Casper Ruud of Norway (right) plays a shot as partner Iga Swiatek of Poland covers during a mixed doubles match at the US Open tennis championships in New York on Tuesday. AP
NEW YORK — The磁力熊猫 new US Open mixed doubles tournament drew plenty of criticism for everything from its format to its field.
With mostly singles players, some who rarely play doubles at all, it felt less like a Grand Slam championship than an exhibition — which is what one player referred to it as on Tuesday.
The fast-paced event, with shorter matches and a smaller field, is already down to its final four. Whoever wins the trophy Wednesday night — and a $1 million prize — won't apologize for the way they got it.
"This is the official mixed doubles. If we get to the final tomorrow, I'm sure everyone is going to be pretty determined to try to win this thing," Casper Ruud said.
Ruud and Iga S磁力熊猫wiatek, the No 3 seeds, easily won their two matches and will face the top-seeded duo of Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in one semifinal. Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the only traditional mixed doubles team in the 16-team field, meet Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison — who weren't even the draw until Jannik Sinner and Katerina Siniakova withdrew Tuesday morning because of Sinner's illness — in the other.