Should the U.S. Open, the last of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the 2016 season, be renamed the French Open?
Three of the eight quarterfinalists are French, after all.
Lucas Pauille, just 22-year-old, has reached his second Grand Slam quarterfinals and will face the French veteran Gael Monfils, who recently turned 30 and has made it this far in one of tennis’ Majors on seven earlier occasions.
It is certain therefore, that the semifinals will feature at least one French player.
The future of the other Frenchman in the bracket with his countrymen is less than certain, as Jo-Wilfried Tonga, currently carrying the world number 11 ranking, must get past no other than Novak Djokovic.
In the other bracket, Kei Nishikori of Japan will face Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Argentina’s Juan del Porto will meet Stan Wawrinka.
On the women’s side of the affair, the last American standing is Serena Williams. She moved into the record books as the all-time leading winner of matches in Grand Slam tournaments for either gender. Her last win against Yaroslava Shvedova moved her past Roger Federer.
American tennis has been on the decline for quite some time as Europeans, Australians and even South Americans have reduced the Yanks to also-rans, with the exception of Serena.
