New York: Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is enjoying some top-notch tennis at the US Open, with the legendary cricketer spotted watching the men’s singles quarterfinal match between Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and Italy’s Jannik Sinner inside the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday (September 8).
The verified twitter account of US Open Tennis, @usopen, on Saturday tweeted an image of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Chennai Super Kings’ skipper and wrote, “ICYMI (In case you missed it): Indian batting legend MS Dhoni was in the building for Wednesday’s record-setting quarterfinal between Alcaraz and Sinner that ended at 2:50am.”
Dressed in a blue t-shirt, Dhoni sported a casual smile and seemed to be clapping for one of the competitors.
One of the fans said, it was nice to see the US Open recognising one of India’s great sportspersons. “Great to see the USO (US Open) shouting out greats from countries outside the American bubble. Chapeau,” the fan tweeted.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz outlasted Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 in an epic five-hour, 15-minute long quarterfinal to reach the semifinal of US Open 2022. The classic quarterfinal between Alcaraz and Sinner ended at 0250 hrs on late Wednesday night and became the second-longest match in US Open history.
Before this match, the most delayed finish in US Open history was 0226 hrs, which happened three times. The longest match in the event’s history came in the 1992 semifinals between Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang, which lasted five hours and 26 minutes.
On Saturday, Alcaraz moved within one match of winning his maiden Grand Slam title by setting up a title clash against Norway’s Casper Ruud. Should Alcaraz win the final on Sunday, he will be the new world No. 1. He has also become the second teen to make the US Open final in the Open Era, joining the legendary Pete Sampras of the US.
Reports in the media quoting CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan recently said that Dhoni will continue to lead the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023. Dhoni, who has led CSK to four IPL titles, will be close to 42 by the next IPL season. But, the cricketer is still a vital cog for them.
–IANS