This year’s US Open first-round shocks have lacked the all-round pandemonium of the year’s earlier slams. With some matches yet to be completed due to rain delays, only four men’s seeds- and four women’s seeds- have been toppled thus far.
But what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality (at least on the men’s side). Both top ten casualties have come from the men’s draw (which already felt tumultuous following Sinner’s withdrawal). Without further ado, here are my picks for the four biggest first-round shocks in the men’s draw.
4. Luca van Assche bt Cameron Norrie (29) (6-7, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3)
Given Norrie’s disastrous recent form, I debated even putting this in the surprise category. But my options were quite thin in the end. The 29th seeded Brit has had a summer to forget, losing in the 1st round in each of his last three slams. He apparently won a padel tournament on his stag-do in Ibiza last month. Unfortunately, that may be the closest he gets to ever rediscovering his best from. The 31-year-old looks worn down, a victim of his own plucky, physically demanding playing style. Norrie pinched a barely deserved first set before the Frenchman’s superior physicality saw him romp to a comfortable win. On top of all of this, Norrie has just been displaced as British No.1 by Winston-Salem finalist Arthur Ferry.
3. Toby Samuel bt Tomas Machac (6-2, 6-3, 6-2)
Not all upsets are based on sees. Former Top 20 player Tomas Machac has endured an injury-plagued campaign, dropping well outside the seedings in the process. But I fully expected him to ease past UK prospect Toby Samuel. Machac has played the best Grand Slam tennis of his career in New York, reaching the 4th round in each of the last two seasons. But the big-serving Brit had other ideas, blowing the Czech away in 90 mins to record a maiden Grand Slam victory. I thought that Machac would his court-craft to slowly dismantle the Brit. But the Winchester native defied all expectations, setting up a fascinating 2nd round clash with Czech Jiri Lehecka. Can Lehecka exact some revenge for a fallen comrade? Or will Samuel make it 2-0 against the Czech Republic?
2. Stefanos Tsitsipas bt Arthur Fils (10) (4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-4)
Wow. I thought that a deep New York run would be a step too far for reigning Cincinnati champ Arthus Fils. But I don’t think many people envisaged Tsitsipas as the man to end his six-match winning streak. The Greek has struggled with injures and poor form for some time, entering this year’s US Open as an unseeded player for the first time in his career. But he has made some incremental improvements this season, ending a 16-month trophy drought in Gstaad last month. I thought Fils would use his powerhouse forehand to pummel Tsitsipas’ backhand wing. But Tsitsipas brought his Grand Slam pedigree to the fore, firing an incredible 50 winners to end the Frenchman’s bid in spectacular fashion.
1. Martin Navone bt Novak Djokovic (4) (7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1)
There was only ever going to be one match at the top of this list. Argentinian tennis has left Djokovic in a bit of Messi these past few weeks (see what I did there). Tirante came from a set down to humble the Serb in Cincinnati, exposing Djokovic’s physical limitations in humid conditions. Martin Navone picked up where his compatriot left off in this first-round US Open clash, coming back from two-sets-to-one down to hand Djokovic one of the most embarrassing defeats in his illustrious Grand Slam, career. Djokovic struggled with the humidity in the closing stages, vomiting on several occasions. I knew that Djokovic was going to struggle to make an impact in New York- I didn’t anticipate this. To put it into context: Djokovic has won more Grand Slam titles than Navone has played Grand Slam matches. The match had a sense of finality to it, potentially signalling the end of the Serb’s New York adventures (I bet he retires at Wimbledon next year).
