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We’re there aren’t we? After a first week of ludicrous action all over the show, we’re down – or up – to ludicrous action on the show courts, and there’s plenty of it.
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We open on Armstrong with the heartwarming resurgence of Paula Badosa, rehabilitated and imposing her brave power-hitting in invigorating style. Chances are she has too much for Yafan Wang, but it doesn’t take much for game as big as hers to go haywire under pressure – and there’s plenty of that here.
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On Ashe, meanwhile, we begin with a potential belter. Andrey Rublev wants it so badly you can feel it across the Atlantic, but he hasn’t quite found what it takes to beat a better player when it really matters. And though Griggzy Dimitrov isn’t that, he is a canny and classy operator who’s improved with age and, given the players who’ve gone out, he’ll be wondering if he might just force something he thought had passed him by.
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Otherwise, we’ve got ourselves an enticing slugfest between Casper Ruud and the surging Taylor Fritz, while Brandon Nakashima, also in the form of his life, tries to upset Alexander Zverev.
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And the day sesh closes on Ashe with a potentially nasty ruckus for the champ. Coco Gauff isn’t playing quite as well as she was this time last year, whereas Emma Navarro has never played better. At 23 the sense is that she’s hitting her stride, all her best Grand Slam performances coming in 2024. At Wimbledon, she couldn’t handle the situation when things got intense, beating Gauff handily before taking a last-eight hiding off Jasmine Paolini. But a New York, New York local, she’s much happier on the hard than the grass, so don’t be surprised if she does something special today – again.
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Play: 11am local, 4pm BST
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Main Events
The game progresses faster, Wang holds a comfortable 1-6, 2-1 lead, and Rublev and Dimitrov will likely be eliminated in Ashe soon.
Wang scored 15-30, but again Badosa delivered a strong first serve when she needed it, backed it up with an ace and quickly secured the hold.
Poor King. A stunning down-the-line winner put Badosa up 0-15. Forehands were making the difference so far, but Wang hit a winner to tie the score. But the pressure mounted at double, and Wang responded well to secure a crucial hold. Badosa led 6-1, 0-1.
The roof on Armstrong is closed, and it's now clear why. Due to light rain, play on the outdoor courts has been cancelled.
Badosa opened the match with an ace and then a superb forehand into the corner. And she went on to close out the set 6-1 from there, which doesn't reflect balance of play, but it does show how important that extra power can be.
A loving embrace for the King, At 5-1, he forced Badosa to serve first.
I really enjoy Badosa's performance. Again Wang was close, at 30-30, and again he let the pressure go with a powerful but controlled forehand, but a double brought it to deuce again, and then a winner and an ace made it 5-0 and Wang was struggling, playing his hardest but not getting anywhere.
So far, Wang has played pretty well without any reward. A powerful strike from Badosa ended her chances, and then Shownukh scored another at 30-all, quickly leading to a double break. Wang somehow seemed to be competing but not competing. Badosa 4-0 Wang
Badosa has played the key points well so far. Trailing 30-40, she fired an inside-out forehand winner, but Wang would be disappointed with the return that got her there. This time down the line, Badosa took the lead and from there she sealed the deal, taking a 3-0 lead.
Badosa was up 0-15 and dragged a forehand wide, and Wang backed it up with an ace wide and then hooked a forehand into the net for two game points. But Badosa saves one, then smashes in a jumping forehand winner, which you can see her relax into. It's deuce again, and Badosa deftly creates an opportunity to punish more forehand winners to gain an advantage. But she hits one into the net, which means another deuce, another Badosa forehand, a forehand into the corner, another break point… and then a repeat of the same thumping, table tennis-like shot from half court puts her 2-0 up. Wang is so-so, but as I said at the start, if Badosa holds the advantage, I don't see how you can beat her here.
At 15-all, Wang smashed an inside-out forehand winner. This would give her momentum. And then, at the end of the longest rally of the match, Badosa also netted a break point, handing her two. The first was taken with a service winner, the second with a moonball that fell long. But soon Wang had the advantage. A long game saw both players regain their composure, and a forehand winner from Badosa brought the match back to deuce. And then the game looked safe from there, a big serve-forehand combo from her advantage that looked decisive… but then a great forehand winner from the corner, when that never seemed possible, meant deuce again. And then Badosa had to save yet another break point, but ultimately held for nine minutes. It was a close match, but it also made it clear where the power advantage lay. Badosa leads 1-0.
Badosa served, …play.
Badosa and Wang are trading blows on the court. Mr. Wang seems nervous.
Like Navarro, Badosa is originally from New York. She didn't stop there, but she feels a strong sense of belonging when she goes to this tournament. She will feel like she can win this tournament, even if someone less skilled could have won, no matter how invincible Sabalenka may seem.
Every time I see Martina on screen It brings me a little joy. Take care, Champ.
Badosa, remember She had serious back problems, was told she might never play again and suffered from depression. Watching her happily smash the ball is inspiring and uplifting. If she can keep it up, I don't see Wang beating her.
A little background on Badosa…
preamble
Welcome everyone to Day 7 of the US Open 2024!
That's right. After the first week of ridiculous action across the show, the ridiculous action continues and abounds on the show court.
Armstrong's opening round begins with a heartwarming return from rehab for Paula Badosa, who displays her bold power hitting in exhilarating style. She may be a tough opponent for Yafan Wang, but it's no surprise that a player as big as her can go rogue under pressure, and there are plenty of moments like that in this film.
Meanwhile, in Ashe, we start with the great players. Andrey Rublev, whose desire to win is felt across the Atlantic, hasn't found the formula to beat better players when it really matters. Grizzy Dimitrov isn't, but he's a savvy, classy player who's gotten better with age, and who, looking at the players who've been eliminated so far, you'd think he could force his way to what he thought eluded him.
Elsewhere, we can expect a fascinating clash between Casper Ruud and in-form Taylor Fritz, while in-form Brandon Nakashima will be looking to beat Alexander Zverev.
And the one-day match against Ashe ends with the potential for a nasty turmoil for the champion. Coco Gauff hasn't played as well as she did this time last year, while Emma Navarro has never played her best. At 23, she looks on track and her best Grand Slam results will all come in 2024. At Wimbledon, she couldn't handle it when things got tense, beating Gauff with ease before beating Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. But the New York City, New York native is much more fun on hard courts than on grass, so don't be surprised if she does something special again today.
Play time: 11am local time, 4pm BST
