Frances Tiafoe reveals mum's influence, Jessica Pegula sips beer, Juan Martin del Potro turns up - US Open diary
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Updated 08/09/2022 at 08:35 GMT
With a new US Open men's champion set to be crowned this year, many will think back to 2009 when Juan Martin del Potro upset the established order to take the crown. The popular Argentine was back in Flushing Meadows for media commitments - much to the delight of fans and players alike. Elsewhere, Frances Tiafoe discusses the advice he recieved from his mum to beat Rafael Nadal.
Highlights: Khachanov defeats Kyrgios, Garcia battles past Gauff into semi-finals
The DelPo has landed
We can’t see him blasting forehands on court anymore but Juan Martin del Potro’s presence at a tournament still creates the same amount of buzz as his thunderous shots did during his playing days.
On Wednesday, a very dapper Del Potro arrived at the US Open, where he will be doing commentary on ESPN until the end of the tournament.
Back to the site of his greatest triumph, the now-retired 2009 champion was the star attraction on Day 10, as scores of people went to greet arguably the best hugger in tennis history.
Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick shared a warm embrace with the big man from Argentina, who was keen to find Frances Tiafoe to congratulate him on making it to the final four in New York.
Tiafoe idolised Del Potro growing up and was also looking for him after his win.
“My friend Jordi saw him and I’ve been trying to find him. I just love him,” Tiafoe said on the ESPN set.
“He was the first kind of guy to win a Slam outside of the big guys here in ’09 and my coach was talking about him when he won the Citi Open back in the day in ’08. I’ve been a huge fan of his, when he played his last match, when he retired, that was tough for me.”
Colombian wheelchair player Angelica Bernal approached Del Potro in the players’ lounge and got to take a photo with him.
“I saw Juan Martin last year but I was too ashamed to ask for a picture. But this year I finally got the courage to ask for one,” Bernal told Eurosport.
“It’s difficult to have an important player in Latin America for wheelchair or regular tennis, so it’s important for us to have an idol like Juan Martin or Gustavo Fernandez; that’s great for us.”
Jabeur finally meets Roddick
It’s been a long time coming but Ons Jabeur finally got her wish and came face to face with her idol Roddick.
A day after complaining that she missed out on a chance to meet him, the Tunisian world No. 5 had a quick chat with Roddick before her practice and joked that she will have to go all the way and clinch the title when he told her he was going to be at the tournament until the very end.
Expanded wheelies draw
This year, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to expand its men’s and women’s wheelchair draws to 16 players in singles and eight teams in doubles.
A junior wheelchair event was also added to the schedule, featuring eight boys and eight girls.
“I had the opportunity to play all four Grand Slams last year and it was really difficult to start with the quarter-finals, it makes every match really, really hard,” explained the 27-year-old Bernal.
“It’s much better when you can play a match where you can beat your opponent before going into the quarters.
“This year having 16 players is really good, because it creates an opportunity for more players to play at the Grand Slams and also for the public to see that wheelchair is professional.”
Shingo on target
He’s a 50-time champion at the majors and is the first men’s wheelchair player to have completed a career Grand Slam, but Shingo Kunieda can create even more history in New York this week as he bids to become the first men’s wheelchair player to win the calendar-year Grand Slam.
The 38-year-old Japanese began his US Open campaign on Wednesday with a straight-sets victory over Belgium’s Joachim Gerard and next takes on Spain’s Martin de la Puente in the quarter-finals.
Press room moments
Following her straight-sets defeat to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, a visibly dejected Jessica Pegula gave a long and thoughtful press conference that included one comedic moment.
As Pegula took a sip from a beer can between questions, a reporter told her, “I like the Heineken”, to which the American responded: “Thanks, I'm trying to pee for doping, so… Although it does help ease the loss.”
Meanwhile in his chat with the media, Tiafoe was asked about the advice his mother Alphina gave him ahead of his fourth round against Rafael Nadal. His mum had told the reporter that she urged her son to “not play the name, just play the ball”.
Tiafoe immediately interrupted to say: “She says that before every match,” sending the entire room into laughter.
He then added: “She's my No. 1 fan. My mom doesn't really know much about tennis. But she is just like, ‘You win? Yes. You lose? It's okay, the next one’.”
Mums are just great!
Point of the day
The centre court crowd exploded as Carlos Alcaraz pulled off this behind-the-back shot before sprinting to run down a dropper and responding with a passing shot winner. You’ll need to watch this more than once!
Quotes of the day
“Everyone loves a Cinderella story. I’m just trying to make one.”
-- Tiafoe after reaching the semi-finals.
“I worked really hard. They took away one opportunity from me, and I work really hard for this one.”
-- Aryna Sabalenka says she was extra motivated for this US Open after she was denied the chance to compete at Wimbledon due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players.
“I think this one will hurt for quite a while. But tomorrow I wake up, or today I wake up, trying to somehow taking only the positives, trying to take away the other part.”
— Jannik Sinner following his five-hour 15-minute defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in which he held match point before losing.
Tweet of the day
Stats of the day
1 – Frances Tiafoe is through to the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career.
2 – Match points saved by Aryna Sabalenka in the second round against Kaia Kanepi. She is now into her second consecutive US Open semi-final.
3 – Grand Slam semi-finals reached by Iga Swiatek in 2022.
6 – Tiafoe owns a 6-0 win-loss record in tiebreaks at this US Open.
10 – Breaks of serve in the second set of the quarter-final between Swiatek and Pegula.
16 – Tiafoe is the first American man to make the US Open singles semi-finals since Andy Roddick reached the final in 2006, 16 years ago.
50 – On Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Tiafoe became the first Black man to reach a US Open singles semi-final since Arthur Ashe 50 years ago.
55 – Swiatek has won a tour-leading 55 matches so far in 2022.
60 – Swiatek has won 60 per cent of her return games through five matches at this US Open.
2:50am — The Alcaraz-Sinner match ended at 2:50 in the morning, the latest finish in US Open history
19 – At 19 years of age, Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest men’s singles Grand Slam semi-finalist since Rafael Nadal won Roland-Garros in 2005.
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