Fans on outer courts help fire up Cressy
NEW YORK — Maxime Cressy had heard people chanting his name in college, when he twice clinched big wins against his rival school.
Hearing that sweet sound of “Cressy! Cressy!” at the U.S. Open was a whole new experience.
Cressy rallied for a stunning victory Tuesday, coming from two sets down and saving four match points to beat No. 9 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Cressy, an American who was born in France and played at UCLA, came on tour last year when there were no fans. So the outer courts that swelled throughout his match against the two-time U.S. Open semifinalist was completely unfamiliar.
“I don’t have much experience with crowds. My debut on the tour was during the COVID,” Cressy said. “It’s definitely a new experience, a really exciting one. I love playing with the crowd.”
And the crowds loved watching his serve-andvolley style, a rarity on tour these days. His aggressive ways twice clinched UCLA victories over USC, which led to the past chants of his name.
It’s been a good start so far for the Bruins, with three men reaching the second round. Marcos Giron won Monday and Mackenzie McDonald — a one-time roommate — upset No. 27 David Goffin on Tuesday.
“I’ve had some unbelievable years at UCLA that I’ll keep in my heart,” Cressy said. “It’s been incredible seeing all the Bruins doing very well.”
Slam stopper?
Alexander Zverev stopped Novak Djokovic’s quest for a Golden Slam. He knows it will take an even bigger effort to stop Djokovic from winning the Grand Slam.
But the No. 4 seed from Germany looks up to the task after beating Sam Querrey, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, Tuesday in the first round. The Olympic gold medalist followed up his victory in Tokyo by winning the hardcourt title at Cincinnati.
“I’ve won two tournaments, I’m on a 12-match winning streak,” Zverev said. “I hope I can keep the level up and maybe even play better, because to beat Novak here is going to be an extremely difficult task.”
He did it in Tokyo, storming back to win the second and third sets of their semifinal. But the runner-up here last year knows Djokovic has earned the right to be the best bet in New York.
“If a guy wins three majors in the same year and then is at the U.S. Open, you have to give him the favorite card,” Zverev said.
Riske falls
Peters Township native Alison Riske was knocked out in straight sets in the first round Tuesday by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
Riske broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve to tied the first set, 4-4, but the Russian broke right back and then held serve to win the set, 6-4. Riske then dropped the first two games of the second set and could not claw back.