Nakashima Defeats Isner, 2014 NCAA Champions Advance to US Open Second Round, Brady Withdraws; Final Two US Open Junior Wild Cards Distributed

Brandon Nakashima, photo credit: USTA/Andrew Ong

Brandon Nakashima, who played one semester at Virginia in 2019, and John Isner, who played four years at Georgia from 2003-2007, are at different stages of their careers. 

Nakashima just turned 20 and reached the ATP top 100 for the first time early this month, while Isner is 36 and has been in the ATP top 100 for a dozen years, and in the top 25 most of that time. 

They have played three times this year, with Nakashima winning in the Los Cabos semifinals and Isner winning in the Atlanta final, both last month. 

Today they played their first best of five match, with wild card Nakashima beating Isner at his own game, taking out the No. 19 seed 7-6(7), 7-6(6), 6-3 for his second main draw win at the US Open. 

Nakashima, who is up to 86 in the ATP rankings, said he had picked up on some of Isner's tendencies in their two recent meetings.

"It's always tough against his serve, no matter how many times you play against him," Nakashima said. "Also really happy with the way I played today. Against him, it's very tough, especially on the return games, to get some breaks and opportunities. But I just told myself I just got to try to take care of my service games as much as possible, just try to take every opportunity I could get out there."

Nakashima had 15 aces and faced only one break point, which he lost. Isner was down break point five times, losing two, but it was Nakashima's superior play in the tiebreakers that proved to be the difference.

Nakashima was asked for his best memories of the US Open and he mentioned his first trip there for the Junior Championships, after he received a wild card for winning the Kalamazoo 16s title in 2017.

"I think the first time I came here was when I played the juniors for the first time," said Nakashima, who won his first round match that year. "I think I was 16 years old, coming here for the first time. It was such a great feeling. I was super excited just to be a part of it, just to be on the grounds here. Even to play in the juniors event on these courts was such an amazing feeling. I think I'll always remember that. I think those experiences for the first time being here and the past few years also, I think it's helped me be more comfortable at these courts."

The 2014 NCAA singles champions earned straight-sets victories today, with No. 26 seed Danielle Collins(Virginia) hitting 10 aces and 41 winners in her 6-2, 6-4 win over Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, who said this would be the final slam appearance of her career.

Marcos Giron, who turned pro after his 2014 NCAA title, while Collins returned to school for two more years and won the 2016 NCAA singles title too, defeated qualifier Antoine Hoang of France 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the second round of the US Open for the second year in a row. The former UCLA Bruin was up 5-2, 40-0 when Hoang began hitting winners from every conceivable position on the court, but Giron weathered the storm, broke Hoang to go up 6-5 and served it out, converting his fourth match point.

The 2021 NCAA champions did not fare as well, with University of Florida's Sam Riffice falling to No. 15 seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-3 and University of Virginia's Emma Navarro losing to Christina McHale. Navarro, down 6-1, 2-0, was not playing well, but she found her form, served for a 4-2 lead, but lost that game and the next two, giving McHale the chance to serve for the match at 5-3. In a 15-minute game, McHale had four match points, but Navarro saved them all, broke, held and broke, giving Navarro the opportunity to serve out the set. She couldn't hold, and the one early mini-break for McHale held up as she converted her seventh match point to take her first slam victory of the year.

Seventeen-year-old Coco Gauff, who lost in the first round of the US Open last year, came back from a set and a break down to defeat Magda Linette of Poland 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. 

Monday's first round singles results for Americans:

Kristina Kucova[Q](SVK) d. Ann Li 7-5, 6-1
Sloane Stephens d. Madison Keys 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7)
Coco Gauff[21] d. Magda Linette(POL) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Olga Danilovic[Q](SRB) d. Alycia Parks[WC] 6-3, 7-5
Christina McHale d. Emma Navarro[WC] 6-1, 7-6(5)
Danielle Collins[25] d. Carla Suarez Navarro(ESP) 6-2, 6-4
Tamara Zidansek(SLO) d. Bernarda Pera 6-4, 7-6(4)

 

Frances Tiafoe d. Christopher Eubanks[Q] 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Brandon Nakashima[WC] d. John Isner[19] 7-6(7), 7-6(6), 6-3

Grigor Dimitrov[15](BUL) d. Sam Riffice[WC] 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-3

Marcos Giron d. Antoine Hoang[Q](FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5

Monday was a light day for Americans compared to Tuesday's schedule, which features 28 US men and women.  Former UCLA star Jennifer Brady is not one of them, after she withdrew today with an injury. Both USTA National 18s champions are in action.

Tuesday's first round singles matches featuring Americans:

Shelby Rogers v Madison Brengle 

Claire Liu v Su-Wei Hsieh(TPE)

Hailey Baptiste[WC] v Shuai Zhang(CHN)

Jennifer Brady[13](withdrew) v Emma Raducanu[Q](GBR)

Coco Vandeweghe[WC] v Martina Trevisan(ITA)

Jessica Pegula[23] v Anastasia Potapova(RUS)

Jamie Loeb[Q] v Iga Swiatek[7](POL)

Caty McNally[WC] v Karolina Pliskova[4](CZE)

Amanda Anisimova v Zarina Diyas(KAZ)

Katie Volynets[WC] v Ajla Tomljanovic(AUS)

Ashlyn Krueger[WC] v Anna Karolina Schmiedlova[Q](SVK)

Alison Riske v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova[14](RUS)

Lauren Davis v Viktoriya Tomova[Q](BUL)

Mackenzie McDonald v David Goffin[27](BEL)

Jenson Brooksby[WC] v Mikael Ymer(SWE) 

Taylor Fritz v Alex De Minaur[14](AUS)

Denis Kudla v Laslo Djere(SRB)

Tennys Sandgren v Ilya Ivashka(BLR)

Sam Querrey v Alexander Zverev[4](GER)

Jack Sock[WC] v Yoshihito Nishioka(JPN)

Steve Johnson v Maximilian Marterer[Q](GER)

Zachary Svajda[WC] v Marco Cecchinato(ITA)

Maxime Cressy[Q] v Pablo Carreno Busta[9](ESP)

Sebastian Korda v Nikoloz Basilashvili(GEO)

Emilio Nava[WC] v Lorenzo Musetti(ITA)

Reilly Opelka[22] v Soonwoo Kwon(KOR)

Ernesto Escobedo[WC] v Pablo Cuevas(URU)

Tommy Paul v Roberto Carballes Baena(ESP)

The final two US Open junior wild cards, which were still To Be Determined yesterday, went to Alexis Blokhina (girls main draw) and Sebastian Gorzny(boys qualifying draw). Blokhina was the next American into the main draw by ranking.  The complete lists are below:

Girls main:

Tatum Evans (16s National champion)
Amelia Honer (USTA Clays 18s champion)
Liv Hovde
Sarah Hamner
Eleana Yu
Alexis Blokhina

Boys main:
Colton Smith (third place 18s Nationals)
Alexander Razeghi (16s National champion)
Ryan Colby (USTA Clays 18s champion)
Aidan Mayo
Aidan Kim
Michael Zheng

Girls qualifying:

Yuina Igarash(Japan)
Ariana Pursoo (USTA 18s Clays finalist)
Theadora Rabman
Qavia Lopez

Boys qualifying:
Kyle Kang (18s Nationals fifth place)
Yu Tanaka (Japan)
Nicholas Heng (USTA 18s Clays finalist)
Sebastian Gorzny