Saturday, September 19, 2020

US Open 2020

 Belated congratulations to Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka for winning the US Open 2020!

I've been a solid fan of Rafa Nadal for more than a decade now but recently, I've found myself supporting for Dominic Thiem who has become my second favorite tennis player. This US Open was Thiem's fourth major final, with him losing two French Open finals to Rafael Nadal and losing the Australian Open final earlier this year to Novak Djokovic. His chances of finally winning his first Grand Slam title were given a boost when Nadal and Federer opted to skip the US Open and moreso when Novak Djokovic was defaulted for accidentally hitting a line judge (more on this later). When Thiem beat last year's finalist Daniil Medvedev in three tough sets in the semifinals, most people were expecting that the trophy was practically his. Standing in his way, however, was an in-form Alexander Zverev. In fact, Zverev pretty much dominated the first two sets. Thiem managed to fight back and take the match to a fifth set but even then, it was Zverev who had the advantage, breaking Thiem and serving for the match. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't close it out. I thought Zverev was going to take it because Thiem started cramping and it looked like his mobility was compromised but both players showed some (a lot of?) nerves amidst the incredible showcase of power and precise hitting. The match was decided in a fifth set tiebreak - the first time this has ever happened at the US Open men's draw - and Thiem remained steadier in the end, allowing him to win the title. Thiem is the first man to come back from two sets to love down in the final (Pancho Gonzales was the last person to do this; he achieved this in 1949, prior to the Open Era). Hopefully this gives him the confidence to win more major championships. Way to go, Domi!
On the women's side, Naomi Osaka won her 2nd US Open title after defeating Victoria Azarenka in three sets. This is Naomi's 3rd major title, after winning the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019. This is the 3rd year in a row that Osaka has won at a Grand Slam title. Prior to the final, I actually thought Serena was going to win. While she wasn't at her best and she was constantly being tested, she always managed to outlast her opponents through her unparalleled will to win and her unmatched power game. When she won the first set of her semifinal against Victoria Azarenka with a very lopsided score of 6-1, I thought she would cruise to an easy win that would set up a rematch with Naomi Osaka. But Azarenka showed a lot of poise. Despite being routed in the first set, she maintained very positive body language throughout the match and fought Serena back, allowing her to win the 2nd and 3rd sets and make her way to the final. There, she had her chances, taking the first set convincingly. But in the end, Osaka remained the stronger player, making her a two-time US Open champion.

The other big story that hit this year's US Open was Novak Djokovic's default after he accidentally struck a line judge on her throat with a ball. Some media outlets made it seem like he did so in anger after being broken by Pablo Carreno Busta. I saw a clip of it and I don't think Novak looked that angry (I've seen him angrier). I think he just directed the ball improperly. (You can watch this video to see what happened.) That said, tennis etiquette and safety rules are firm and clear, which meant that Novak had to be defaulted. I appreciate his public statements after his mistake, taking accountability for his actions and acknowledging that there is a lot to learn from this unfortunate incident.

This was not necessarily the most competitive US Open in recent history, with many top players choosing to skip the event due to Covid or other concerns. But in the end, we were still treated to a lot of great matches. I'm also really happy that my second favorite player Dominic Thiem has finally won a major title.

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