In sharp contrast to their first round matches, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were all business in the second round, straight sets and time to spare. Thrilling rallies there were, but no doubts about bottom lines. It took Sinner two and a half hours to stop Mackenzie McDonald in the first round; he gave Alex Michelsen ninety minutes. Iga Swiatek stayed on the court two hours with Kamillia Rakhimova; she had 65 minutes for off Ena Shibahara.
Success, which is earned, brings with it the means to mount a serious defense; was Sinner supposed to deny himself that?
It was good tennis just the same, and the matches provided a kind of relief to the fans, shaken by top-seed scares. Even when they cheer the underdog, most people want things to happen the way they ought to, like the sun rising in the east.
Jitters affect performance on first days of tournaments, back to school days, first new job days. Upsets happen. They are why tournaments are entertaining, providing the thrill of surprise. A well-managed business, like a virtuous life, may be defined as one where surprises do not happen, yet the world is full of them — and they fascinate. Amusing or appalling, they remind us to be cautious in our expectations.
Fans pay close attention to the early rounds of a tennis tournament because they sense the impossible may turn out to be possible, as when 2017 champ Sloan Stephens starts at 6-0, then botches two sets to get sent home. Early rounds are like status reports on favored players — including, as upsets go, Naomi Osaka and Carlos Alcaraz, not to mention Novak Djokovic. (READ MORE from Roger Kaplan: World’s Best Racquets in New York)
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek had uneven moments in their first matches, but played impeccably in the second round, assuring ordinary mortals the sun still rises in the east. Coco Gauff, defending champion, did even better, clobbering Varvara Gracheva in the first round, whipping popular German veteran Tatjana Maria in the second. Miss Gauff’s doubles partner, sixth seed Jessica Pegula, won in two sets against South Carolina’s charming Shelby Rogers, who is retiring. Miss Pegula followed up with a win against Sofia Kenin.
Traditional usage puts a Miss or Mrs., maybe a Ms., before women’s names. The Mr. before names of male athletes was dropped long ago; it is not clear why. Politicians and dog catchers are still called Mister. Maybe it is a matter of gender equality, the meaning of which evolves. Money talks; it has been the same for men and women at the U.S. Open since 1973.
First round jitters affect both men and women. Sinner seemed hesitant to dominate his first round match. He let McDonald hit return-of-serve winners, get him into long rallies, use his adroit changes of pace to disrupt Sinner’s power. McDonald won the first set 6-2.
The second set began the same way, but Sinner was warming up. In full form, he “paints” the lines with “kicks,” his accuracy is unerring. You have to hit clear winners against him, for he moves nimbly to catch anything else, anywhere on the court.
By the middle of the second set Sinner had answers to everything McDonald did. By the fourth set McDonald was unable to hold his service, let alone break Sinner’s.
That Sinner’s court sense and game-plan mastery did not fail him is testimony to his mental solidity. He had a problem that would have subverted the talent and concentration of a less focused mind. Sinner tested positive for a banned substance last winter and until just before the Open was in “suspended suspension” — allowed to play while the case was reviewed.
The integrity in sports authorities determined he was faultless, his physical therapists mishandled an ointment sold over the counter in Italy that includes a banned substance. There was a flurry in the tennis media; some players opined that Sinner could afford to hire scientific experts and lawyers in his defense; it was unfair, preferential treatment.
However, top as well as obscure players have been suspended for drug violations; what the panel of arbitrators found was a staff error. Success, which is earned, brings with it the means to mount a serious defense; was Sinner supposed to deny himself that? Starting a tournament on one of the sport’s most storied courts with news of a stressful experience still in the air may explain the early jitters. After the match with McDonald, Sinner insisted the doping matter was closed. The clean ruthlessness of his win over Michelsen showed he meant it.
Iga Swiatek found herself in a jittery fight with a tenacious little Tatar, Kamilla Rakhimova, who to the end of their match kept the score close, hitting back against her pace and sustaining long rallies. Miss Swiatek steadied her game and took control — until she lost it! She pulled herself together again and edged the resilient no-flag Russian in a thrilling tie-break which she won despite being down 3-6, final score 6-4, 7-6 (6). (READ MORE: Serve and Volley in the Park)
Miss Swiatek has a way of losing control of her normally disciplined groundstrokes. But when the going gets dicey, she steps on the pedal, goes all-out, win or lose. Determination, that’s the answer to nerves. Like Jannik Sinner, she knows the simple things are what matter on the court, or any other stressful place, things like keeping your eye on the ball and distractions at bay.
The post Sinner and Swiatek Make Their Mark appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.
