I didn't expect to watch any qualifier US Open matches considering I wasn't familiar with many of the players, but that quickly changed once I got onto the grounds! It wasn't long before players started catching my eye and I was getting into the swing of things!

One of the players that easily grabbed my attention was Portuguese athlete, Joao Sousa! I was sucked into his first match against Frenchmen Ludovic Walter as soon as my butt hit the bleacher! Both men were playing well but my focus rarely left Sousa. Not only was he attractive but he was pleasant to watch. He is a baseline player that has great ground strokes and a good serve! He likes to get his shots close to the lines and can easily get his opponent on the run. The first set was very close and packed with great rallies! It ended in a tiebreak 6(4)-7. I really enjoyed seeing the energy coming off the 22 year old. I'm always interested in players that are animated on court. I think their emotions can enhance the game and grab you even harder into a match. Sousa argued a few line calls with the umpire and spoke a lot with himself. Unfortunately the only thing I could understand him saying to himself was "Puta" at one point! He also showed a lot of positive emotions, frequently pumping himself up after a good point!
The second set wasn't as close in score but it was still packed with great points! The final score was 6(4)-7 4-6.

Because of the rain Sousa's second match against another Frenchmen, this time Augustin Gensse (23) was delayed a day after scheduled. Also, sadly for me they started the match an hour before gates open, on a day I was already running late! I ended up missing the first two sets. Gensse started off well, winning the set 1-6. Sousa snagged his revenge by taking the second 6-1 . Finally I made it to the match in the third! Another thing I really like about the Portuguese player is his fighter instinct, almost a Tiger like persona! I had a group of ladies sitting behind me that couldn't stop gushing about the match! They were calling their friends and talking to each other about how exciting both players had been. They also seemed as impressed with Sousa as I was!

All of a sudden loud music started playing on the speakers next to the courts. The music reminded me of something you'd hear in Star Wars. It was highly distracting and both players stopped to get guidance from the umpire. The umpire told the players to continue on! Gensse had a lot of trouble accepting the noise. He frequently looked over at the umpire and questioned if continue play was the right decision. Although the music didn't seem to disturb Sousa as much, Gensse started to pull ahead. I have to give a lot of credit to Gensse as well. He was playing great & had good touch! But, sadly for me Sousa was unable to gain any more momentum in the third and Gensse was declared the winner! Final score was 1-6 6-1 4-6.

Sousa is currently ranked 205. He reached his career high at the beginning of the summer with 190. I hope Sousa is able to grow high into the rankings! Like I said, he is a great player to watch and I highly enjoyed taking in both of his matches! Not only does he have a nice game, but he also seems fan friendly which is a huge bonus for me! He always seemed very polite and willing to take pictures and interact with the fans around him! I know the fans really appreciate it! Keep up the good work Sousa! I predict big things for you in the future!





















Courtney Jade
report and pictures from New York

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