US Open: History-maker! Renata Zarazua becomes first Mexican woman since 1995 to beat a top-10 seed at a Slam

NEW YORK: There are two stories that play out simultaneously on a match court. One, maybe, is all about the fight—covering ground, chasing felt. The other strives for the balance that wobbles: the delicate timing, the quiet decisions, the dance between control and collapse.On Monday at the storied Arthur Ashe Stadium, Mexico’s Renata Zarazua, a gymnast in her younger days, scripted the perfect landing against the sixth-seeded American Madison Keys. The 30-year-old, weighed down by the weight of contesting her first major at home as a Grand Slam champion, saw her challenge fold under a mountain of unforced errors. Keys’ timing deserted her, her footwork lagged, and with every mistimed strike, tension mounted.Zarazua, ranked No.82 in the world, for whom facilities like the Ashe are rarely, if ever, available for practice sessions, ran a marathon in three-hours and 10-minutes. She outlasted Keys, the reigning Australian Open champions 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5 to score the biggest win of her career. The 27-year-old, who trailed by a set and 0-3, is the first Mexican woman to defeat a top-10 seed at a major since Angelica Gavaldon took down Jana Novotna at the 1995 Australian Open. Zarazua, 5 ft 3’, switched to tennis because her brother Patricio, now her coach, played it at the collegiate level.
Zarazua explained that playing in other stadiums, often as the outsider, had steeled her for the moment. “I didn't want the nerves to be what let me down in the match,” Zarazua said. “I thought I was playing really well the past few days and practicing well, so I was like, I've just got to find a way to use that to my advantage. The fear, the nerves, all of that, I just tried to leave it on the side and focus on my game and what I had to do.”Keys, who tallied a staggering 89 unforced errors, saw her challenge come undone by getting ahead of herself. She desperately wanted the win.“For whatever reason today I just couldn't separate myself (from it). It's more than just saying, I want to win, but feeling like winning matters just way too much. I just couldn't separate myself from that,” she said. “Then once you start playing badly, it just kind of snowballs.”Keys saluted Zarazua, saying, “Kudos to her for making me play a lot of balls today. She's a tricky player. She was kind of resetting the point over and over and over again and stayed tough on really important points.”The US Open has been the stage for diversity this year. On the opening day, it was Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen who set the tone at the season’s final Grand Slam. And on Monday, Renata Zarazua - alongside Eala’s friend and fellow Rafa Nadal Academy alum, Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong - who kept the story going.Wong, the 21-year-old qualifier, beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-5 7-5 7-6 (7-4) to becoming the first male player from Hong Kong to win a Grand Slam singles match in the Open era It was in Spain that Wong met fellow history-maker Eala. “Alex helped me a lot to get used to the environment because she was there for a long time,” said Wong, ranked 173.Wildcard entrant Nishesh Basavareddy, an Indian American with a fluid game, was cheered on by a spirited desi community and local fans alike out on Court 17. In a tournament already rich with storylines, the 20-year-old carried the hopes of representation. Against the ninth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov, Basavareddy had a chance to extend the diversity narrative. Egged on by chants of ‘USA, USA USA’ , Basavareddy, ranked 100 places below Khachanov, shook off a tentative start to seize the opening set. Khachanov, who also had his share of support, stood his ground to score a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 win in 3-hours and 12 minutes.