US Open umpire’s Kyrgios visit scrutinized; Wozniacki loses

Published 3:40 am Friday, August 31, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Kyrgios was losing big at the U.S. Open on Thursday, and barely even trying. Didn’t move while so-so serves flew by for aces. Casually put groundstrokes into the net. Double-faulted without caring.

The crowd began booing. The chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, decided to intervene. In an unusual sight for Grand Slam tennis, Lahyani clambered down out of his seat during a break between games, stood with hands on knees, and spoke with the 30th-seeded Kyrgios, saying, among other things, “I want to help you.”

It all seemed like an impromptu intervention for the mercurial Kyrgios, right out there on Court 17 at Flushing Meadows, and it raised questions about whether Lahyani overstepped his duties as someone who’s primarily there to keep score and keep order. Kyrgios went from trailing by a set and a break at the time to wresting control of the match — setting up a third-round showdown against Roger Federer — by coming back to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-0.

“This was not his job,” Herbert said, adding that he thinks Lahyani should be sanctioned in some way. “I don’t think he’s a coach, he’s an umpire, and he should stay on his chair for that.”

The U.S. Open’s referee and chief umpire were reviewing what happened, as was the Grand Slam Board. Chair umpires are never made available to the media, but tournament referee Brian Earley said Lahyani explained that he left his perch “to make sure he could communicate effectively” with Kyrgios in a noisy arena.

According to Earley, the official said he wanted to check whether Kyrgios needed medical attention and to warn the player that Lahyani “would need to take action” if the “seeming lack of interest in the match continued.”

LOOKAHEAD TO FRIDAY

The highlight of the Day 5 schedule is Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams in the third round, the 30th tour-level meeting between the sisters and their earliest matchup at a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years. Their very first head-tohead showdown came in the second round at the Australian Open in 1998. Venus won that one, but Serena leads their series 17-12, including 10-5 at majors. Given that Venus is 38, and Serena turns 37 next month, the question is: How many all-in-the-family matches do they have left. That will open the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and be followed by 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro against No. 31 seed Fernando Verdasco. Two intriguing encounters involving the defending U.S. Open champions are scheduled to be played in Ashe during the afternoon: Sloane Stephens against two-time runner-up and former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, and Rafael Nadal against up-and-comer Karen Khachanov, who is seeded 27th.

Men’s second round: No. 2 Roger Federer beat Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-4, 6-4; No. 4 Alexander Zverev beat Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; No. 6 Novak Djokovic beat Tennys Sandgren 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2; No. 7 Marin Cilic beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-0, 6-0; John Millman beat No. 14 Fabio Fognini 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Mikhail Kukushkin beat No. 23 Hyeon Chung 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-3; No. 30 Nick Kyrgios beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-0.

Women’s second round: Lesia Tsurenko beat No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2; No. 4 Angelique Kerber beat Johanna Larsson 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; No. 5 Petra Kvitova beat Yafan Wang 7-5, 6-3; No. 6 Caroline Garcia beat Monica Puig 6-2, 1-6, 6-4; No. 10 Jelena Ostapenko beat Taylor Townsend 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Aliaksandra Sasnovich beat No. 11 Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 7-6 (3); No. 14 Madison Keys beat Bernarda Pera 6-4, 6-1.