No Harry Styles meeting for Andrey Rublev, Ajla Tomljanovic out to copy Novak Djokovic trick – US Open diary
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Updated 03/09/2022 at 14:57 GMT
Andrey Rublev is evidently a Harry Styles superfan are watching the artist perform twice at Madison Square Garden in New York. In her latest US Open diary, Reem Abulleil also covers Ajla Tomljanovic, who is set to mimic Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as well as China’s 19-year-old rising star Zheng Qinwen.
US Open highlights: Nadal cuts nose in comeback win, Serena and Venus out of doubles
Rublev’s residency at the Garden
Andrey Rublev made the most of his time in New York before the start of the US Open, attending three shows at Madison Square Garden; twice going to see Harry Styles’ Love On Tour concert and once to see Twenty One Pilots.
The Russian No. 9 seed, who advanced to the third round on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Kwon Soonwoo, once joined a cover band to make a music video of a One Direction song and it appears his love for Harry Styles has grown since then.
“I went Monday and Friday to Harry Styles, and Tuesday to Twenty Pilots. I would have liked to go to Twenty Pilots again but they only performed one time,” he said.
Did he get to meet Harry Styles on either visit to MSG?
“No, they don’t do those things for me,” laughed Rublev, referring to the IMG.
“I don’t know how all the players they met all the stars. You can’t imagine, I asked once to go to an NBA game in Miami and they gave me the last, last row at the top. And I think I was top 10 at the time.
“And then I see all the players, Zverev, Sonego, Berrettini, Ruud, all of them in the first row, taking pics with all the stars and I say, ‘How does that work?’ And I still want to know how that works.”
What a missed opportunity that was! ‘When Harry met Andrey’ was a tweet waiting to happen.
Tomljanovic to borrow a trick from the Djokovic book
Australian Ajla Tomljanovic was playing on Court 7 during both of Serena Williams’ first two singles matches at this US Open, and she could hear the roaring Center Court crowd, despite there being a significant distance between both courts.
The support for Williams this fortnight has been like nothing anyone has ever witnessed, with the crowd willing her on on every single point, hoping to see the American legend extend her career for at least one more match.
“I kept thinking, ‘Oh my God, that's annoying me and I'm not even playing against her’,” said Tomljanovic.
“I don't know how I'm going to do it. I think what I'm going to focus on is to keep the scoreline close because I think she gets dangerous if she gets up. She's the best when she gets ahead.”
Tomljanovic will be Williams’ third round opponent on Friday and she admits she isn’t quite sure how she can ready herself for the Arthur Ashe night-session experience against the US Open’s most beloved champion.
“I remember Novak saying one time when they asked him a lot about this, when the crowd was against him, he just pretends it's for him. When they chant, I don't know, Rafa, Roger, whoever, he hears Novak, Novak. I kind of liked that response. I might use that on Friday night,” mused Tomljanovic.
‘I take it as motivation’
Victoria Azarenka has plenty of experience facing Williams in New York – four times to be exact – and is well aware of how challenging it can be.
“I have heard that noise. Believe me, yep. It's not easy thing to handle, absolutely. For somebody who has never been there, can be quite intimidating,” the former world No. 1 said on Thursday.
“For me, it always fuelled me to be better.
“I understand why they are coming here. It's not like, they are against me, they don't like me. I don't take it personally. I believe that Serena is such a big magnitude of tennis, and so much force, that there is no doubt that people are going to be supporting her in New York.
“I take it as motivation to show great tennis. I think that speaks for it. That's why people want to support you after, is you showing great tennis.
“But being it's last Serena's tournament, like, nobody wants to kind of miss those matches. It's pretty special. I'm sure it's not an easy place to be across the net. But also special.”
‘We can’t all be Roger’
19-year-old Zheng Qinwen is the latest young talent to emerge from China on the women’s tour and her star has been quickly rising both on and off the court.
Zheng, who started the 2022 season ranked 126 in the world and is now up to 39, is through to the third round for a third consecutive Grand Slam.
The multi-surface threat beat Anastasia Potapova in two tie-break sets on Thursday and will next take on Wimbledon quarter-finalist Jule Niemeier.
Zheng recently appeared in Harper’s Chinese Mini Bazaar magazine in a glamorous photoshoot and explained to reporters at the US Open why it was a particularly fun experience.
“When I see those picture, I feel really happy because when we play tennis, especially me, I know I make strange faces sometimes. I mean, not everybody can play like Roger (Federer) with a really calm face. I wish I can, but is so tough to be like that,” she chuckled.
“When I see this picture and compared to tennis, of course you see is much more beautiful, absolutely, yes. But also, you know, on tennis, I enjoy the way how I am and to be, like, competitor on court is different beauty. Both are really good.”
Tweets of the day
Stats of the day
- Four Chinese women, Zheng Qinwen, Yuan Yue, Wang Xiyu and Zhang Shuai, have reached the singles third round of the same Grand Slam for the first time in the Open Era.
- Zheng is the aces leader in the women’s event at the US Open so far, with 32 struck through her first two matches. Serena Williams is in second place with 20.
- Carlos Alcaraz has picked up a 46th victory of the season to tie Stefanos Tsitsipas at the top of the 2022 ATP match-wins leaderboard.
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