US Open: Novak overcomes a slow start, Pliskova eliminated
France’s Kristina Mladenovic complained of living a “nightmare” due to the Covid-19 health protocols at the US Open after suffering a spectacular meltdown to lose to Russian Varvara Gracheva in her secondround match on Wednesday. Against an opponent ranked outside the top 100 and playing only her first Grand Slam, Mladenovic looked set for a breezy win serving at 6-1, 5-1 but things went downhill for her and she ended up losing 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-0.
Mladenovic was one of several players placed under an “enhanced protocol plan” for being in contact with compatriot Benoit Paire, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was withdrawn just a day before the start of the Grand Slam.
“We’re living a nightmare here. I have only one desire and that is to regain my freedom,” the 44th-ranked Mladenovic told reporters in French. “We have to fight to have our freedom and even that we don’t have yet.”
The United States Tennis Association’s protocols have meant that players in contact with Paire are being tested for Covid-19 every day rather than once in four days and are confined to hotel rooms. Mladenovic, who along with partner Timea Babos are the top seeds for women’s doubles, earlier said she felt like being stuck inside a “bubble within a bubble”. Mladenovic said despite “thirty negative tests” she was still treated like a prisoner and a criminal.
“The conditions are atrocious and if I had known that playing cards for 40 minutes with a player who tested positive, but ultimately negative, would have resulted in these consequences, I would never have set foot in this tournament,” she said.
She was lost for words to explain her loss after having four match points on Gracheva’s serve at 5-2 in the second set. “At 5-2, I just collapsed. I’m completely devastated,” she said. “It’s abominable how they are treating us, but I don’t want that to be an excuse for my defeat.”
Djokovic makes it 25-0
The men’s draw, however, had no such upsets. World No 1 Novak Djokovic did have an early scare but moved into the third round to extend an undefeated run in 2020 to 25 matches.
Djokovic dropped the first against Britain’s Kyle Edmund but rallied to progress 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. “I’m glad having an early kind of tough match because it kind of serves me better I think for the rest of the tournament,” said Djokovic.
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece beat American Maxime Cressy 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 in his first runout at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Fifth seed Alexander Zverev defeated American wildcard Brandon Nakashima in a far from smooth 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-1 victory. Belgian seventh seed David Goffin also progressed.
Top seed Pliskova out
Top seed Karolina Pliskova was dumped out of the second round in straight sets and said she was already gearing up for redemption on the clay of Roland Garros. An out-of-sorts Pliskova was blitzed 6-1, 7-6(2) by unseeded Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in a match that marked the earliest exit by a top seed at Flushing Meadows since Simona Halep’s opening round loss in 2018. Pliskova, who finished runner-up in New York four years ago, denied that she had crumbled under the weight of expectation, pointing instead to her opponent’s stellar performance.
“This (seeding) has nothing to do with my loss today,” Pliskova told reporters.
Sharan-Cacic pair loses
Divij Sharan—who made the cut for the halved doubles draw of this US Open along with fellow Indian Rohan Bopanna—lost his opening-round match with Serbian partner Nikola Cacic. The two went down to Nikola Mektic and Wesley Koolhof. Sharan and Cacic came back after losing the first set but it wasn’t enough as they lost 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 to Croatia’s Mektic and Dutch Koolhof in a contest that lasted one hour and 46 minutes.