Bounced out
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the No. 4 seed and defending runner-up at the U.S. Open, loses in the first round to 41st-ranked Benoit Paire of France.
NEW YORK — A year after his run all the way to his first Grand Slam final, Kei Nishikori’s stay at the U.S. Open lasted only a few hours.
The fourth-seeded Nishikori had two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker against 41stranked Benoit Paire, but the Frenchman saved both of them, then took control in the fifth for a 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory Monday.
It was the first win of his career against an opponent ranked in the top five.
“When I saw the draw against Kei, I said, ‘Bad luck,’ ” Paire recalled.
But then he reminded himself he had been competitive in two previous losses to the Japanese star.
“It’s not like if I play against Roger Federer,” Paire said, explaining he knew he could get something going against Nishikori’s serve. “Against Kei, I know I can play.”
Nishikori, the threetime defending champion of the Memphis Open, had withdrawn from the hardcourt warm-up at Cincinnati, citing a hip injury, but he said Monday he was fine physically. Still, he looked sluggish late in the match, which lasted 3 hours, 14 minutes on a steamy day.
“He was very aggressive, so there was many rallies and it was tough to get rhythm,” Nishikori said. “He hits a lot of drop shots and good serves.”
Last year at Flushing Meadows, Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a major final, where he lost to Marin Cilic.
The 25-year-old followed that up with more success in 2015 and came into the U.S. Open with his first top-four seed at a Grand Slam
The 26-year-old Paire has never been past the third round at a major tournament. He had 21 aces Monday, the last to close out the match.
SERENA CRUISES
Even before Serena Williams set foot in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, her path became a lot easier thanks to losses by other top women.
And when it was the No. 1-seeded American’s turn to play her first-round match, Williams moved a step closer to tennis’ first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 without much of a workout. She reached the second round when 86thranked Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia stopped playing while behind 6-0, 2-0. The match lasted 27 minutes and Williams took 32 of the 37 points that were played.
“I told her I was proud of her for even coming out and making this effort when she was injured,” Williams said.
Next up for her is Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, who is ranked 110th and earned just the second U.S. Open match victory of her career by eliminating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Monday.
Four of the top 10 women’s players are already out, with seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic, eighthseeded Karolina Pliskova and 10th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro losing Monday, a day after thirdseeded Maria Sharapova withdrew. All were slated for Williams’ half of the draw.