US Open Mixed Doubles Live: Draper/Pegula vs. Alcaraz/Raducanu
- Errani is delighted, saying she loves playing with Vavassori and thinks she did well today.
- I really enjoyed Errani’s celebration there, butting heads with Vavassori; these two aren’t just dubs partners, they’re best mates, and it’s beautiful to watch.
- The doubles team won that easily enough, their cohesion and deftness too much for their powerful but one-dimensional opponents.
Key events
Errani is delighted, saying she loves playing with Vavassori and thinks she did well today. Vavassori notes that though their opponents are great, he and his partner know how to play together and they’re doing it for all the doubles players who aren’t competing. Biggup.
I really enjoyed Errani’s celebration there, butting heads with Vavassori; these two aren’t just dubs partners, they’re best mates, and it’s beautiful to watch.
The doubles team won that easily enough, their cohesion and deftness too much for their powerful but one-dimensional opponents. On Ashe, McNally/Musetti eventually serve out and lead Osaka/Monfils by one set to love.
Errani/Vavassori beat Rybakina/Fritz (2) 4-2 4-2
Table of Contents
Frankly: good
Of the four out on Ashe, McNally, the least famous, is also the best doubles player. And it’s showing, Musetti pointing at her after good work allows them to make 30-15; meanwhile, Errani/Vavassori are up 30-0, two points away from victory.
And this time, Musetti nails his forehand winner soat 4-3, McNally now serve for the set while, on Ashe, Errani/Vavassori have just botched two break points at 4-2 2-2, but at deuce have a third coming up … which they take. At 4-2 3-2, they’ll now serve for the match.
…then a third, so we’ll now have a deciding point, Osaka serving.
…and two are saved…
A Musetti forehand winner down the line catches Monfils in no-man’s land; it’s almost like he’s not a doubles specialist. So at 0-40, McNally/Musetti have three break points…
…and Musetti double faults! Two set-points burned, and it’s 3-3 in the first; if we get to 4-4 we’ll have a breaker. On Armstrong, it’s 2-1 Rybakina/Fritz in set two, the first taken by Errani/Vavassori.
Excellent net-play from McNally earns 30-15, but though Musetti seems to have secured set-point with a terrific backhand, Osaka/Monfils stick in the rally and eventually the Italian loses an overhead in the sun and nets. They do then make set point, but this time McNall nets a volley, so here comes the one-point settler…
McNally/Musetti break Osaka/Monfils – a wild forehand from Osaka raises hands over the opportunity – so at 3-2, Musetti will now serve for the set.
Vavassori serves out easily enough, so he and Errani lead Fritz/Rybakina by a set to love. On Ashe, meantime, Musetti has just put away an overhead at the net to save break point. He and McNally are level with Osaka/Monfils at 2-2 in the first.
Fritz holds, forcing Vavassori to serve for the first set. Thinking more about all this, I’m also missing the prospect of an epic – in this format, they’re simply impossible. And, if you’re wondering if that’s even possible in dubs, check out – for example – the Wimbledon and Aussie Open finals won my Patten/Heliovaara. It just doesn’t get better than that.
I should say, I’m not opposed to tweaking doubles to entice crowds in. I’m just opposed to lozzing doubles teams while confiscating some of their income.
The crowds, by the way, are OK but nothing especially exciting. And, as I type, Fritz plays the kind of backhand down the line that might work well in singles. But Vavassori is there to cut it off with a volley, the hold follows, and the champs are a game away from set one while, on Ashe, Osaka holds to give her and Monfils a 2-1 lead over McNally/Musetti.
Quicksmart, Errani/Vavassori Hold for 1-1 and will now look to put pressure on Rybakina, excellence from Errani force another break point … which this time they take. They lead 2-1 in a race to four; on Ashe, it’s 1-1.
First up, Fritz/Rybakina are down 30-40, the former serving. But Vavassori nets with plenty of court at which to aim, meaning a deciding point … settled by a booming Fritz forehand. I do not think this’ll be the last time I type those words or variations of them over the next fortnight. Meantime on Ashe, Monfils holds, so he and Osaka lead McNally/Musetti 1-0.
Righto, I’ve Found Errani/Vavassori v Rybakina/Fritz. Obviously I’m impartial, but come on the champs.
Our first two pairs are out on Ashe; I’m not yet certain if we can watch Armstrong too.
The rules
The last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be best of three sets, but first to four games not six. If a game goes to deuce, the winners of the next point take it – there’s no advantage. If a match is level at a set apiece, a 10-point match tiebreak will settle it.
Breaking: Danielle Collins and Christian Harris replace Sinner/Siniakova.
On which point, the reason for the TBD below is that Jannik Sinner, who retired ill when 5-0 down to Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final, has pulled out.
I can’t lie, I’m buzzing that we’ve got two extra days of banging tennis. This competition should just feature the best mixed doubles pairings, not the best singles players who can be arsed.
Email! “I agree, its money-fuelled tokenism and could cause the end of doubles as we know it at the major tournaments, says Andrew Benton. “Or, it might be the start of a doubles revival, from which the specialists will benefit particularly – at least people will be watching these matches as they feature the rich and famous, and who knows where that extra interest and investment could lead. Well, probably nowhere. But it’s a bit like the Hundred.”
I disagree it’s like the Hundred as that isn’t taking a major tournament away from those who play the event best. I also don’t believe doubles needs gimmicks – it just needs to be marketed and respected properly. Henry Patten was really good on this when I interviewed him in May.
The winners – we’ll know who they are tomorrow – will earn $1m, fives times more than went to last year’s champions. According to BBC, appearance fees are north of $50,000, or in other words, the players involved are competing to get paid and to prepare for their singles campaigns, not because they’re motivated to win a grand slam.
I’ve not the slightest clue how the seeding worksbut it’s worth noting that Errani/Vavassori, included as a sop to sporting merit – they’re the defending champions – have not been so honoured.
Order of play
Ashe
Naomi Osaka/gaël myfils v Caty Mcnally/Lorenzo Musetti (4pm bst)
Iga Sweaker/Casper Roud (3) v Madison Keys/Francis Tiafoe (not before 5pm BST)
Winners meet in quarter-final
Jessica Pegula/Jack Draper (1) v Emma Raducanu/Carlos Alcaraz (not before 7pm BST)
Olga Danilovic/Novak Djokovic in Mirra Andreeva/Daniil Medvedev
Winners meet in quarter-final
**
Armstrong
Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori v Elena Rybakina/Taylor Fritz (2)
Venus Williams/Reilly Opelka in Karolina Muchová in Andrey Rublev
Winners meet in quarter-final
Taylor Townsend/Ben Shelton v Amanda Anisimova/Holger Rune (not before 5.30pm BST)
TBD v Belinda Bencic/Alexander Zverev
Winners meet in quarter-final
Preamble
We’re all friends here so we can be honest with each other: I’m not exactly at one with what we’re about to enjoy.
Why? Because doubles tennis is a specific skill, nurtured and developed by players relying on it – and a system that’s operated for decades – to make a living. So confiscating a huge competition from them, to hand money to suits and superstars – who do not need it and are, individually and as pairs, less good at the actual sport – doesn’t sit right with me.
On the other hand and just as they want us to say, take a look at that lineup! Such is sport, such is the world, such is life; let’s make the best of it, I guess.