US Open Round 2
Why Round 2 Rules
The second round of a major is, for my money, the sweet spot: plenty of compelling matchups, and enough courts going at once that there is never a dull moment. This year’s US Open delivered a flurry of tight, high-level five-setters that totally dominated the last two days.
The Comebacks
Two players clawed back from two sets to love on Thursday, in surprising and entertaining fashion.
Leandro Riedi
If you haven’t watched him before, same here. The 22-year-old Swiss, ranked No. 435, became one of the lowest-ranked players this century to reach a Slam third round. He did it against Francisco Cerúndolo (19), rallying from two sets and a break down. With the win, he has risen into the top 250 in the live rankings, and a win in his next round will propel him into the top 200.
Kamil Majchrzak
Against Karen Khachanov, one of the tour’s most reliable five-set competitors, the Pole trailed by two sets and then 2–5 in the fifth. He saved five match points, in three different games before taking control in the tiebreak, winning it 10-5 Now we get Riedi vs. Majchrzak, a dream draw for both neither of them will ever get a better look at the fourth round of a major.
Favorites Going Down
Daniel Altmaier def. Stefanos Tsitsipas (26)
Altmaier is largely irrelevant on the week-to-week basis, but in best-of-five he’s a nightmare. The German’s one-handed backhand is gorgeous, the forehand solid, and the tenacity top-tier. His serve is severely lacking, which is why he struggles to win week after week, but when he gets involved in a tussle, he’s beyond dangerous. Altmaier saved break points in three straight service games, including a match point at 4-5, before breaking the Tsitsipas serve at 5–5 in the decider and served out what’s arguably the biggest hard-court win of his career. He gets the consistent Alex De Minaur in the 4th round, a tough draw for someone with so much tennis in his legs already
Ugo Blanchet def. Jakub Menšík (16)
Court 11 was in a frenzy for this 5th set. I’m not deeply familiar with Blanchet’s game, but he was electric in the fifth-set tiebreak. Menšík’s early-career five-set record isn’t pretty (now 1–6), but he’s 19, plenty of time to figure it out. Blanchet gets the peaking Tomas Machac in the third round.
Top-15 Seeds Stung
It got rough for a couple of headliners. Casper Ruud inexplicably fell to Raphaël Collignon, completely losing the plot after a straightforward win in round one. Later on the same court, Holger Rune was out-slugged by 35-year-old Jan-Lennard Struff, who has the ability to take the racquet out of your hand in big moments. This is especially effective against a player like Rune, who wants to outlast opponents in the big moments instead of going for broke.
Other Five-Set Winners
Flavio Cobolli and Tommy Paul also survived the distance. Cobolli overcame the tricky American Jenson Brooksby in a deciding set tiebreak. Paul had match points at 4–5 in the third before being dragged into a two-hour detour, ultimately closing 7–5 in the fifth. Gut-check wins all around.
What It Means for Round 3
With so many second-round marathons, the question becomes fitness: who’s got legs left for the weekend? For the Riedis and Majchrzaks of the world, the door to a career-best second week is cracked open. For the favorites,it's about resetting to continue their runs through the tournament. Now it’s all about recovery, nerves, and maybe a little bit of luck.
