Jewish power at US Open as Yshai leads the pack

Jack Milner

After all, how many major other sporting events have a kosher kiosk! The New York Brat Factory (certified glatt kosher) serves up wraps (tuna, turkey and chicken Caesar) as well as two types of Italian sausages with peppers and onions, overstuffed pastrami sandwiches, knishes, hot pretzels and of course, hot dogs (and pastrami dogs). The stand is closed on Shabbat, and the lines are long.

This year a group called SoomSoom, a kosher store in various parts of New York City, has a kosher style booth at the Open, serving up humus, falafel and more. The sign notes “Kosher Style” and workers explain that some food comes from their kosher stores and others are made on site, and that the stand is open on Shabbat.

Where outside of Israel will you find a ball boy wearing a kippah? Those who watched Novak Djokovic in action in the early hours of Monday morning, may have noticed one youngster chasing balls, wearing a yarmulke.

But this is New York and apparently the mother of an Orthodox Jewish day school learner reported that her son – also a ball boy at the tournament – wears the Polo Ralph Lauren-issued hat to cover his head.

As far as the Jewish players are concerned, there are a couple of Israelis – Dudi Sela, Amir Weintraub and Julia Glushko. Weintraub and Glushko had to battle through the qualifying tournament to make the main draw and each won a match before going out.

Sela lost a tough five-setter against No 18 seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay after leading by two sets to one.

The one exciting Israeli player still in the draw is Yshai Oliel, who is playing in the junior tournament. The 16-year-old has had two thrilling matches but on Tuesday caused a major upset by taking out the No 2 seed, Alex de Minaur of Australia.

He lost the opening set and faced a match point in the final set but then went on to run away with the ensuing tie-breaker, building up a 6-1 lead before closing out the breaker 7-2.

Serving at 4-5 in the third, the Aussie held a match point at 30-40 on the Israeli’s serve but Oliel held his nerve and his serve. The final score was 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) to the Israeli. It is great for him as that now puts him in the No 2 seed position in the draw.      

In the opening round he also lost the first set, against Juan Carlos Manuel Aguilar of Bolivia. The first set took 41 minutes and went the way of the Bolivian 6-4, but the left-hander from Israel needed just 19 minutes to win the second 6-1 and then, after being 0-2 down in the decider, reeled off six successive game to win the third 6-2. 

By the time Oliel clawed his way back to 2-2 in the third set, chants of “Yallah, Yshai”, “Kadima” and “let’s go, Yshai” from the packed stands turned to “mazaltovs” and requests for autographs when Oliel closed out the third set in just 29 minutes.

“I am proud of all the Israeli people and Jews who came to see us and cheered us today,” Oliel said, showing his appreciation for the support.

“I feel very good and happy. I am excited,” Oliel told the Jerusalem Post after his match. He reflected on the match and on his very successful year which includes winning the junior doubles title at the French Open. “I fought during the long match today. I still need to improve, to play more aggressive.”

Oliel feels he needs to work on his volleys and to be more aggressive to achieve his goal of rising in the rankings.

Coach Jan Pochter, who has worked with Oliel since he was four years old, acknowledged that his charge got off to a slow start. “He started nervous and tight and wasn’t his best. The other guy was aggressive and went for shots. Mentally, he was very tight. Then Yshai began to play much more aggressively and his opponent couldn’t match his rhythm.”

Pochter feels Oliel has tremendous potential. “He is one of the best players in the tournament, though mentally he has ups and downs. If he plays smooth, he will win.”

Pochter is accompanying and coaching Israeli juniors Oliel and Shelly Krolitzky at the US Open.

Oliel is also playing doubles where he has teamed up with Zouzou Berg of Belgium.