After two months of excitement and hysterical speculation it was all over in 51 minutes.
The team of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz – an alliance with the power to turn the tennis public into a gaggle of giggling, gossiping teenagers – were bumped out in the first round of the US Open’s mixed doubles fandango.
It was fellow Brit Jack Draper who did the bumping, alongside American partner Jessica Pegula – a team who absolutely lived up to their billing as the No1 seeds in a 4-2, 4-2 win, which they then backed up to reach the semi-finals.
In this format of first to four games it is imperative to begin well and Raducaraz did not. On the first point of the match, Raducanu made a total hash of a volley off a Draper return. Then Draper whipped a forehand past Raducanu to secure a break on the Alcaraz serve.
If they had a poor start it was hardly surprising: Alcaraz was busy winning the Cincinnati title on Monday night and only landed in New York via private jet at 1am, before taking to the court again at 4pm.
But they grew into it and produced some sparkling rallies – and more chemistry than an episode of Breaking Bad. They shared a warm hug after the match, an embrace which the Sky Sports cameras somehow contrived to miss.
The speculation about romantic involvement has been baseless and intrusive but there is no doubt these two are good friends who enjoy eachother’s company.
As they walked out, Raducanu whispered something in Alcaraz’s ear and both giggled away. On-court chemistry is extremely important in doubles (several of the pairs in action yesterday looked and played as if they had never set eyes on one another) and these two both play their best when wearing a smile.
Raducanu, in particular, beamed after pretty much every point – especially in the fifth game of the match when Alcaraz sent down four big serves and the Brit finished off each with a volley.
As Raducanu held serve in the first game of the second set with a lovely rally, she raised her fist to the skies and a grinning Alcaraz waggled his finger in her direction.
The point of the match – and the whole day – was when Raducanu and Draper waged a battle of Britain, ending with Draper hitting a lovely angled pass. Raducanu had totally given up the point when suddenly Alcaraz came from nowhere to retrieve the ball, Raducanu having to duck as he threaded a winner down the line. Utter brilliance, which Raducanu greeted by putting hands to head in disbelief.
But it was the squeaky-clean hitting of Pegula and the brutal aggression of Draper which carried the day. This was the first we had seen of Draper since Wimbledon as he has nursed a forearm injury, and it was heartening to see him looking so good on court.
‘I haven’t hit a ball yet,’ Pegula said to her team at 2-0. It was an exaggeration but Draper really did take over the early part of the match. ‘I’ve got a pretty good partner,’ said Draper after the match of Pegula, the world No4 and a fine doubles player. ‘What an experience playing out here with Jessica, playing Emma and Carlos.’
Drape and Pegula later beat Russian duo Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev 4-1, 4-1 to reach Wednesday’s final four. They are two wins away from the title and an even split of a million bucks.
So, how was the first day of the event overall? Well there was, predictably, some shocking doubles on display as the singles players grappled with an unfamiliar format. Musetti/McNally vs Osaka/Monfils was a particularly ugly watch – they all just sat on the baseline and exchanged dreary, hopeless rallies.
But Arthur Ashe stadium was sold out – that is 23,771 fans to watch mixed doubles – and Louis Armstrong was open to the public for free and packed out, too. Jannik Sinner, as expected, pulled out after retiring with illness from his Cincinnati final against Alcaraz on Monday night, and that left a serious lack of star power but Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud were good value.
Amid all the big names, the duo of the day were Italian defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. The doubles specialists have been unremittingly critical of this event, describing it as a ‘profound injustice’ and played the intensity which only rage can produce, determined to show the world that singles class would be trumped by doubles nous.
They certainly did that. It was almost embarrassing to watch the way they ran rings around Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina, who were made to look ham-fisted compared to the sprightly Italians who shimmered across the net.
‘They are amazing players, we all know that,’ said Vavassori. ‘But the tactics in doubles are important.
‘We’re playing for all the doubles players that could not compete here.’
