The last couple of days have served as a reminder that playing tennis when level or behind is very different from playing when ahead, especially for underdogs.
Saturday, Denis Shapovalov got to 40-40 on his own serve at 3-1 in the third set against Jannik Sinner. Sinner’s shoelace snapped, so he paused to change his shoe, giving Shapovalov time to think he likely did not need.
Sinner put on his shoes, broke Shapovalov’s serve and rolled to victory untroubled from there.
And over on Louis Armstrong Stadium, Taylor Townsend got herself to within a point of beating Barbora Krejčíková on no fewer than eight occasions.
She couldn’t seize the moment, undone by her own caution while ahead and Krejčíková’s freedom when behind, with the Czech blazing winners onto the lines to save several of them.
The ability to step up in such moments is a part of what separates players such as Sinner and Krejčíková, multiple Grand Slam singles champions, from the rest of the field.