NEW YORK: Simona Halep held ground to get the US Open rolling to a colourful start. While Camila Giorgi of the subtle style and furious shot-making owned the winners and unforced error columns, the 12thseeded Romanian weighed in with her solidity to claim a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win after faltering twice when serving for the match.
Gates at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre opened to fans, the first Slam to have pulled up shutters without reserves, from Day One. On a day when courtside temperatures crossed 30 degrees, the Grandstand and the Louis Armstrong stadiums, where former WTA No.1s - Halep and Garbine Muguruza - were in action, they were backed by noisy half-houses.
If there's something called too much colour, Nike might've achieved that in their jarring US Open collection, Halep was in mustard with navy panels, and Donna Vekic in a two-piece of cheery hue. On Arthur Ashe, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys were in contrasting palettes of green and mustard. Throw in the cobalt blue courts to the mix and sunglasses might be the best utilized accessory this fortnight.
Halep, a two-time major winner, whose ranking has slipped to No.13 after a summer marred by injury concerns, having pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon with a left calf tear. She won one match in two outings in her US hardcourt swing, where her right abductor was acting up. On Monday she arrived on court with her right thigh firmly strapped and her grit coming through in her grunt. Halep, who started slowly, broke in the ninth game, when Giorgi sent down a double fault and a forehand wide in an exchange where the Romanian was doing what she does best, chasing down balls. With shouts of 'come on Simo' ringing the air she served out the set to love.
Halep, cheered on by her Aussie coach Darren Cahill, broke in the fifth game of the second set, before pulling off an easy hold, in what is her poorest Slam in terms of results. She has one semifinal (2015) and one quarterfinal (2016) to show from nine outings, but showed signs of repairing on the opening morning.
