Array
Now that Serena Williams’ farewell tour has ended at the U.S. Open — singles and doubles — is there anything left to stir the tennis imagination the rest of the fortnight?
After all, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer aren’t here and the women’s field has become so parity-ridden, any of 30 players could win it. Maybe it’s not appointment viewing, but here are five reasons to pay attention to Flushing Meadows.
The first major men’s glamour match will take place Sunday night, when No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev and 23rd seed Nick Kyrgios take center stage in a fourth-round doozy.
Medvedev has been a sideshow, twice being put on as the second night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium after Williams. The crowds, by then, had emptied into small, quiet throngs.
Sunday, though, will be the spotlight superheavyweight bout against Kyrgios, the bad boy of tennis who also has quietly moved on to his best U.S. Open showing.
Kyrgios made his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, but it was fluky, with Rafael Nadal forfeiting his semifinals match.
“As an athlete, you want to be in those moments,’’ Kyrgios said. “I don’t want to be playing futures or challengers on backcourts with no crowd. That’s not why I play this sport. That’s not why I pick up a racquet.”
Ajla Tomljanovic didn’t have any fans Friday night at Ashe Stadium, but expect her to gain support Sunday when she plays her fourth-round match against Liudmila Samsonova at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
