Fits, in every sense of the word

The USO brings chaotic meltdowns, raucous crowds, and racism. Plus, former Nike athletes weigh in on what drove their exits and Venus wins the kit-off.

The Replay

Crowds and players lose control

In the span of what felt like both 30 years and three seconds, the first round of the US Open has come and gone, and we’ve already entered a chaotic second round. Barring world No. 6 Madison Keys’ R1 exit, the players you’d expect to win have won (we did it, Joe), but two results that fall in slightly different places on the upset spectrum left a lasting impression. A good or bad impression? Answers may will vary.

First there was Clara Tauson (14) vs. Alexandra Eala (75), the 20-year-old Filipino phenom you’d have to be heartless not to root for. With a set each, Eala fought back from a 5-1 deficit in the third, with a pivotal video review at 5-4 while Tauson was serving for the match shifting the momentum. The crowd, influenced in part by New York’s large Filipino population, had already been Team Eala for the whole match, but after Tauson complained about a shot Eala made near the net that she felt had crossed over the tape (which the umpire r…