When did it become acceptable for U.S. men's tennis to have just one major quarterfinalist in a calendar year?
But there is no sign of panic among America's top guys at the U.S. Open, who in reality haven't shown in 2010 to be top guys at all.
According to the International Tennis Federation, the last time that the United States had only one quarterfinalist in the four majors was 1925, the same year that John Scopes was indicted for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. For about 85 years and dozens of Grand Slam titles later, it appeared that American tennis was making substantial progress. In fact, the United States evolved into the planet's dominant tennis nation.
But it hasn't been anywhere close to that since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal completely seized control of the circuit in 2005 and this year, Europeans have filled 30 of the 32 Grand Slam quarterfinal spots, with American Andy Roddick reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, and Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu getting to the Wimbledon quarters (fittingly, over Roddick).
“It's annoying that the Europeans are in the quarters every Slam,” American Sam Querrey said. “But we're trying.”
The 6-foot-6 inch Querrey was the last American man standing at the U.S. Open, and he was felled by Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Querrey fought extremely hard and should be commended for his effort in the 4 1/2-hour loss, but that's a match he has to win playing at home at Ashe Stadium.
Querrey had complained during the tournament's first week that there weren't enough Americans being put on Ashe, but tournament organizers actually made the right call: Put Federer and Nadal on every time they play because those are the two most popular guys on the planet, and given their multiple Slam wins, they deserve to part of the big show.
Roddick is also usually scheduled to play on Ashe and he deserves it, too, as he's the last U.S. male to win a major — 2003 U.S. Open — and has largely been carrying U.S. men's tennis on his shoulders since Andre Agassi retired in 2006. But do Querrey, John Isner and Mardy Fish really deserve dates on Ashe early in the tournament in front of the top four ranked guys just because they are Americans? They certainly do not. They have to earn their way on.
All eventually got to play on America's biggest stage and all lost there. Janko Tipsarevic hit through a bewildered Roddick. No. 3 Novak Djokovic routed Fish, Russian Mikhail Youzhny spun Isner around and then Wawrinka slightly overpowered Querrey when it mattered most. None of those U.S. guys put on Connors/McEnroe/Sampras/Agassi Slam winning type of performance.
Even Querrey, who played better at this major than he has at any Slam in his career, couldn't be pleased by the result. His decision-making was questionable during key parts of the match and if he doesn't improve his backhand, volley and court stewardship, it's going to be hard for him to crack the top 10. But the Southern Californian rarely gets too angry with himself, which is why after the defeat, he spoke in much the same dull tones as guy who just lost a mixed doubles match at a local club in Hermosa Beach.
“I was pretty sad in the locker room for a little while,” he said. “This has been a great week and I left it all out there today and I didn't get to the quarters. I'm bummed, but I did everything I could.”
That he did, but maybe he's missing that little extra something that will allow him to win a Slam. The same could be said with Isner, who appears to have a little more spark than Querrey does, but has also never passed the round of 16. Fish may have had the best summer of his career, but at 28 can he get any better?
Believe it or not, even though he experienced the worst Grand Slam season since he became a notable in 2003, Roddick still might be America's best hope to win a major.
So the U.S. Open will enter the quarterfinals without any American for the second straight year. It would have been nice to see Querrey do what Fernando Verdasco did in his spectacular 5-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 victory over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer out on Louis Armstrong Court — come back from 1-4 down in the fifth-set breaker with amazing shotmaking and end the match with the most clutch shot of the tournament, an around-the-net-post forehand passing shot on the dead run.
The American men will be pulling for compatriot Venus Williams in the women's draw and trying to find way to remain relevant. Maybe this year is a one off and maybe in 2011, the U.S. youngsters and the its veterans will begin to flood the second weeks of the majors again. Or maybe this time next year, we'll be wondering why the U.S. is being run over by Europe.
