US Open 2017: As the likes of Alexander Zverev, Simona Halep exit, opportunity arises for future stars to impress

A tired Svetlana Kuznetsova stretched for a forehand, and pulled it long, to bring her second round clash against Japan’s Kurumi Nara to an end. The Russian, who had survived three match points before defeating Marketa Vondrousova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in two hours and 31 minutes on Wednesday, could not pull off an escape this time around. The No 8 seed went down 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 to Nara on Thursday, in two hours and seven minutes. [caption id=“attachment_3999527” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Angelique Kerber leaves the court after being defeated by Naomi Osaka. AFP[/caption] If some of those names seemed wondrously unfamiliar, read on. Because Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, was only the latest in the long list of seeded casualties at this year’s US Open. After the completion of two rounds at the US Open, 14 seeds have dropped out of the men’s draw and 17 from the women’s section. Led by the talented No 4 seed Alexander Zverev, who is yet to come good in Grand Slams, three of the top-10 men’s seeds have made their exit. On the women’s side, five of the top-10 seeds, including World No 2 Simona Halep and defending champion Angelique Kerber have crashed out in the early rounds. It’s not the kind of start the tournament, already lacking some star power, was hoping for. While the biggest name in women’s tennis — Serena Williams — is looking forward to the birth of her first child, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were forced out due to injury. In fact, five of the top-11 ranked men’s players have skipped the last Grand Slam of the year due to an assortment of injury concerns. Djokovic and Murray had been the leading lights in men’s tennis the past year, going head-to-head for the World No 1 spot in November. Murray won that battle, but the cumulative physical and emotional blows of these past 12 months have landed heavy. The Serb put his season to rest after Wimbledon to recover from an elbow injury while Murray withdrew from the US Open at the last minute with a hip injury. The US Open might bank on the returning Maria Sharapova and enduring stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have made stirring comebacks, pull the crowd in. But there is now a healthy mix of future stars and untiring journeymen/women now jostling for attention on the grand stage. Modern tennis has taught us to bank on experience. The 30-somethings like Feliciano Lopez, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Nicolas Mahut have somehow found a way to survive when better rated players like Nick Kyrgios, Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov haven’t. It might yet come down to Federer and Nadal, scheduled to meet in the semifinals if all goes by the plan, to stake claim for the title. But the US Open, more than any other Grand Slams, has cared less for the form book in recent times. In a time when Nadal has come to dominate the French clay, Federer the Wimbledon grass and Djokovic the hard courts at Australian Open, the US Open hasn’t chosen a master. Since Federer’s five-on-the-trot (2004-2008) titles, no player has been able to defend his title on these whimsical courts since the turn of the century. Anarchy, along with music and boisterous cheers, cascades from the stands. Not surprisingly, flashes of brilliance from the young stars resonate more here. Russian teenager Andrey Rublev wasn’t paying particular attention to the yawning gap in rankings as he went about dismantling the seventh seed Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the second round. Rublev, aged 19 and ranked 53 in the world, struck 36 winners against the man labelled Baby Fed. Dimitrov, who warmed up for the US Open by winning the Cincinnati Masters, may still struggled to emerge from the overbearing shadow of the Swiss. But with nothing to lose, Rublev found his big-match rhythm on the Louis Armstrong stadium on Thursday. Croatia’s Borna Coric and Denis Shapovalov of Canada have also ousted fancied opponents to make their way into the third round. While Coric defeated fellow 20-year-old Zverev in the second round, Shapovalov has emerged as the most exciting talent in the latter-half of the season. He proved he could raise his game when the spotlights are turned on with an electrifying win over Rafael Nadal at his home tournament: the Montreal Masters. The youngster has carried the good form to New York, out-gunning eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the opening round. On the women’s side, Naomi Osaka created a sensation by ousting defending champion Angelique Kerber in 61 minutes of assured tennis. Despite being only 19, and ranked 45 in the world, Osaka looked unhurried and unperturbed as she powered to a 6-3, 6-1 win. Twenty-year-old Jelena Ostapenko had already energised the women’s game with her fearless strokeplay, as she romped to the French Open title. The Latvian is still alive in this US Open, which is now brimming with opportunity.