By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
It’s been about 60 years since the British Invasion of the United States in the music industry but the 2023 U.S. Open tennis championships is having a bit of a similar vibe.
All seven main draw men’s and women’s singles entries in the tournament won their first round matches – and all in straight sets. They were led, of course, by 2012 U.S. Open champion Andy Murray and included Cam Norrie, Dan Evans and Jack Draper in men’s singles and Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage and Lily Miyazaki in women’s singles. And all of this with the absence of Emma Raducanu, the surprise 2021 U.S. Open women’s singles champion, who is recovering from surgeries.
As reported by Neil McLeman in the Daily Express, the three British women reaching the second round is the first time since 1977 that there have been more than two have reached the second round at the U.S. Open. It is the most to reach the second round since seven in 1977. “It is an amazing feat,” said Evans as reported by McLeman. “I have never heard of anything like that…without even dropping a set. ****** hell!”
This “British Invasion” doesn’t stop on the courts, but is pervasive in the media room as well where the usually strong British media contingent dominates the press room. There are more daily newspapers from Britain covering the U.S. Open this year on a daily deadline basis than American daily newspapers. And by virtue of their numbers and deep interest, the British players are ushered one after another into the main large interview room to be questioned by the press, while in some cases, the higher ranked and higher regarded players are relegated to the smaller interview room No. 2 or No. 3.
Reigning Olympic champion and world No. 13 Belinda Bencic handed out the first British loss of the tournament on Wednesday in the second round but held her press conference in interview room No. 2 while Miyazaki, the player she beat who was a qualifier ranked No. 198, was accorded the main interview room No. 1.
In reality, it doesn’t really matter what room a player does his or her interview as long as they are available to the media after their match. Like court assignments with regard to what stadium or outer court a player is assigned to, it hinges a lot of demand as far as number go and the British players are in demand more here at the 2023 U.S. Open, at least in the early rounds when there are an abundance of them competing. However, there is a perception of importance based on what court or interview room you are accorded, whether you think that is petty or not.
