The Baseline Top 10: Biggest upsets so far at the US Open
The week has seen a lot of shocking matches unfold.
Two rounds of the US Open have already eliminated a cast of super stars. Here are the most shocking upsets (so far):
10
Mikhail Kukushkin d. David Ferrer (21), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
Sure 35-year-old David Ferrer has been wearing down, but he's still been a consistent threat for most of his lengthy career. These days, losing to a qualifier hardly seemed like the biggest news for someone who never used to lose in the first round of a major.
9
Jordan Thompson d. Jack Sock (13), 6-2, 7-6 (12), 1-6, 5-7, 6-4.
It looked like Jack Sock would ride the New York energy through a wild five setter that saw him lead 3-1 in the fifth, but that would end up being his highlight of the night.
8
Monica Niculescu d. Kristina Mladenovic (14), 6-3, 6-2
The Frenchwoman went down meekly against the tricky Romanian. She must miss the clay-court season, which put her the path to becoming a Top-5 threat.
7
Naomi Osaka d. Angelique Kerber (6), 6-3, 6-1
The slide is complete for former No. 1 Kerber a year after the pinnacle of her career in 2016. The defending US Open champion projects to fall somewhere between No. 12 and No. 15 in the rankings.
6
John Millman d. Nick Kyrgios (14), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Nick Kyrgios’ shoulder began to bother him, but he certainly didn’t want to lose to a fellow Aussie in the first round. The struggle didn't end with the match wrapping up as he also struggled to put a broken racket back into his bag.
5
Ekaterina Makarova d. Caroline Wozniacki (5), 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1
After a second-round defeat, Caroline Wozniacki garnered greater attention for complaining about the US Open's scheduling and Maria Sharapova's placement on Arthur Ashe.
4
Maria Sharapova d. Simona Halep (2), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Maybe it wasn’t the biggest upset when considering their resumés, but Simona Halep brought out the best of Maria Sharapova and it was a thriller for an opening night. Few expected the five-time major winner to hit with her former power and composure after an injury-riddled return in recent months.
3
Aleksandra Krunic d. Johanna Konta (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Lots of expectations were on Johanna Konta, especially from the British media. Once she was in a dogfight with Aleksandra Krunic in the third set, the pressure mounted and she never really stood a chance.
2
Denis Shapovalov d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3)
The real coming-out party for Denis Shapovalov was his upset over Rafael Nadal in Montreal a few weeks ago. Now he’s showing that he could be the real deal sooner than later with an impressive and not-so-surprising straight-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The teen seems to relish fighting on the big stage.
1
Borna Coric d. Alexander Zverev (4), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (4)
While many tapped the young Alexander Zverev to win the US Open after winning ATP Masters 1000 tournaments at Rome and Montreal, this was a disastrous opener for him. Fellow young gun Borna Coric is filled with edgy confidence and belief that he can still be the best, despite some injury setbacks.