Rublev and Virtanen Have Thrilling Match as Upsets Rock the US Open

Many initial matches of the US Open’s main draw were expected to be predictable and over in straight sets, but that was not the case when 23rd seed Andrey Rublev faced the 109th-ranked Otto Virtanen. The potentially easy win became a five-set scorcher that had many fans on the edge of their seats.

Virtanen’s Lucky Loser Status

One of the biggest reasons that some expected this to be a straightforward match was the fact that Virtanen did not initially even qualify for the main draw. He was eliminated in the final round of qualifying after withdrawing from his match against Grigor Dimitrov. However, he achieved Lucky Loser status when Marin Čilić withdrew on Sunday due to injury.

Virtanen handed the walkover to Dimitrov due to a back injury he suffered during an earlier match against Jack Pinnington Jones. That recent issue made the Finnish player’s first-round performance even more impressive.

Match Recap

The first two sets of the match were incredibly tight, with both going to tiebreaker games. Virtanen narrowly won both, the first 7-5 and the second 7-0. Rublev looked visibly defeated after seven break points and the second tiebreaker finish.

The third set was a massive turning point, though, and Rublev delivered a bagel in just 28 minutes. He was then galvanized and won the fourth set fairly easily, with Virtanen only taking home two games.

In the grueling fifth set, Virtanen had his own comeback and the win seemed virtually his, thanks to a 6-5 lead. Rublev then saved a critical match point and drove the set to a final tiebreaker, which he won 10-5.

Other US Open Upsets

The Rublev-Virtanen match would have been the third upset to shake the US Open during only its first round. The most notable is naturally Mariano Navone’s five-set defeat of Novak Djokovic, marking the first time the 39-year-old legend has exited the tournament so early in two decades.

Another major first-round upset was Stefanos Tsitsipas’ defeat of Arthur Fils. The recent Cincinnati Open champion was heavily favored to win, or at least make the Grand Slam tournament’s final, before his early departure.

Potential Second Round Upsets

Felix Auger Aliassime is the most likely men’s player to have a surprise defeat during the second round. His fans might expect him to make it pretty far in the tournament, but his match against Rinky Hijikata in the first round took four long sets, and his upcoming matchup against Karen Khachanov tomorrow could easily take a turn.

If Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury acts up at all, he may have a tougher battle against Portugal’s Jaime Faria. Then again, his first-round defeat of Roman Safiullin in straight sets may mean the Spaniard’s injury worries are now behind him.

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