Around the Open grounds: Sakkari's coffee spots and Coco's comics
NEW YORK -- The first day of the US Open always has a special kind of aura, a year in the making of a tournament that takes on a life of its own, and completely takes over New York City for three weeks.
It's a place to be seen, and the grounds are packed well before noon. They stay that way until the sun goes down, and then remain so for many hours after that. Pro tip: Be very careful where you're walking, and make sure to keep your head up, because you very well might stumble into someone taking a selfie or a video. People walk fast and hustle, in keeping with the New York way, so it's best to be fully aware at all times.
The first notable match of Day 1 was 19th-seeded Jasmine Paolini against Veronika Erjavec in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The crowd was finding its groove in the early afternoon as Paolini, playing her first match since Wimbledon, looked to find some hard-court momentum
"Jasmine's gonna come out with fury," one fan said after Erjavec took the second set to level the match.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist did just that, jumping to a 4-1 lead in the decider before closing it out 6-4 to advance to the second round.
Shortly thereafter, Jessica Pegula -- who has an opportunity to become No. 1 in the world if she wins her first major and gets some help -- stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium and took care of business against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 6-3, 6-2.
After the match, the World No. 3 admitted that she felt some nerves before the match, though you wouldn't know it. (Her coaches didn't notice it, either.)
Pegula said she didn't mind playing on Sunday, as opposed to Monday or Tuesday, because now she has a couple of days to breath and won't spend the next 48 hours overthinking.
Because her next match is in two days, she went back out to the court after the win and got some practice in. Pegula will play either Venus Williams or Sofia Kenin in the second round.
During her press conference, Pegula told reporters that she loves tennis documentaries. She praised "Rafa," and looks forward to watching "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter."
That led to some analysis of the trio, including Roger Federer, known as the Big Three.
"I think Novak's very different from Roger, and Roger is very different from Rafa [Nadal]," she said. "It's cool to see them being vulnerable I think, because they are all very different. And I think it also shows you don't have to think one way. There are different mindsets. People play for different reasons."
Pegula added that she's yet to see "Chris & Martina: The Final Set," but the trailer tugged at her heartstrings.
"I honestly wanted to cry just watching the preview," she said. "And I was like, I just need to give myself a second before I watch it."
Frodin's brush with an A-lister
Thea Frodin, 17, will make her Grand Slam main-draw debut -- and WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz main-draw debut, for that matter -- on Tuesday against World No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
She was awarded a wild card after winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 18s National Championships two weeks ago.
Many probably don't know that she also played young Serena Williams' tennis double in the Oscar-winning "King Richard" when she was 12.
She has yet to meet either Venus or Serena, though she hopes to this week. She did, however, meet Will Smith during filming, and found him to be warm and gracious. She shared a sweet anecdote about Smith encouraging her to pour hot water on her back after filming a scene where she was continually drenched with fake rain.
Sakkari's go-to coffee spots
Maria Sakkari talked a bit about her run to the semifinals in Queens five years ago, then transitioned to more pressing matters: where she loves to eat and drink in New York.
Pi Bakerie and Cafe Lyria are her go-to coffee spots (get the espresso at Lyria, she said), and she's partial to a pair of Greek seafood restaurants in Midtown -- estiatorio Milos and Avra.
"That's my highlight of my day," she said. "You know, I'm done with practice and treatment, and then I can get dressed and go have a good dinner. Food wise, I think [New York] is the best place – after Greece, of course. We managed to get some very tough reservations this year, so I'm very happy about that."
You won't catch her boozing, though.
"I never drink," she said. "I’ve never been drunk in my life, so I don't know how that is in New York."
Sakkari, seeded 32nd, will play American Robin Montgomery in the first round on Tuesday.
Roddick is a man of the people
The grounds got busier and more hectic as the day wore on, with many congregating behind the ESPN studio, in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium. In between takes, former US Open champion Andy Roddick -- who hosted a three-hour episode of his popular podcast, "Served," on the main stage this past Friday -- graciously signed large balls and hats for a sizable group of adoring, idolizing fans. He did, however, have to repeatedly ask them to step back from the monitors in front of them. He was kind, but firmer with each request.
Quite a vibe on Court 5
As the sun went down, it got a bit louder and a bit rowdier, and the fans started to get slightly ... tipsier.
That was the vibe on Court 5, where Katie Boulter took on American Carol Young Suh Lee.
"This is your moment, Katie!" one fan yelled to Boulter, presumably in encouragement, after she doubled faulted midway through the second set.
The crowd then get behind Lee, making her Grand Slam main-draw debut, as she rallied back. "Here we go, Carol, here we go!" a fan in the third row chanted, and the others around him followed suit.
Lee would take that set, to a great reaction from the crowd, before Boulter dominated the third 6-0 to advance to the second round.
She'll play either seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova or Sinja Kraus next.
Coco needs some comics
They've been giving out these nifty, special-edition Marvel-US Open comic books on the grounds, and Coco Gauff really wanted five of them.
She tried to crowdsource on Instagram, and a fan relayed the message to the tournament on social media. They have since hooked her up. Check her Instagram story for all the details. (Hurry, before it goes away.)
