Team USA Tracker
Monday August 30, 2021
OPENING DAY OF THE US OPEN and TEAM USA Tracker is going In-Depth on the US Open.
Follow Every American Match here
MUST SEE TV TRACKER’S MAIN FOCUS THIS WEEK
The US Open begins on Monday with 44 Americans in the main draw (23 Women, 21 Men).
Since last week 3 Americans withdrew from the US Open: Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams (they have 31 Grand Slam Titles combined). With the Williams sister WDs it is the first tournament since the 1997 Australian Open that Serena, Venus, Roger, and Rafa were not in the draw. Fun stat: 48% of the American players playing in the US Open were not even born yet the last time there was no Serena, Venus, Roger, or Rafa at a Grand Slam.
The only American who has a Grand Slam Title will be in the All American match of the day to start things off Monday at Noon ET ( Arthur Ashe) Sloane Stephens faces Madison Keys in a rematch of the 2017 US Open Finals when four US women made the SFS.
Other All American Matches on Monday include #19 John Isner taking on 19 year old upstart Brandon Naskashima on Louis Armstrong Court. Frances Tiafoe taking on qualifier Christopher Eubanks (also on Armstrong) and Emma Navarro vs Christina McHale (Court 5)
The way TV works for the US Open
11 AM: ESPN plus and usually Noon: TV Coverage picks up on ESPN or ESPN2
TV Coverage for Monday will be on ESPN (12 to 6 PMET) and ESPN2 (6PMET to Close)
I have provided the full schedule here since some days it is on ESPN and ESPN2 and even some days it picks up at 11 AMET
TeamUSATracker will provide separate sheets to track in Team USA Tracker to track every American at the US Open. Times are estimated times because besides the lengthof the match before we can expect some weather delays in New York City on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday that could push some play back on the outer courts (only Ashe & Armstrong have roofs). To see all the Americans especially through the 1st and 2nd round, Team USA Tracker advises watching on ESPN Plus and you can watch multiple matches at once using the ESPN Plus Multi-Cast.
ICYMI: Heartbreaking Match from Qualifiers
Just one final note it was almost 45 Americans late Friday night after a four hour rain delay as Team USA Tracker was tracking all the qualifications: American Aleks Kovacevic (in his first US Open Qualification as a WC) lost to Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti despite having six match points (not on his serve) to break and win the match vs Trungelliti. Team USA tracker has no doubt that Kovacevic will be back, he looked awesome in qualification and I want all the Tennis Directors to give Kovacevic a Wildcard to their ATP Tournament in the next year.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT USA WOMEN’S HOCKEY
On Saturday when College Football began, USA Women’s Hockey put on an offensive outburst that higher than 20% of the College Football Teams playing on Saturday. USA Hockey scored 10 goals to beat Japan 10-2 in the QFs of the World Championships. Hilary Knight’s 3 point explosion vs Japan means she has officially passed Cammi Granato as The Top Ameriacn in all time goals & points at World Championships.
Knight with 7 more points at the World Championships she can be come #1 overall.
USA Women’s Hockey plays Finland today in the SFs and they win will face Canada in the Gold Medal Game on Tuesday.
ICYMI: TEAM USA TRACKER THREADS
PARALYMPICS MEDAL THREAD
Been sending out an update on US Medal Count (Winners overnight) plus Team USA Team Sports (Team USA Goalball Teams and Wheelchair Basketball teams begin QFs tonight) . Wheelchair Rugby took home a silver in a hard Gold Medal Game loss to Great Britain but Team USA is still the only country to get a medal in every Paralympic Games in WC Rugby. Click before for the full thread that includes QF times for Goalball and Basketball.
Note re Medal Count: Team USA was 4th in Rio (Russia was banned), 6th overall in London, 3rd in Beijing. Last time Team USA was #1 in Medal Count was 1996 Atlanta.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIPE FOR OLYMPIC CROSSOVER ATHLETES
Also click below for a fun thread on College Football being the ultimate crossover for Olympic sports. What sports have used College Football players in Tokyo and in the Super Bowl Era?
COUNTDOWN
157 Days Until Beijing
In Winter Sports news: congrats to Team Sinclair winning Fall Classic at Oakville Curling Club
1067 Days Until Paris….Should Golf switch to Match Play during the Olympics? @TeamUSATracker wants that to happen and Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau this weekend continued the exciting Playoff Golf that really gripped the PGA in three straight weeks with an American coming on top (Kisner win, Finau win last week)
Bryson DeChambeau came this close to winning after 3 holes
Cantlay made this birdie to win it on the 6th playoff hole and won (after DeChambeau couldn’t make his birdie putt)
As a bonus Cantlay automatically qualified for the Ryder Cup team and match play felt like a game of horse on the golf course. Match play and a 64 player knockout tournament could add an extra fun feel to the Olympics and I think also sets up a really cool Mixed Golf Match Play event.
Any questions feel free to email 247teamusa@gmail.com