Tennis returns to MSG after six years with the Garden Cup
The world’s largest sports arena, Madison Square Garden, hosted a men’s and women’s showcase presented by the Legends Team Cup. Each match consisted of three sets, the decider if necessary, a 7-Tiebreak with points. To speed up the procedures, ad-free evaluation was used, with the recipient choosing where to receive.
The Garden Cup, to the delight of the sold-out crowd, oozes with power, variety and levity. The women’s match featured two top ten American stars: Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro.
Pegula ranks #7 and from Buffalo, New York had a stellar season defending its title at WTA 1000 in Toronto and reached her first Grand Slam final US Open. Emma Navarro, a native New Yorker, won her first career title at Hobart earlier in the season and took a top ten finish in #8 after her incredible run straight US Half open. They met once on Tour at the Miami Open, which Pegula won in straight sets.
Navarro won the toss and elected to serve. She faced triple break points and dropped serve after three unforced errors. Pegula did 4/7 serves first but returns the break with a shot at the net.
Al Bello / Getty Images Sports / Getty
Navarro pressed an ace wide and took a backhand down the line to get on the board as Pegula missed 3/4 first serves to throw the serve. Navarro faced break point with a net advantage and dropped serve with another.
Pegula did 2/4 first serve and consolidate the break in love for 3-3. Navarro was almost perfect defensively and it paid dividends the way she held it 4-3 next deuce.
Pegula serving new balls hit her first ace and love for a draw, while Navarro hit two winners including her second ace for a love hold. Pegula made it a trifecta with three straight wins and another love 5-5.
A draw seemed inevitable as Navarro stepped to the line. Although she hit a forehand down the line, she dropped serve with her first double fault. Pegula served for the setup 6-5 but gave the break back with three costly miscues.
The crowd was all in as Navarro served the switch first. Navarro led 4-2 when they changed ends and reached the set point at 6-4 but Pegula refused to capitulate. She leveled at 6-6 with a fantastic lead on the line, but two errors from that side cost her the set.
Pegula served first in the second and although she faced break points, she used a backhand slice and a drop shot to secure the match. Navarro hit two winners, including another assist, but dropped serve when she hit a forehand.
Pegula opened the third with a sharp cross-court shot, but three unforced errors, including a double fault, cost her the game. Navarro who served with new balls opened up with a backhand and consolidated the break with a stunning lead down the line for 2-2.
As the two continued to hit with abandon, Pegula hit two volley winners but it was all for naught as she dropped serve after two incredible winners from her opponent.
Navarro opened the sixth with a tremendous pass down the line and was easily held 15 to consolidate the break while Pegula did 3/5 first serves and is held for him 15 ABOUT 3-4. Navarro playing a high risk game cut her lead with a great run before the line pass.
Pegula serving to stay in the match faced 0-30 but fought back and held on 4-5. Navarro served for the match but faced a triple break point and dropped serve when Pegula broke the return down the line.
Pegula faced 0-40 as the errors continued to mount and got the break back when Navarro hit a ball. Charleston, SC the resident once again served for the match, and this time with new balls. She quickly reached triple match point, but dropped the next two points before closing out the match, set and match 7-5.
It was a very entertaining and fascinating match between the two of them WTA the tournament’s elite strikers and ball movers. While there were some on-court shenanigans and bright smiles throughout this exhibition, the women played with a sense of urgency and desire to win.
The men, however, took it to another level and I’m not convinced the capacity crowd was fully on board. While reasonably priced tickets were available, many paid several thousand dollars to see the world #3 Carlos Alcaraz fights American southpaw Ben Shelton.
Alcaraz is only twenty-one years old and currently ranked #3has already reached the number one ranking and won four Grand Slams. Shelton a year older, it is 2022 NCAA champion and world #21. IN 2023 he reached the semi-finals in US Open, won his first career title in Tokyo, and his second last spring in Houston. Alcaraz prevailed in both tournament-level matches – both on tough courts.
Shelton served first and held at love while Alcaraz held 30 to level. The American hit an ace off the tee and held on comfortably 15 while the Spaniard served up two unforced errors, including a double fault to drop serve.
Shelton opened with two consecutive forehand faults and despite facing deuce, consolidated the break for 3-1. Alcaraz soaking up energy from the passionate crowd hit his first ace and held on with ease 15 ABOUT 2-4. Shelton served up two straight faults, three in all, and dropped serve after Alcaraz stabbed a backhand volley.
The reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion smashed the forehand down the line and tried at love to consolidate the break. Shelton hit two more winners, including another ace to lead off 5-4. Alcaraz, serving to stay in the set, opened with a double fault and conceded it after two consecutive net shots.
Shelton had momentum and fewer unforced errors. It seemed that the American would hide in the right. old world #1 however, he had other ideas. Shelton served first in the second and with a well-struck, inside-hand tweener held for him 30.
Alcaraz held 30 to level despite gifting another double fault. The American raised the money with two straight winners and a love hold. Alcaraz hit another ace and served the ball with a monster, leveling 2-2.
Game five began with a spectacular cat-and-mouse exchange with another track and volley winner. Seemingly out of nowhere, a “fan” came onto the field on Shelton’s side and “played” the next point! Soon after, the American double-faulted and dropped serve.
Alcaraz did 3/4 first serves and consolidated the break in love. Shelton, despite facing a break point, got back to business with four incredible winners, including a cross-court run on game point. Alcaraz did 6/6 serves first and the set is sealed 6-2 when Shelton scored an antecedent.
A seven-point tiebreaker would decide the match. Shelton hit an ace out to tie the game 2-2 but Alcaraz won the next three points. Relations continued as two “fans” came out on the field and “played” a point. Why points were awarded to Alcaraz is up for debate. The Spaniard would go on to win the shot 7-4 when Shelton got the hand return very wrong.
While there was an abundance of impressive points, incredible court coverage and great shots, I’m not a fan of fan shenanigans! If this is your cup of tea, then promote it as a pro-am or charity event.
People pay top dollar for exhibition matches and the city was hungry for this double-bill showdown. Die-hard tennis fans have waited years to see professional tennis at the Garden. If I had paid thousands of dollars for this event, I don’t think I would have been thrilled when the “fans” came out onto the field to “hit” balls. There is a time and place for that – however, this was not the case.
