US Open Day 1 Takeaways: Rune’s tantrum, Gauff’s comeback, Djokovic reclaims throne
By Marvin Azrak
Casper Ruud holds on at the US Open
Last year’s US Open runner-up Casper Ruud defeated Emilio Nava, the hard-hitting American, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) ride, snatching his tenth U.S. Open victory and his seventh win out of the last eight matches in Queens. We’re talking about a guy who’s reached that golden 200th career win milestone and earned it the hard way – three hours and 17 minutes of sweat and drama.
Ruud had to deal with Nava’s big forehands, making things way more exciting than expected. Nava, a qualifier ranked 154th, was on fire, clocking 72 winners, while Ruud hit 27.
However, Ruud took the reins when it counted, breaking Nava to take a 2-1 lead and sealing the deal with an epic lob winner that soared over Nava’s head like a shooting star. Two match points later, the party was over for a potential upset.
Ruud’s got a quarter of the draw all to himself after the No.4-seeded Holger Rune made a swift exit on Day 1. He’s like the castle king, facing China’s Zhang Zhizhen in the next round. Nava, on the other hand, might’ve lost this round, but he’s got firepower that’s just warming up. Add a pinch of seasoning, and he’ll be cooking up trouble for the big names.