Scouting Report: Murray Sets Sights On US Open

Aug282016

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour

The US National Championships, known since 1968 as the US Open Tennis Championships, is the second-oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments after Wimbledon, and the only one to have been played each year since its inception in 1881. This is the 136th staging of the event.

This is the 49th US Open and the 195th Grand Slam tournament of the Open Era. The tournament has been held on hard court at Flushing Meadows since moving from Forest Hills in 1978. For the second year in a row, this year’s championship match will be played on a Sunday after seven straight years on a Monday.

This year’s event will feature a number of major enhancements, including a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, a new Grandstand Stadium, and a completely redesigned southern campus to ease accessibility and crowding throughout the site.

US OPEN FAST FACTS

Former Champions (5): Novak Djokovic (2015, 2011), Marin Cilic (2014), Rafael Nadal (2010, 2013),

Andy Murray (2012), Juan Martin del Potro (2009)

Former Finalists (4): Kei Nishikori (2014), Novak Djokovic (2007, 2010, 2012-13), Rafael Nadal (2011),

Andy Murray (2008)

Wild Cards (8): Juan Martin del Potro, James Duckworth, Ernesto Escobedo, Bjorn Fratangelo, Mackenzie McDonald, Michael Mmoh, Rajeev Ram, Frances Tiafoe

Qualifiers (16): Guido Andreozzi, Marco Chiudinelli, Guilherme Clezar, Steve Darcis, Jared Donaldson, Thomas Fabbiano, Marton Fucsovics, Alessandro Giannessi, Christian Harrison, Ryan Harrison, Ilya Ivashka, Karen Khachanov, Saketh Myneni, Jan Satral, Radek Stepanek, Mischa Zverev

Lucky Losers (2): Daniel Brands, Jozef Kovalik

Youngest in Draw: Frances Tiafoe (18 yrs, 7 mos.)

Total Teenagers: 6 (from youngest to oldest): Frances Tiafoe (18), Michael Mmoh (18), Taylor Fritz (18), Alexander Zverev (19), Borna Coric (19), Jared Donaldson (19)

Oldest in Draw: Radek Stepanek (37 yrs, 9 mos.)

Total 30-and-Over: 49 – US Open record (up from 40 in 2015).

Included among 49 players 30-and-over are two who turn 30 during US Open (Gael Monfils and Denis Istomin)

Players by Country: 40 countries (down from 44 in 2015): USA (17), France (13), Spain (11), Argentina (9), Germany (8)

EMIRATES AIRLINE US OPEN SERIES: The 2016 US Open is the culmination of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, the North American summer season of ATP World Tour events in Toronto, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Winston-Salem. To be eligible for bonus money, players needed to compete at two or more two Emirates Airlines US Open Series events. Kei Nishikori won the series after reaching the Rogers Cup final and Western & Southern Open Round of 16. The Japanese superstar will now attempt to set a record for the largest payout in tennis history at the US Open – $4.5 million; $3.5 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus. Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic, who both advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals and Western & Southern Open semi-finals, finished second and third respectively. Dimitrov will compete for a bonus payout of $500,000, while Raonic is bidding for $250,000 in bonus money.

THREE OF BIG FOUR LEAD THE WAY: Since 2005 Roland Garros, when Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam title, the Big 4 of Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray has won 42 of the past 46 Grand Slam titles. The only exceptions occurred at the 2009 US Open (Juan Martin del Potro), 2014 Australian Open (Stan Wawrinka), 2014 US Open (Marin Cilic) and 2015 Roland Garros (Wawrinka). It’s the most dominant era in the history of tennis. During the current stretch, Nadal has won 14 titles, Federer 13, Djokovic 12 and Murray three.

NO. 1 RANKING UPDATE: Novak Djokovic has held the No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking each week since July 7, 2014 after winning the Wimbledon title (113 consecutive weeks as of August 29, 2016). Djokovic is guaranteed to retain the No. 1 spot regardless of his result. When the start of the US Open, Djokovic will celebrate his 214^th week as World No. 1, fifth all-time behind Roger Federer (302), Pete Sampras (286), Ivan Lendl (270) and Jimmy Connors (268).

LAST AMERICAN GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Andy Roddick is the last American man to win a Grand Slam tournament at the 2003 US Open. The 2016 US Open is the 52nd major since Roddick’s triumph, the longest gap between Grand Slam titles for US men in the Open Era. The previous longest American drought in the Open Era ended at Roland Garros in 1989, when Michael Chang won the Roland Garros title 18 majors after John McEnroe won the 1984 US Open. Roddick and Andre Agassi, who was runner-up at the 2005 US Open, are the only Americans to reach a Grand Slam final since Roddick’s 2003 US Open title. They lost to Roger Federer in all five of their combined Grand Slam final appearances following the 2003 US Open. Roddick was runner-up at the 2006 US Open and Wimbledon in 2004-05 and 2009.

LEFT-HANDED CHAMPIONS (Open Era): Six different left-handed players have won the US Open title in the Open Era. In all, left-handers have won 14 US Open singles titles:

Jimmy Connors (5) – 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83

John McEnroe (4) – 1979-81, 1984

Rafael Nadal (2) – 2010, 2013

Guillermo Vilas (1) – 1977

Manuel Orantes (1) – 1975

Rod Laver (1) – 1969

YOUNGEST / OLDEST US OPEN RECORDS (Open Era):

Youngest Singles Champion: Pete Sampras (19 years, 28 days) in 1990 (d. Agassi)

Youngest Male to Compete: Tommy Ho (15 years, 2 months, 14 days) in 1988 (l. to Kriek)

Youngest Male to Win A Match: Michael Chang (15 years, 6 months, 10 days) in 1987 (d. McNamee)

Oldest Singles Champion: Ken Rosewall (35 years, 10 months, 11 days) in 1970 (d. Roche)

WILD CARDS: Americans were awarded six of the eight wild cards: NCAA champion Mackenzie McDonald, USTA Pro Circuit US Open Wild Card Challenge winner Ernesto Escobedo, USTA Boys’ 18s champion Michael Mmoh, Bjorn Fratangelo, Rajeev Ram and Frances Tiafoe. The other wild cards are 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Australia’s James Duckworth.

FIRST TIMERS: There are 16 players making their US Open debut this year (down from 18 in 2015):

Inigo Cervantes, Guilherme Clezar, Gastao Elias, Ernesto Escobedo, Taylor Fritz, Marton Fucsovics, Alessandro Giannessi, Christian Harrison, Ilya Ivashka, Karen Khachanov, Jozef Kovalik, Mackenzie McDonald, Michael Mmoh, Saketh Myneni, Jan Satral and Jordan Thompson. In the Open Era, no man has won the US Open title in his debut. The last Grand Slam champion to win a title in his debut at that event was Rafael Nadal at 2005 Roland Garros.

In Case You Missed It

Pablo Carreno Busta captures his first ATP World Tour title in Winston-Salem. Read

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Henri Kontinen save five match points to capture the Winston-Salem doubles title. Read

Ryan Harrison and brother Christian Harrison qualify for the US Open. Read

Here are seven things you may not know about the US Open’s new roof. Read

Who will be the breakthrough stars at the US Open? Read

Ranking Movers

+10 Pablo Carreno Busta (39)

+3 Daniel Evans (64)

+3 Viktor Troicki (32)

+2 Robin Haase (62)

+2 Mikhail Youzhny (61)