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The 2015 US Open has started in disastrous fashion for many of the leading seeds, with last year’s finalist Kei Nishikori, Serbian pair Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, and former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova among the many notable opening day casualties.
Nishikori, who lost to Marin Cilic in last year’s decider after upsetting world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, became the highest-seeded casualty in either draw to date after going down Frenchman Benoit Paire in five sets.
The fourth seed, who became the first Asian man in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows last year, wasted two match points in the fourth set to crash to his first Grand Slam first-round exit since last year’s French Open.
The Japanese, who recently had to withdraw from Cincinnati citing fatigue, now risks a significant drop down the rankings as he was defending 1200 points from reaching the final last year.
There were no such dramas for defending champion Cilic, or 2011 champion Djokovic. Cilic defeated Argentinian qualifier Guido Pella in straight sets, while Djokovic put away Brazil’s Joao Sousa, also in straight sets, losing just one game in each set.
Cilic, who last year became the first Croat to win a Grand Slam title since his coach Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon as a wildcard in 2001, next faces Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy, while Djokovic faces the winner of the match between Andreas Haider-Maurer and Vasek Pospisil.
Tenth seed Milos Raonic defeated local hopeful Tim Smyczek in straight sets. He next faces Fernando Verdasco in the second round after the Spaniard outlasted German veteran Tommy Haas in five sets.
Local favourite Mardy Fish, who will retire after the US Open, also advanced through to the second round, as did 19th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer.
A day after Maria Sharapova withdrew from the tournament due to a leg injury, seventh seed Ana Ivanovic became the first major female casualty of the tournament, going down to Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in three sets.
Cibulkova had, twelve months earlier, been on the wrong end of a stunning first-round upset when she was defeated in three sets by American teenage sensation CiCi Bellis, who this year failed to qualify for the main draw.
The 2014 Australian Open finalist endured a horror season this year, mainly due to an Achilles injury for which she underwent surgery, forcing her to miss the French Open as well as drop down to 59th in the world rankings.
Still, the Slovak pocket rocket reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open earlier this year, defeating former champion Victoria Azarenka en route.
This leaves a surprise semi-final run to the French Open in June as Ivanovic’s only Grand Slam highlight of the year, where she narrowly missed out on reaching a third final after losing to Lucie Safarova in the final four.
Compatriot Jelena Jankovic and former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova were upset by a pair of Frenchwomen, 2008 finalist Jankovic going down to US Open debutant Oceane Dodin in three sets and 2004 champion Kuznetsova losing to Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets.
It’s been a disappointing US Open for the quartet of Sharapova, Ivanovic, Jankovic and Kuznetsova, who at one stage in 2008 occupied the top four in the world rankings and seemed destined for joint domination on the WTA Tour that year.
Their departures, as well as those of eighth seed Karolina Pliskova, tenth seed Carla Suarez Navarro and American hopeful Sloane Stephens, on top of Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal on the eve of the tournament, leaves Serena Williams as the lone remaining top-10 seed in the top half of the draw.
The US Open title, and the Calendar Grand Slam, is Serena’s to lose. The highest seed remaining in that half after the world number one is Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic.
Bencic, who reached the quarter-finals last year and shocked Williams en route to her biggest career title in Toronto, kicked off her campaign with a straight-sets victory against Bulgaria’s Sesi Karantantcheva.
The 18-year-old, who is coached by Martina Hingis’ mother, faces Japan’s Misaki Doi in the second round, and could face 23rd seed and two-time US Open champion Venus Williams in the third.
Former Wimbledon finalists Agnieszka Radwanska and Eugenie Bouchard avoided the upset tsunami, defeating Katerina Siniakova and Alison Riske in straight sets respectively.
After a disastrous opening day of the 2015 US Open, it’s up to the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki to restore order on Day 2, which gets underway on Wednesday morning (AEST).
Matches to watch on Day 2
Marina Erakovic versus Simona Halep (2)
Jamie Loeb versus Caroline Wozniacki (4)
Leonardo Mayer versus Roger Federer (2)
Nick Kyrgios versus Andy Murray (3)
Petra Kvitova (5) versus Laura Siegemund
Victoria Azarenka (20) versus Lucie Hradecka
Stan Wawrinka (5) versus Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Thanasi Kokkinakis versus Richard Gasquet (12)
(At the time of writing, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams had yet to play/complete their first round matches.)
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