By Rory Carroll
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The upset-rich first round of the U.S. Open did not spare American men looking to end their championship drought on home soil as some of the nation’s top prospects floundered in the first round.
Hopes were especially high for 10th seed Taylor Fritz, who had a breakthrough victory at Indian Wells in March and who seemed primed to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows back in 2003.
But on the eve of Roddick’s 40th birthday, those dreams were dashed by qualifier and countryman Brandon Holt.
Ranked 303 in the world, the son of former two-time U.S. Open champion Tracy Austin stunned the Wimbledon quarter-finalist 6-7(3) 7-6(1) 6-3 6-4 in his first match in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.
“I feel like an idiot for thinking that I could win this thing, win the U.S. Open,” a dejected Fritz said after the first round loss.
“I can’t go out and play a match like that. It sucks. I feel awful.”
Touted Americans Mackenzie McDonald, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, and Maxime Cressy were also all sent packing after their first-round losses.
But while Fritz and those others fizzled, tour veteran John Isner was solid, cracking 19 aces en route to a straight sets win over Argentine Federico Delbonis.
Hard-hitters Jenson Brooksby also eased into the second round, dropping just two games before Serbian Dusan Lajovic was forced to retire from the match in the third set.
And rising star JJ Wolf was impressive, dispatching experienced Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 6-4 6-4 to punch his ticket to the second round.
Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul both won their first-round matches and will face off in an all-American battle in the second round, as the dreams of the Stars and Stripes once again reigning supreme in New York live on, at least for now.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in New York; Editing by Stephen Coates)
