US Open: Opening week mayhem and why Emma Raducanu should attempt to take positives, says Laura Robson

In her newest Sky Sports activities column, Laura Robson discusses new names within the males’s draw, Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka for the ladies’s title? And why Emma Raducanu should take positives from her run to the third spherical…

Every Grand Slam has its personal persona and the US Open is hectic, in the easiest way! Everybody works lengthy hours, I get to see as a lot tennis as attainable and work on extra matches, nevertheless it does have an effect on the sleep. I feel I am averaging 5 an evening, nevertheless it’s so value it. And the ambiance and the vitality being across the grounds simply carries you thru, together with loads of coffees.

I do know if I had an early end I’d get again to the lodge and watch it on TV anyway, so I determine I could as effectively simply be right here in particular person and soak it up!

But it surely’s good in a manner as a result of it simply permits me to catch as a lot tennis as attainable. I do know once I would get again to the lodge that I’d put it on and watch it on TV, so I figured I would as effectively simply be right here in particular person and soak it up.

Second week nerves?

I feel the primary week’s been actually enjoyable. There have been a number of new names, particularly on the lads’s facet with so many seeds going out early on. Usually the ladies’s draw is talked about as extra unpredictable nevertheless it appears to be the reverse this time. I feel we at all times pinpoint Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the 2 most important contenders, however outdoors of that everybody else is having some difficult moments.

Even Novak Djokovic hasn’t been solely completely satisfied along with his stage within the first few rounds.

Jan-Lennard Struff is having the event of his life, coming by way of qualifying and taking out Frances Tiafoe and Holger Rune! He must be one of many largest winners of the week.

We’ve not but seen the most effective of Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka both, which makes it fascinating to see how the draw unfolds. As quickly as these prime gamers get themselves into the second week, they appear to search out one other gear and play their finest tennis when everybody else begins to really feel the nerves.

‘Raducanu will take positives from previous couple of weeks’

Raducanu was up towards a really in-form Elena Rybakina. You’ll be able to come away from that match feeling upbeat about what Emma can enhance on to problem the cleanest hitters. And Rybakina was seeing the ball like a basketball, hitting all the things within the candy spot. For certain, a tricky opponent to come back up towards however thrilling to know that she’s acquired the subsequent few months to get higher, to maintain working. And that is what she’s doing on the apply court docket.

Having the ability to keep wholesome and due to this fact play each week makes an enormous distinction. To your self the most effective likelihood of being seeded at Grand Slams, to know you will not play one other seed until the third spherical.

I feel it is solely positives to take from the previous few weeks for Raducanu. And waiting for a time of the season the place lots of different gamers are drained and there is lots of factors nonetheless on the road. If you happen to’re mentally contemporary and feeling like you’ll be able to take it on, then it is a fantastic alternative.

For Jack Draper, you by no means absolutely know the way a lingering damage goes to react till you are in that match scenario and also you play with the match depth {that a} best-of-five requires.

You’ll be able to hit 200 serves and forehands in apply and it simply will not really feel the identical as making an attempt to hit a primary serve at full tempo at a tense scoreline. It is such a disgrace for him, contemplating how effectively he did right here final yr as effectively. These courts swimsuit his sport extremely effectively however crucial factor is that it does not linger, that it does not change into extra of a difficulty. And hopefully he is caught it on the proper time.

Properly, for the lads’s, earlier than the event, I predicted Sinner to win. For the ladies’s, I went for Iga. Not likely pushing the boat out however I am sticking with them!

Laura Robson was chatting with Sky Sports activities’ Raz Mirza at Flushing Meadows, New York. Watch the US Open, stay on Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra stay sport this yr at no additional value. Discover out extra right here.