Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Daniil Medvedev beat Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4 to win the Winston-Salem Open in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Aryna Sabalenka beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1 6-4 to win the New Haven Open Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
SAYINGS
“It’s funny. Before the tournament I was trying to decide if I should play here or go get some rest and training before the US Open. But, of course, I think now I would have regretted not coming here.” – Daniil Medvedev, after winning the Winston-Salem Open.
“I was really was hoping to be last man standing today.” – Steve Johnson, following his loss to Daniil Medvedev in the Winston-Salem Open final.
“I didn’t have some (career) plan. I was just, like, ‘Keep going, keep fighting.’ Now I am 20 years old and I have my first title, so … it’s OK.” – Aryna Sabalenka, who won the New Haven Open, her first career title.
“These two were my dreams, to be number one in the world and to win a Grand Slam. Always I say number one in the world without a Grand Slam, you are not a real number one. After the French Open, I really started to believe that I’m a real number one.” – Simona Halep, who is ranked number one and the reigning French Open champion.
“That’s the message I’ve been preaching to women and people; that we face obstacles. Whether you get through them or not, there’s always another chance. Things don’t always go your way, but continue to climb that mountain.” – Serena Williams.
SECOND TITLE
Heat, humidity and fatigue couldn’t stop Daniil Medvedev, and neither could Steve Johnson. Medvedev stopped Johnson in straight sets to become the first Russian to win the Winston-Salem Open. After jumping out to a huge lead in his first-round match, Medvedev watched his opponent make a comeback bid that fell short, but taught him a lesson. “In my first match I was up 6-4, 5-0 and the guy came back to 5-4, his serve. I was thinking, how am I going to play six matches to win this tournament,” Medvedev said. “I said, ‘I am so tired.’ It was hot. It was humid. I thought this tournament is not for me. I am only here for one hour and I am already almost cramping. But that is how tennis is. I am happy to win the title.” Johnson was attempting to become the first American in eight years to win titles on three different surfaces in the same year. He won the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston in April and the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on grass in Newport, Rhode Island, in July. Medvedev controlled the net against Johnson, winning 12 of 13 points when camped there, And the right-hander blasted 20 winners against 12 unforced errors, 16 fewer than Johnson, in earning his second career title. Medvedev also thought about Johnson’s success against his countrymen. “He played two other young Russians earlier this year and beat them both,” Medvedev said. “I was trying to not be the third one.”
SABALENKA WINS FIRST
At the age of 20, Arnya Sabalenka became the youngest winner of the New Haven Open since Caroline Wozniacki captured the WTA event eight years ago. “This is a great feeling,” the Belarusian said of her first WTA title. “I will just work more, just to try to keep going, keep showing my best tennis, and we will see.” Sabalenka ripped through the first five games of the match, then fought off Carla Suarez Navarro’s comeback bid in the second set. Once ranked in the Top 10, Suarez Navarro broke Sabalenka to pull even at 4-4, the appeared to hold her serve with a match. But Sabalenka’s challenge was upheld and the Belarusian broke back. Suarez Navarro was one point of breaking back, but Sabalenka took the final three points and the trophy. Her first title came in her third final. She lost to Maria Sharapova in Tianjin last year and to Wozniacki at Eastbourne in June.
SIMONA SECURE NOW
Being a Grand Slam tournament champion does a lot to your self-esteem. Simona Hale says her French Open victory this summer makes her finally feel like a real-world number one and has brought joy back to her game. “Definitely my dream came true,” Halep said while practicing in New York for this week’s US Open, where she’s the top seed. “Inside myself something changed. I’m more relaxed. I feel thankful for everything I achieved.”
SUCCESSFUL AGAIN
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau have accomplished the first part of what they hope will be a repeat performance. Last year the pair won the Winston-Salem Open doubles crown, then followed by capturing the US Open doubles. Last week, they successfully defending their Winston-Salem Open title, the 18th of their career and second of the year. “Horia and I came in here looking for some matches,” Rojer said. “We were lucky enough to play four matches this week, so that was the main thing we were after. So, in that sense it was a big success. To win, of course, is always positive.” The Dutchman/Romanian team beat American Jamie Cerretani and Leander Paes of India. Tecau was even happier about the win. He had missed part of the year with a right foot injury. “A few weeks ago I had no expectations of winning titles,” he said. “I’m just very grateful that I’m healthy and can play the game again.”
SELECTS COACH
Ivan Lendl is back in the coaching box. The eight-time Grand Slam champion has joined the Alexander Zverev team. The 21-year-old German is also coached by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr. Junior, ranked fourth in the world, dropped Juan Carlos Ferrero as his coach in February. With Lendl on his coaching team, Andy Murray won three Grand Slam tournaments and two Olympic gold medals while reaching number one in the world. Zverev has reached only one Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal, at the French Open this year.
LUCKY LOSER HISTORY
Canada’s Peter Polansky is the luckiest loser in tennis. Lucky losers are those final-round losers in qualify who gain a spot in the main draw when a higher-ranked player on one who entered the tournament with a wild card withdraw before playing a match. Polansky has a unique streak going. He has lost his third match in each of the year’s four Grand Slam tournaments, yet has reached the main draw in all four as a lucky loser. Polansky is lucky to be playing tennis. While sleeping in a Mexico City hotel in 2006, Polansky dreamed he was being attacked by a knife-wielding man. Although it was just a nightmare, the Canadian kicked out his window and jumped out of his third-story room. He landed on a bush, didn’t break any bones, but suffered severe artery and nerve damage that almost ended his tennis career.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
New Haven: Andrea Sestini-Hlavackov and Barbora Strycova beat Hsieh Su-Wei and Laura Siegemund 6-4 6-7 (7) 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Winston-Salem: Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau beat Jamie Cerretani and Leander Paes 6-4 6-2
SURFING
New York: www.usopen.org/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN and WOMEN
US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard (first week)
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)
$150,000 Oracle Challenger, Chicago, Illinois, USA, hard
$147,565 Aon Open Challenger, Genova, Italy, clay
WOMEN
US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)
