Australian Open: Frustrated US hopefuls - but the future seems bright
Sebastian Korda and Jessica Pegula ended in Melbourne. Nevertheless, the prospects in US tennis seem rosy.
by SID
last edit: Jan 24, 2023, 07:13 pm
Sebastian Korda snuck out of the Rod Laver Arena frustrated, and Jessica Pegula also packed her things bitterly disappointed after her title hopes ended. It was a depressing quarterfinal day for the hopefuls of burgeoning US tennis at the Australian Open. The future prospects of the tennis nation, which was once so spoiled by success, still appear rosy.
"With the group we have we can do really well in the near future," said Korda after his Melbourne dreams were dashed. The 22-year-old couldn't seize his semi-final chance against the Russian Karen Khachanov, with the score of 6:7 (5), 3:6, 0:3 he gave up due to wrist problems.
Pegula annoying fifth quarterfinal defeat
Ten men from the United States will be ranked in the top 50 in the world after the tournament concludes, nine of them 25 years old or younger. And the duel between Tommy Paul and newcomer Ben Shelton (approx. 4.30 a.m. / Eurosport) will definitely result in a semi-finalist in Melbourne - the first from the USA since Andy Roddick in 2009. President Dietloff von Arnim from the German Tennis Association ( DTB) already announced in the SID interview that they wanted to take a closer look at the American upswing.
The US women will be nine in the top 50, led by Pegula, who was initially frustrated on Tuesday. "It's annoying," said the daughter of billionaire Terrence Pegula after her fifth quarterfinal defeat at Grand Slams, this time she lost to the two-time tournament winner Victoria Azarenka from Belarus clearly 4: 6, 1: 6. For Azarenka, the success means that she has to put off returning to her son Leo. "He wants me back home and today is my dog's birthday," said the 33-year-old.
Rybakina not yet the center of attention
She is playing against Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan for the finals, who, despite her Wimbledon triumph last summer, is still not very well known. Rybakina prevailed in a duel between two Grand Slam winners against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6: 2, 6: 4. She started the tournament in the rather remote 13th place and only played in the Rod Laver Arena this year when she beat world number one Iga Swiatek in the last sixteen. "It's not so important where you start the tournament as it is where you finish the tournament," she said.
Novak Djokovic intervenes again on Wednesday and duels Andrey Rublev (9:30 a.m. / ServusTV and Eurosport) for a semi-final ticket. The 35-year-old Serb draws a good deal of "strength and motivation" from the discussions surrounding his hamstring injury. "Only my injuries are questioned. If other players are injured, then they are the victims," said Djokovic: "But if it's me, I'm faking it."
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