MUM’S THE WORD NAGAL LOSES TO BIRTHDAY BOY THIEM
Serena among three mothers in US Open third round
New York, Sept. 4: Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Tsvetana Pironkova made up a ‘ Band of Mothers’ who marched into the third round of the US Open on Thursday.
Williams, Azarenka and Pironkova were part of a cluster of nine mums who started this week’s women’s singles tournament here.
Six of the nine — Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Tatjana Maria, Kateryna Bondarenko, Patricia Maria Tig and Olga Govortsova — have been eliminated.
But unranked Bulgarian Pironkova — playing her first tournament in three years after a break to have her first child — prolonged her participation with a 7- 5, 6- 3 upset of Spanish 10th Garbine Muguruza.
Former world No. 1 Williams also advanced later Thursday with a 6- 2, 64 win over Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan.
Williams and Pironkova were later joined by Azarenka, another former world number one who beat Belarussian compatriot and fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka 6- 1, 6- 3. Pironkova, who gave birth to her son Alexander in April 2018, says motherhood has given her a new perspective on her tennis career.
Only three women — Belgium’s Clijsters and Australians Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court — have won Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era after having children.
New York, Sept. 4: Sumit Nagal’s trademark fighting spirit was on display throughout but it was not enough to get past world number three Dominic Thiem, who notched up a straight- set victory over the Indian in the US Open men’s singles second round here.
Nagal lost 3- 6, 3- 6, 2- 6 to the second- seeded Austrian, who celebrated his 27th birthday with a commanding performance at the Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Thursday.
Thiem, this year’s Australian Open finalist, had said that he has seen videos of Nagal’s game and knew that he has a ripping forehand. Well prepared, he came out with a clear strategy of not giving many balls on the forehand side of the Indian.
“Thank you 2020 US Open. Lots to learn. Going to keep working hard! Thanks for all the support everyone,” Nagal later tweeted.
Nagal came into the contest after giving India a rare singles main draw match win at a Grand Slam but it was always going to be a daunting task for him to challenge someone who has made two French Open finals.
Slow off the blocks, Nagal was broken early but the slogger that he is, he kept Thiem under pressure, creating as many as five chances to break back in the fifth game that lasted 10 minutes.