Four top 10 players knocked out in first round of 2022 US Open

Daniel Garlan (DarDarCH, Wikimedia Commons)

There were four significant upsets on day one of the 2022 United States Open from Flushing Meadows, New York. The four players who were eliminated were Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece (the fourth seed on the men’s side), and Taylor Fritz of the United States (10th seed on the men’s side), Simona Halep of Romania (seventh seed on the women’s side), and Daria Kasatkina of Russia (10th seed on the women’s side).

Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open finalist, lost to Daniel Elahi Galan of Columbia 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. This match was stunning because Tsitsipas was completely clobbered by Galan over the first two sets. Tsitsipsas had entered the US Open with momentum as he had reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters, but came up completely flat on Monday. Tsitsipas made 57 unforced errors, while Galan only had 36.

Fritz, the Indian Wells champion, lost to Brandon Holt, the American qualifier who is best known as being Tracy Austin’s son, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. Holt is 303rd in the world. Austin won the 1979 and 1981 United States Open titles on the women’s side.

Like Tsitsipas, Halep was entering the US Open red hot, as she won the National Bank Open earlier this month in Toronto. However, Halep was upset in the first round by Daria Snigur of Ukraine, the 124th ranked player in the world, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. Snigur was able to win the match despite being bageled in the second set. Halep, is a two-time major champion as she won the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon, but could not use the experience she accumulated at majors in years past on Monday.

Kasatkina, the 2022 French Open semifinalist, was upset by Harriet Dart of Great Britain, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. Dart, the 88th ranked player in the world, won due to her serve. She had four aces and five double faults, while Kasatkina had one ace and nine double faults.

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