Tip From Djokovic Helps Svajda Earn First US Open Win; Cressy Saves Four Match Points to Beat Carreno Busta; USTA National Doubles Champions Crowned in Lake Nona

The last time a Kalamazoo 18s champion won a round at the US Open with the wild card he earned was 2012, when Dennis Novikov, who had played a semester at UCLA, defeated Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-2, 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3. This year's champion Zachary Svajda had the benefit of having played in the main draw of the US Open when he won Kalamazoo in 2019, and he made the most of his second opportunity, defeating Marco Cecchinato of Italy 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

In 2019, Svajda had led Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi two sets to love before he began struggling physically, leading to his 3-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 loss. 

The 18-year-old from San Diego also felt a cramps emerging in the third set, but the two years of physical and mental maturity, and observing Novak Djokovic, kept a similar collapse at bay.

"This time, it happened again, but physically, I was fine," Svajda said. "The nerves got to me, but it definitely wasn't as bad as two years ago and I think that's because I'm 18 now, the fitness, everything I've been doing."

Svajda had practiced with Djokovic on Monday, meeting the world No. 1 for the first time, and as with the match itself, a practice with a top player wasn't as nerve-racking two years later.

"I got a little nervous, but two years ago, when I was practicing with Federer, I got so nervous," Svajda said. "But I now, I just feel it's all going in the right direction, so I'm not as nervous, and it was a really good practice."

Svajda noted how Djokovic handled his time on between games.

"The breathing during the changeovers, I saw him being really locked in and focused," Svajda said. "Sometimes I can get distracted by the fans or whatever it is, and but now I'll just focus on my breathing, close my eyes a little bit. That's what he told me yesterday and it worked today."

Although he showed no signs of nerves when serving out his first US Open win, Svajda admitted they were there.

"I was nervous, but I thought I'd be way more nervous," Svajda said. "But the more I start getting nervous and overthinking everything, winning or whatever it is, that's when more cramping starts to come. So, even in the last service game, I just try to block everything out and just focus."

The emotion that Svajda kept inside was released after match point, when he began to tear up.

"I never really do that, though it happened it Kalamazoo two years ago when I won it," Svajda said. "That's the only two times. It felt really special tonight, just winning first round of US Open, it's really special. It's always been my dream."

Svajda had never played a Top 100 player before today, and his next opponent will be a level above that, with No. 13 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy standing in his path to the third round.

"Jannik hits a great ball," Svajda said. "It'll be a good experience, should be a great match, but we'll see how it goes."

Svajda wasn't the only former Kalamazoo champion to pick up a win today, with 2018 winner Jenson Brooksby defeating Mikael Ymer of Sweden 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in four hours, while 2010 and 2011 champion Jack Sock defeated Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Qualifier Maxime Cressy won a thriller over 2020 semifinalist and No. 9 seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(7), saving four match points from 6-3 down in the fifth set tiebreaker. The former UCLA Bruin, who won a round at the US Open last year, never wavered in his belief that his serve-and-volley game could prevail, even when down two sets.

"My main thought I kept telling myself was on really holding my serve efficiently," Cressy said. "One of my good qualities, I'm not really scared of my opponent or whoever I'm playing. I was just focused on me and holding serve. That gave me some confidence. I was able to really loosen up and make some great shots to break him. No, my main thought was to just focus on holding my serve efficiently throughout the rest of the match and it worked."

Girls 18s champion Ashlyn Krueger, playing her first WTA Top 100 player, acquitted herself well against qualifier Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia, but came up short against the veteran7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3. Krueger saved a match point at 3-5 in the second set with an ace, but she was broken early in the third set and couldn't recover. Krueger and Robin Montgomery, who won the girls 18s doubles title and a main draw wild card, will play their first round match Wednesday against No. 13 seeds Asia Muhammad and Jessica Pegula.

The mixed doubles draw was released today, and it was good to see that Bruno Kuzuhara received a wild card to play with Elvina Kalieva. Kuzuhara, who won the Kalamazoo 18s wild card with partner Ben Shelton, was withdrawn from the men's doubles with Shelton testing positive for Covid-19. Reese Brantmeier also received a mixed doubles wild card; the 16-year-old, partnering with Nick Monroe, plays on Wednesday.

Tuesday's first round results featuring Americans:

Shelby Rogers d. Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-0
Su-Wei Hsieh(TPE) d. Claire Liu 6-1, 6-4
Shuai Zhang(CHN) d. Hailey Baptiste[WC] 6-3, 6-4
Martina Trevisan(ITA) d. Coco Vandeweghe[WC] 6-1, 7-5
Jessica Pegula[23] d. Anastasia Potapova(RUS) 6-2, 6-2

Iga Swiatek[7](POL) d. Jamie Loeb[Q] 6-3, 6-4 

Karolina Pliskova[4](CZE) d. Caty McNally[WC] 6-3, 6-4 

Amanda Anisimova d. Zarina Diyas(KAZ) 7-5, 6-2

Ajla Tomljanovic(AUS) d. Katie Volynets[WC] 6-3, 6-1

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova[Q](SVK) d. Ashlyn Krueger[WC] 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova[14](RUS) d. Alison Riske 6-4, 6-2

Lauren Davis d. Viktoriya Tomova[Q](BUL) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

Mackenzie McDonald d. David Goffin[27](BEL) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Jenson Brooksby[WC] d. Mikael Ymer(SWE) 7-5, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Taylor Fritz d. Alex De Minaur[14](AUS) 7-6(4), 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Denis Kudla d. Laslo Djere(SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6(4)
Ilya Ivashka(BLR) d. Tennys Sandgren 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4
Alexander Zverev[4](GER) d. Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2
Jack Sock[WC] d. Yoshihito Nishioka(JPN) 6-7(5), 6-2 6-4 6-2
Steve Johnson d. Maximilian Marterer[Q](GER) 5-7, 7-6(8), 7-6(8), 6-3
Zachary Svajda[WC] d. Marco Cecchinato(ITA) 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Maxime Cressy[Q] d. Pablo Carreno Busta[9](ESP) 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(7)
Nikoloz Basilashvili(GEO) d. Sebastian Korda 6-2, 2-1 ret.
Lorenzo Musetti(ITA) d. Emilio Nava[WC] 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Reilly Opelka[22] d. Soonwoo Kwon(KOR) 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4
Ernesto Escobedo[WC] d. Pablo Cuevas(URU) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
Roberto Carballes Baena(ESP) d. Tommy Paul 7-6(5), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

Wednesday's second round singles matches featuring Americans:

Sloane Stephens v Coco Gauff[21]

Christina McHale v Barbora Krejcikova[8](CZE)

Danielle Collins[26] v Kaja Juvan(SLO)

Frances Tiafoe v Guido Pella(ARG)

Marcos Giron v Dan Evans[24](GBR)

Brandon Nakashima[WC] v Alex Molcan[Q](SVK)

Tennis Recruiting Network has an article posted today on the USTA National Doubles Championships, which were held last weekend at the National Campus in Lake Nona. Gold balls were distributed in the 18s, 16s and 14s divisions, with comments from several of the members of the winning teams, including 16s champion Sofia Webster, daughter of UCLA head coach Stella Sampras Webster.