The U.S. Open was held Aug. 27 through Sept. 9 in New York. The tournament had many shocks and upsets throughout the two weeks, with big-name players, such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, not making it to the finals.
Osaka v Williams. 6-2, 6-4
On Sept. 8, 23-time Grand Slam Champion Serena Williams faced off against 20-year-old Naomi Osaka. This would be Osaka’s first grand slam final appearance, showing no nerves as she started off with a fierce momentum that she would maintain throughout the match.
Osaka’s powerful forehand was keeping Williams unsteady in the first set, causing Williams to make errors on several crucial points. Williams, known for her massive serves, was unlike herself in the match; double faulting several times in the first set and allowing Osaka to break her serve to win the set 6-2.
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The second set was closer in score. Court drama ensued due to Williams receiving several penalties: a coaching violation, racquet smash and what is now a controversial verbal abuse call. Williams’ play improved in the second set, crushing numerous forehand winners as well as regaining her first serve.
Osaka did not let the drama, nor the sudden surge in Williams play, affect her. She remained steady with well-placed serves and powerful groundstrokes. Osaka went on to win the second set 6-4, becoming the first Japanese player to ever win a grand slam title.
Djokovic vs del Potro. 6-3, 7-6, 6-3
After struggling for quite some time, both Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro found themselves back in a grand slam final.
Djokovic’s defense and ability to return almost any shot are what led him to victory, capturing his 14th Grand Slam title. The win was not easy for him, as he had to rally against del Potro who simply would not give up.
Djokovic claimed the first set 6-3 but had to work much harder in the second set. At one point in the set, both players looked exhausted after a single game lasted twenty minutes. Del Potro continuously fell behind just to tie it back up; the second set could not have gotten much closer than it was. The second set went to tiebreak, with Djokovic holding on to win the tiebreaker 7-4 and the set 7-6.
Scrambling back and forth across the baseline to return del Potro’s powerful shots, Djokovic was able to hold on and win the third set 6-3. The three-set match took approximately three hours and 15 minutes to complete, proving how long the rallies were between the two fierce competitors.
