather.” Neither is expected in the next few days, with forecasts calling for clear skies and highs in the 80s. The roof is still set to make its debut, of sorts, at Monday night’s opening ceremony. The US Tennis Association plans to shut the roof after the day session and open it for effect while Phil Collins performs “In the Air Tonight.”
MIXED LUCK
On the court though, things weren’t as straightforward.
The tournament had only just begun, when two seeded players lost. Carina Witthoeft of Germany beat No 30 Misaki Doi of Japan, 6-4, 6-1 in women’s singles, while No 13 Richard Gasquet of France lost to Kyle Edmund of Britain, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the men’s. Edmund, a 21-yearold ranked 84th, was playing his first main-draw match at the US Open. The Briton bullied Gasquet, a semifinalist in 2013, with his hard-hitting forehand on his way to a two-set lead, as the Frenchman struggled in the heat on court five. without winning a game. Kerber, who toppled Serena Williams to lift the Australian Open crown in January and fell to the American in the Wimbledon final, was leading 6-0, 1-0 when 120th-ranked Hercog of Slovenia called it quits in the sultry heat of the Arthur Ashe stadium court.
Kerber, who could topple Williams from atop the world rankings in the final Slam, next faces either France’s Alize Cornet or Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
The wins for Witthoeft and Edmund followed that of Roberta Vinci. A finalist last year, the 33-year-old Italian beat Germany’s AnnaLena Friedsam 6-2, 6-4. Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova eased into the second round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko.