tennis

Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

“In this kind of match and with this type of opponent, confidence was tough.”

NEW YORK – Diego Schwartzman’s magical run at the US Open came to an abrupt end on Tuesday when he encountered Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals during the day session at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Carreno Busta defeated Schwartzman in two hours 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in their first-ever meeting.

Even the soccer chants of the Argentinian fans, which had lifted fellow countrymen Juan Martin del Potro to victory on Monday from two sets down, did not help Schwartzman, who proved unable to convert on multiple break-point opportunities, winning only two of ten. Carreno Busta won six of eight break points and kept Schwartzman back at the baseline throughout the match.

“In this kind of match and with this type of opponent, confidence was tough,” said Schwartzman, who was very encouraged by his overall performance in New York. “I am really happy to play there in the Arthur Ashe and in the Grandstand and many courts here in the tournament. The crowd this year was amazing. Many Argentinians, many people from here. It was really good.”

Carreno Busta will next face either American Sam Querrey or big-serving Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who played their quarterfinal later on Tuesday.

Israel’s Oliel advances in junior doubles Take four hard hitting junior boys from Brazil, Russia and Israel. Put them on a fast, hard court surface on a sunny Labor Day afternoon in New York. Add hard serves and ground strokes, precision volleys, offensive and defensive lobs, occasional drop shots, and extraordinary athleticism.

It is anybody’s game. Israel’s Yshai Oliel and Alexey Zakharov, the No. 7 seeds, came out on top, narrowly outplaying the Brazilian duo of Igor Gimenez and Matheus Pucinelle De Almeida 6-4, 7-5 in just over an hour on Monday night.

In the first set, teams held serve for the first four games before exchanging breaks.

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The Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

Schwartzman is loving the New York crowd, which has cheered for him throughout his matches so far.

NEW YORK – Diego Schwartzman is having the time of his life in the Big Apple. He hasn’t been to a Broadway show or a Yankees game, but he has twice been to the Grandstand at the US Open and stunned two of the tournament’s top players over the weekend.

Schwartzman – the 25-year-old Jewish Argentine – defeated No. 5 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday and returned to the same court on Sunday to knock out No. 16 Lucas Pouille of France 7-6(3), 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in his first career Grand Slam fourth round match.

Schwartzman advances to the quarterfinals and faces Pablo Carrreno Busta of Spain, who defeated Israeli-born Canadian Denis Shapovalov in straight sets earlier in the day on Sunday.

Schwartzman played catch up in the first two sets. He overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first set, tying at 3-3, never ahead until taking the tie-breaker 7-3.

In the second set, Schwartzman was down 4-2, then fought back to win three straight games and closing out the set 7-5.

After dropping the third set, Schwartzman closed out the fourth set in a quick 30 minutes.

Schwartzman is loving the New York crowd, which has cheered for him throughout his matches so far.

“They are helping a lot in the matches. When it’s a tough moment in the match, they are making noise with me, just to be with me in the match. I am really happy for that and thank everyone for doing that.”

Schwartzman is looking forward to playing his first Grand Slam quarterfinal against Busta in Arthur Ashe stadium.

The winner of their match will play in the semifinals against either Sam Querrey or Kevin Anderson.

Meanwhile, in the juniors tournament, Israel’s Yshai Oliel cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 first-round victory over American wild-card Ryan Goetz.

“I was happy with how I played and hope to continue like that,” said Oliel, who is seeded sixth at the event.

The 17-year-old lefty from Ramle is currently ranked No. 11 in the world for juniors and No. 890 for men.

“I was a little tight in the beginning of the match,” said Oliel to The Jerusalem Post. “I started feeling better and better every game.”

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The Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

“The Jerusalem Post” spoke to tennis star Madison Brengle about her first round of the US Open and religion.

NEW YORK – With Shahar Peer’s retirement in February after reaching a career high No. 11 tennis ranking in 2011 and Julia Glushko’s fall from a high of 79 in 2014 to her current slot at 252, Jewish tennis fans are left to wonder just how many women occupy the top 100.

American Madison Brengle No. 81 spoke to The Jerusalem Post about her 6-2, 6-3 loss to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium in the first round of the US Open, and about religion. Asked about being the only Jew in the top 100, she quickly interrupted.

“Isn’t Giorgi? She is in the top 100? There is a Jewish reporter who hunts down me and Camila [Italian Camila Giorgi No. 69], so I just assumed…”

Other top 100 players with unconfirmed Jewish roots include Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (4) and Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland (28).

Brengle, born and raised in Dover, Delaware notes that her mother is Jewish and her father is not.

“My brother and I feel like we kind of double dipped – we just did a bit of everything – we called it double dipping.”

While she and her brother “went to a little bit of religious school,” travel and tournaments got in the way of celebrating bat mitzva. Brengle reports, “We do Hanukka, but we are super casual.”

Brengle has not yet been to Israel, though she is good friends with Julia Glushko. We have been friends since age 10. We have known each other forever. She is really cool.”

Perhaps Brengle can help her good friend climb back in to the Jewish Top-100 club.

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The Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

If the 800 hot dogs sold on Day 1 of the US Open is an indicator, it is going to be a great two weeks in Queens.

NEW YORK – Day 2 at the US Open featured suspension of play for rain and ultimately cancellation of all matches not taking place in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with its retractable roof.

Still, the rain didn’t stop the crowd from braving lines of twenty minutes or more at the Kosher Grill.

“I’ll wait five minutes then move on!” said Adriana of Westchester who clearly waited much longer for a sausage- and-peppers sandwich.

“A classic move!” she noted.

Sarah and Moshe, a religious couple from Riverdale, hosting Israeli relatives, braved the line for two pretzels and three pastrami sandwiches.

Clearly not everyone in line was there for the kosher food.

“There is the perception that kosher meat is better meat,” noted one patron.

He very well may be right. Jon Katz, of Englewood, New Jersey, operates Kosher Grill every day but Shabbat at the US Open. He began serving kosher food in 2003 at New York Giants football games. He then went on to found Kosher Sports Inc., which operates concession stands at professional sporting events in many cities in the United States.

Katz, who worked on the New York Stock Exchange before starting in the kosher food business, is now a partner in NY Brat Factory on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and serves homemade hot dogs and sausages, in addition to steak, pastrami, wraps, pretzels, cold beer and more on the grounds at Flushing Meadows.

If the 800 hot dogs sold on Day 1 of the US Open is an indicator, it is going to be a great two weeks in Queens.

Inside Arthur Ashe, fans were treated to tournament top seed Rafael Nadal battling Dusan Lajovic of Serbia.

After a bit of a scare in the 64 minute first set, Nadal went on to easily win in straight sets.

While Nadal has historically denied rumors that his family may descend from Spanish Conversos, one orthodox Jewish ball boy was close enough to Rafa throughout the match to hand him tennis balls, towels and (theoretically) tip his kippa to the victor.

This ball boy is no boy – he appears to be in his 30s and has been working big-court matches for many years.

Other ball persons go bareheaded or wear Ralph Lauren baseball hats. This proud Jewish man prefers to be on court with his black suede yarmulke.

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