Call the new Louis Armstrong Stadium the “Graveyard of Favorites.”
In the very first official match on the $150 million Armstrong court on Monday, No. 1 seed Simona Halep of Romania crashed and burned in the first round of the US Open against 43rd-ranked Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-4 before a lot of fans had settled into the afternoon. The match began at 11 a.m., kicking off the 50th US Open as her fans were chanting “Si-mo-na” as the upset unfolded.
Halep became the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose in the first round in the 50 years of the professional era.
With a punishing forehand, Kanepi cruised through the first set and got up a break in the second set at 4-2. But Halep, the world’s No. 1 player who won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, rallied, breaking Kanepi at love to draw even at 4.
But Halep couldn’t hold her serve to fall behind 5-4 and went into a mini-tantrum during the changeover, shaking her head as she slammed her towel against her chair repeatedly. Halep had hit a poor passing shot on break point, in which Kanepi executed a lovely forehand-sliced volley winner.
At 5-4, Kanepi held for the match as Halep floated a forehand long on double-match point. Kanepi finished with 26 winners to just nine for Halep.
Kanepi won seven points at the net to Halep’s zero. She broke Halep five times, converting 5-of-7 break points.
The upset eases Serena Williams’ draw as she could have faced Halep in the fourth round.
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