No one beats Shelby Rogers six times in a row

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (Reuters) – Shelby Rogers of the United States may have been looking for inspiration when she watched a 41-year-old video of compatriot Vitas Gerulaitis ahead of her third round match against world number one Ash Barty Saturday.

“And may that serve as a lesson to all of you. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row,” the former world number three told reporters after beating Jimmy Connors in the January 1980 Masters semifinals.

It was Gerulaitis’ first victory against Connors after losing 16 straight games to his compatriot American.

Rogers was due to face Australian Barty on Saturday for the sixth time in his career after losing the previous five meetings, including four in the 2021 season.

Things seemed to follow a similar pattern when the 28-year-old trailed 5-2 in the deciding third set, but she then scripted one of the sport’s most incredible comebacks to force a tie-break and beat the two-time major winner from Australia.

“This morning I was watching a video of Vitas Gerulaitis when he said, ‘Nobody beats me 17 times in a row.’ I was only six, so,” Rogers said in his post-game interview on the ground before bursting into laughter.

Rogers is currently ranked 43rd in the world and time and time again this season her progress has been blocked by the gritty Australian, who won five singles titles in 2021.

But the American decided to do things a little differently at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday and it paid off.

“I guess I have to thank her for teaching me a lot of lessons,” Rogers, the only American left in the US Open women’s draw, told reporters before another round of laughs.

“I think I’m journaling quite a bit, taking notes on players, scouts, things like that. Half of my book is on Ash at this point, you know. It’s the same. She doesn’t. missing no bullet.

“I think what I learned the most from her was that she’s No.1 for a reason. It was going to take everything I had tonight to beat her. I gave it away. all I had and I won. “

Report by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Tom Hogue

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