Through one round at the US Open, history has already been made. An Open Era record 10 retirements in one round have occurred so far, including big names like Gael Monfils, Alex Dolgopolov, Marcos Baghdatis, and Ernests Gulbis. Seeing a player get hurt is never a good thing, especially at this tournament as it is what many players have worked for all year long. Also on tap in Day 2 was the massive victory from Donald Young, coming back from two sets and a break down to beat No. 11 seed Gilles Simon in the opening round.
Florian Mayer and Radek Stepanek were two of the players forced to retire on Day 1, which may not come as a surprise to many due to their histories with injuries as Mayer and Stepanek have been forced to miss a lot of time from the tour in recent months. Each player made it through three sets, but was forced to pull the plug in the fourth set of their respective matches, giving Martin Klizan and Marsel Ilhan victories through to the second round.
Retirements that were more of a surprise on Day 1 came from Yen-Hsun Lu, Pablo Andujar, Dolgopolov, and Monfils. Lu was unable to get anything going in his match as he retired down two sets to love and 3-0 in the third set. Andujar and Dolgopolov each retired after the end of sets, while Monfils called it quits two points away from dropping a set. Andujar's match was level at two sets all, while Dolgopolov and, essentially, Monfils were down two sets to one.
Day 2 saw more of the same as Alex Nedovyesov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Gullbis, and Baghdatis each were unable to make it through their matches. Kokkinakis had battled Richard Gasquet at a very high level of play for the majority of four sets, but succumbed to cramps at the end of the fourth. Unable to move or hit serves effectively, the Australian was forced to retire after going down a break in the fifth set. Gulbis and Nedovyesov both retired in the third sets of their matches, with Gulbis' match even at one set all and Nedovyesov down two sets to love. Baghdatis was only three games from losing when he ended his match.
Another big headline was made at the US Open on Day 2, though, by American Donald Young. In his 11th appearance at the tournament, Young won his first match in which he had to come back from two sets to love down. After breaking in the opening game of the match, Young was unable to find a rhythm in the opening two sets, only winning six games total. From that point on, though, he was able to battle through the veteran from France, pulling off arguable the best win of his career. The five set comeback was full of impressive groundstrokes, unbelievable defense, and tons of emotion from the American, as he soared into the second round. His next opponent will be Aljaz Bedene, who benefitted from the retirement of Ernests Gulbis.
With nine retirements, nine five-set matches, and a few seeds being upset highlighting the first round of the US Open on the men's side, surely there will be many more unexpected events occurring throughout the rest of the tournament.
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