The contrasting fortunes of grand slam tennis were on full display at the US Open on Thursday. Some dreams were made while others were shattered.
Victoria Duval, the teenaged American who had captured the hearts of New York with her feats both on and off the court, was knocked out in straight sets in a brutal reminder of how far she still has to go to reach the top.
For Sara Errani, the world’s fifth ranked woman, the pressure of playing in the Big Apple became too much and she crumbled under pressure, tearfully admitting she had choked.
The tournament’s biggest stars all survived unscathed, ruthlessly dispatching their opponents.
Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams have 45 major singles titles between them and the trio won their second round matches in straight sets, as they normally do. For them, the championship never really starts until the second week.
For the vast majority, the last grand slam of the year is a stringent test of character from start to finish, where every win is cherished. There was no better example on Thursday than the Englishman Dan Evans, who is playing at the US Open for the first time.
Ranked 179th in the world, he needed to come through the qualifying tournament just to get into the main draw and was not expected to go much further.
The formality of a first round exit was lost on the 23-year-old, however, as he tore up the script and carried his qualifying form onto the big stage.
In his opening match, the Briton pulled off the biggest win of his career when he upset Japan’s Kei Nishikori, ranked 12th in the world, with many observers expecting that performance to be the highlight of his campaign.
On Thursday, however, he won again, this time beating Bernard Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3, a win made all the more sweeter because the Australian’s father had snubbed him a year ago in Miami.
“It was quite funny, actually,” Evans recalled. “I was there playing quallies.
“His dad sort of fobbed me off and said I wasn’t good enough to practise with him. I remembered that.”
Duval was thrust into the spotlight after she beat the 2011 US Open champion Sam Stosur in the first round.
But her run ended almost as soon as it began when she was beaten 6-2 6-3 by Daniela Hantuchova on an outside court.
Errani crashed to a 6-3 6-1 loss to her Italian compatriot Flavia Pennetta then did something no-one expected. In a sport where players try to hide their smallest weaknesses, she revealed her darkest secret.
“I’m feeling too much pressure,” the 26-year-old confessed.
“I don’t know why, but I’m not enjoying going on the courts, and that is the worst thing a player can have.”
Her mood was in stark contrast to Victoria Azarenka who brushed aside Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3 6-1.
Williams was also dancing to a different beat.
Her match against Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was held over because of rain. Unfazed by the delay, she cruised to a 6-3 6-0 victory.
Federer hardly broke into a sweat as he brushed aside Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-2 6-1.
Nadal brushed aside Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil 6-2 6-1 6-0.
Yesterday’s results: (Women) Li bt Robson 6-2 7-5; Radwanska bt Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 7-6 (Men) Djokovic bt Becker 7-6 6-2 6-2.