Rafa Nadal cruised through his first round match against Dusan Lajovic in a roofed Arthur Ashe stadium.
Nadal was pushed on the back foot in the first set, as Lajovic managed to break Nadal, but he rallied to get the break back and seal the first set in a tightly fought tie breaker.
From then on, it was all one-way traffic, as Nadal stamped his authority, playing some blistering ground strokes to sail through the next two sets and secure a berth in the second round.
The US Open witnessed some torrential rain last night and thus the roof at the Arthur Ashe had to be closed in order for play to progress. The boisterous New York crowd, which is famous for its high decibels, could now hear itself in full force(as the noise was trapped inside). And so could the players, something that Nadal pointed out in his post match press conference.
“Being honest, it (the noise) is a little bit too much,” said Nadal
“The energy and support of the crowd is massive. I enjoy it and I have unforgettable memories from this tournament and this court because the energy is different from in other places.”
“But at the same time, under the roof, it’s too much noise. I was not able to hear the ball when hitting.”
“I understand it’s a show, but under the roof we need to be a little bit more strict about the noise. All the noise stays inside, and this is difficult.” he added.
Murray too had raised a few concerns about the roof last year, when the rain drops falling on the roof were producing a ‘thunderous sound’, making it hard for him to concentrate.
The chair umpire too had a tough time controlling the crowd last night as the New Yorkers like to make themselves heard, especially during the night sessions.
The reverberation created by the roof is something that organisers will have to look into throughout the fortnight. The crowd too needs to understand its responsibilities, as for them it might be just an event, but for the players, it’s their career.
