Top-seeded Halep stunned in first round
Kanepi sizzles in NY heat with straight-set conquest of women’s No. 1 • American men battle to end drought
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The US Open started with a bang as world No. 1 Simona Halep christened the newly renovated Louis Armstrong Stadium with a shock 6-2, 6-4 loss to unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi on Monday, becoming the first top seed to lose an opening match at Flushing Meadows.
It was the second consecutive year the Romanian French Open champion exited in the US Open first round.
On a hot and humid day, Halep failed to sustain any kind of service rhythm and her usually stout defense proved no match for the powerful Kanepi’s bruising groundstrokes and deft drop shots.
“I have always loved being in New York,” said the 33-year-old Kanepi, twice a quarterfinalist at the tournament who has been ranked as high as world No. 15.
“I like the atmosphere. I like being here. I love the courts and the climate, and I think that the courts suit my game really well.”
Kanepi, world No. 44, earned the first break when she launched a backhand lob over Halep’s head to jump out to a 2-1 lead.
Kanepi broke again in the fifth game and never looked back as Halep won just 59 percent of her first-serve points compared to 80 percent for Kanepi in the set.
Frustration for Halep boiled over in the second game of the second set when she smashed her racket on the court, earning a racket abuse warning from the chair umpire.
Halep recovered and it appeared a comeback was on when she broke Kanepi to love to level the second set at 4-4.
But Kanepi completed the upset when Halep sent a service return long on match point.
It was the sixth time in the Open era that the No. 1 seed has lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament and the first at the US Open.
Halep had looked ready for a long run in New York after she won the Rogers Cup this month and narrowly missed out on back-to-back titles after losing to Kiki Bertens in the Cincinnati final. She pulled out of last week’s Connecticut Open with an Achilles injury.
The Romanian can take small consolation from the fact she has amassed enough ranking points to remain world No. 1 after the two-week tournament ends.
Meanwhile, American men have failed to emulate the glory of their female compatriots at the US Open in recent years and appear to have little hope of ending a 15-year drought at Flushing Meadows since Andy Roddick’s 2003 win.
With six titles, Serena Williams has dominated the final Grand Slam of the season but will have strong home rivals in the draw this week, including defending champion Sloane Stephens.
Stephens faced Madison Keys in last year’s final, an all-American showdown not seen in the men’s tournament since Pete Sampras defeated Andre Agassi for the 2002 crown.
Roddick’s runner-up finish in 2006 was the last run to the final by an American man, and there have been few highlights since in an era so thoroughly dominated by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
At 33, John Isner and his huge serve will carry the brunt of local hopes in the men’s draw following his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon.
Beyond Isner, there is little cause for optimism.
Steve Johnson has achieved a pair of low-profile wins this season and reached the final of the Winston-Salem Open on Sunday when he lost to Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4.
Johnson was vying to become the first player in 2018 to win a title on three different surfaces.
“I really was hoping to be last man standing today but it wasn’t the deal,” Johnson told reporters following his final loss in Winston Salem.
“Hopefully we’ll get up to New York and have a great couple of weeks. Maybe I’ll finish that trifecta up in New York.”
Much was expected of Jack Sock after he broke into the top 10 during a strong 2017, but he has battled ankle problems and heads to Flushing Meadows without a win since May.
Sam Querrey, a quarterfinalist last year, has also been well off peak form through the early hardcourt season.
Frances Tiafoe, at 20, may be at long odds to end a generation of futility for US men.
The youngster has been a player on the rise and last year enjoyed a banner triumph against world No. 4 Alexander Zverev, while pushing Federer to five sets in the opening round of the US Open.
“I always dreamed of being on center court, playing the best in the world,” said Tiafoe. “It finally happened so I was ready for it.”
US Open first-round coverage (live on Eurosport2 from 6 p.m.)