Last summer was no fluke.
If the American men’s performance at last year’s US Open was disappointing, then the result this year is flat-out alarming. For the second straight year, no American man made it through to the fourth round — last summer was the first time in the Open era — after the final hopefuls, No. 13 John Isner and unranked Sam Querrey, were both eliminated on Saturday.
“American as a whole, it’s not for me to worry about,” Isner said. “But for me personally, it’s very disappointing.”
Querrey’s exit was expected, even if his effort in a 1-hour, 25-minute 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 loss to top seed Novak Djokovic left a lot to be desired. Isner, however, was sent packing for the third straight season by 22nd-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), in the third round, a dismal showing for the big-serving 6-foot-9 Floridian, who didn’t lose his serve once throughout the entire match.
“I got a little tight, to be honest, didn’t move my feet on some big points I really needed,” Isner said. “I got to be better than that. It’s as simple as that. I feel like I’m better than that. I just didn’t show it out here today.
“It stings really badly.”
Querrey, who failed to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam this year, never stood a chance against Djokovic, losing the first five games of the match in a brisk 15 minutes.
“That was a beatdown right there,” Querrey said.
Victor Estrella Burgos couldn’t continue his unexpected run, but the 34-year-old journeyman made the most of his first U.S. Open appearance.
The unlikely underdog, who became the first Dominican to appear in a Grand Slam at this year’s French Open, fought valiantly before falling in three straight tiebreakers in the third round, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), against hard-serving, fifth-seeded Milos Raonic on the Grandstand court.
Estrella Burgos, who has spent most of his career on lower-level tours and was the oldest player left on either side of the draw, netted a career-best $105,090 for his performance, but noted the lone downside.
“I have to pay taxes,” Estrella Burgos quipped, saying he plans to put the money back into his burgeoning career. “For me, [this] was the best week. Really amazing. … I’m not too sad because I had a very good week.”
Nicole Gibbs, 21, fell to 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta, 6-4,6-0, after a career-best run to the third round, leaving Serena Williams as the only American woman left in the singles draw.
Though the women’s draw is in shambles, the top 10 seeds still are alive on the men’s side, with No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka, No. 8 seed Andy Murray and No. 9 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all advancing.
Murray and Tsonga will meet in the fourth round.