By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Opening day at the 2021 U.S. Open not only celebrated the return of fans to the grounds of the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center after a one-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but featured three hallmark match efforts from Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Kevin Anderson and Alycia Parks.
The match of the day was Tstistipas defeating Andy Murray 2-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in four hours, 49 minutes, which, according to my records, is tied for the eighth longest men’s match on record at the U.S. Open.The longest men’s singles match in U.S. Open history came in the 1992 U.S. Open semifinals when Stefan Edberg defeated Michael Chang 6–7, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4 in five hours, 26 minutes
The 1993 third round match between Richard Krajicek and Todd Martin lasted five hours, ten minutes, Krajicek winning 6–7, 4–6, 7–6, 6–4, 6–4 in five hours, ten minutes.
The third-longest listed match is when Sargis Sargsian defeated Nicolas Massu in the 2004 second round in 5:09 by a 6-7, 6-4,3-6, 7-6, 6-4 scoreline.
.In 1992, Ivan Lendl defeated Boris Becker 6-7 (7-4), 6-2, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 6-4 in 5:01 in the fourth round.
In 2010, Kei Nishikori beat Marin Cilic in the first round in 4:59 by a score of 5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1.
The 1988 U.S. Open final lasted 4 hours 54 minutes when Mats Wilander defeated Ivan Lendl 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7,6-4.
The 2012 U.S. Open final between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic also lasted 4 hours, 54 minutes, Murray winning 7-6, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5) in the 2018 quarterfinals.in four hours, 49 minutes.
In his first round win over Jiri Vesely, Kevin Anderson sealed the match in a fifth-set tiebreaker with his 49th ace, the third most in a match in U.S. Open history (since 1991). Anderson won the match 7-6(1), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) in a four-hour, 22-minute epic. Only Ivo Karlovic, who hit a U.S. Open record 61 aces in 2016 against Rendy Lu, and John Isner, who hit 52 aces in 2020 against Steve Johnson) have hit more aces than Anderson did against Vesely, although Richard Krajicek also hit 49 aces also in a match in 1999 against Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
According to the U.S. Tennis Association, Alycia Parks of Atlanta tied Venus Williams’ US Open serve speed record, clocking a 129 mph serve in her first-round loss to Olga Danilovic. The 20-year-old made her Grand Slam main draw debut losing to Danilovic of Serbia, 6-3, 7-5. Williams hit her record-setting serve in her first-round match of the 2007 US Open.
Tennis fans in New York hope to see Anderson’s serve if he commits to play for South Africa in its Davis Cup tie against Venezuela at the historic West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills, September 18-19 (Go to ForestHillsStadium.com for ticket info).
