U.S. Open Day 1 highlights: Venus wins match for ages

Venus Williams, 34, shown in last month's Bank of the
West Classic at Stanford, beat 43-year-old Kimiko
Date-Krumm in the first round of the U.S. Open.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Match of the day --No. 19 seed Venus Williams, 34, defeated 43-year-old Kimiko-Date Krumm 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The combined age of 77 is believed to be a women's Grand Slam record.

   Biggest upset -- Nick Kyrgios is at it again. The 19-year-old Australian, who upended top-ranked Rafael Nadal to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month, ousted No. 21 seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 7-5, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (1). Kyrgios (pronounced KEER-ee-ose) incurred three code violations, one short of being defaulted. Youzhny, 32, reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2006 and 2010 and quarterfinals last year.  
   Notable -- Andy Murray, the eighth seed and 2012 champion, overcame head-to-toe cramps to beat Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-3, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-5. Haase also cramped, but less severely. ... Past U.S. Open champions Novak Djokovic, seeded first, and Maria Sharapova, seeded fifth, won in straight sets.
   U.S. report -- The women went 3-1 and the men 0-2. Advancing were Williams, No. 21 Sloane Stephens and wild card Madison Brengle. Losing were wild card Danielle Collins, Donald Young and Bradley Klahn.
   Northern California connection -- Klahn, a 24-year-old Stanford graduate coming back from a foot injury, fell to Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
   Fast fact -- Sharapova won the final 10 games in her 6-4, 6-0 victory over Maria Kirilenko in a matchup of 27-year-old Russians and close friends.
   Quote -- The volatile Kyrgios, on the vocal support he received during his match: "I was really, really happy with that. It was awesome. I'm going to get scorched in Melbourne for saying it, but this is my favorite Grand Slam. Suits my personality a bit."