2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Ferrer cruises into third round

David Ferrer sailed into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2 win over his fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Ferrer, seeded fourth, lost the second set in a tiebreak but was otherwise untroubled as he continued his consistent run at the Grand Slams.
The Spaniard has made it to at least the third round in each of the last 15 Grand Slams.
During his streak, Ferrer has reached five semi-finals, including last year's US Open, and one final, at this season's French Open.

 

[Smallville22]

Evans continues New York fairytale with Tomic win

Englishman Dan Evans revealed a snub from the ****** of Bernard Tomic was the motivation behind his upset victory over the combative Australian in the second round of the US Open.
The world No.179 eliminated Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 before recalling the time John Tomic, who is ****** from the ATP Tour because of an assault charge against him in Spain, told him he was not good enough to train with his ***.
"It was quite funny, actually," Evans said.
"I was there playing quallies. His *** sort of fobbed me off and said I wasn't good enough to practice with him. I remembered that.
"We went to practice. It was all booked. In Miami, there's a little practice hut. I got to the practice hut. His *** said, 'No, no. He's a qualifier, I'm not hitting with you. So, it was one of those. A bit embarrassing, but hey."
Evans said he held no grudge against Tomic jnr because he wasn't there when he was given his marching orders.
"I know him (Bernard) pretty well," Evans said. "Played juniors with him. But I don't think it was his doing. He wasn't there."
Evans, who has been of the big surprises of the tournament, also revealed he needed medical treatment against Tomic for an unusual affliction.
"My nipples were about the colour of your shirt," he told a reporter wearing a bright pink shirt.
"Oh, the stick I'm going to get back home is, like, devastating....I don't know what it was. It was just agony."
Evans, who beat Japan's world No.12 Kei Nishikori in the opening round, moved into an unexpected third-round clash against Spain's 19th-seeded Tommy Robredo.
Trailing a set and a break at 2-3, Evans swore while admonishing himself and the fightback began.
"I'm not pleased with the F-bomb," he said.
"It was pleasing I could find some belief inside and find my game, because it wasn't there. I looked at the clock, I think it was 34 minutes and I was a set and a break down. It was looking like the airport for me."
Evans said Tomic's defensive playing style had given him the chance to play aggressively.
"He gave me a lot of opportunities to play," Evans said.
"He made me look pretty good in the tiebreak. He was just pushing the ball into the middle of the court. It was like I had to be brave and hit the ball. That's what he makes you do. He lures you in."
Roger Federer looms as a possible fourth-round opponent for Evans. The Englishman has never played Federer but unlike Tomic's ******, the Swiss master had no reservations about practising with him at Flushing Meadows this week.
"It was amazing to hit with someone so good. I really enjoyed it," Evans said.
"We actually had a really good hit. He was a nice guy, interested in what I did. It was good."

 

[Smallville22]

Serena continues defence with crushing win

Serena Williams took another emphatic step in defence of her US Open title by crushing Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-0 on Thursday to reach the third round of the year's final Grand Slam.
The top-seeded American needed a short while to get accustomed to breezy conditions on Arthur Ashe Stadium court before winning 10 of the last 11 games in a 69-minute rout.
Williams, 31, has dropped just four games in four sets at Flushing Meadows this year, slamming the door on the 77th-ranked Voskoboeva by limiting her to nine points in the second set.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can, just always trying to get a little better," said Williams, who dismissed Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-0 6-1 in her opening match.
Williams was not at her top form, guilty of 13 unforced errors including seven from her forehand side, and faced a busy day at the National Tennis Center with a doubles match alongside her ******, Venus, scheduled for later on Thursday.
Battling the gusting winds, Williams landed just 64 percent of her first serves, but took advantage of the weak second serve of Voskoboeva.
The 16-times Grand Slam singles winner was supposed to play her second-round match on Wednesday but rain ****** a postponement.
Williams said following her singles match with a doubles game was a positive.
"Definitely gives you more time to work on things you want to do in your next match," the younger Williams ****** said. "That's kind of how I look at it, just as getting more time to be more ready."
Williams will be returning Friday to close the night programme at Arthur Ashe against Voskoboeva's compatriot Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 6-3 winner against Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria.
The top seed said playing on successive days did not bother her.
"I usually play every day," she said. "In regular tournaments I don't have a day off. Only in the grand slams I get the luxury of having a day off. I guess I didn't get that, (but) I'm definitely used to it."

 

[Smallville22]

Federer and Serena cruise in New York, Errani cracks

Roger Federer and Serena Williams, stress-free and loving the limelight, strolled into the third round of the US Open as the pressure began to mount at the season's last Grand Slam.
For Federer and Williams, it was business as usual at Flushing Meadows but not for Italy's Sara Errani, the women's fourth seed.
Crumbling under the weight of expectation, Errani crashed to a 6-3 6-1 loss to compatriot Flavia Pennetta, then made the startling admission she ****** under pressure.
"I don't know why, but I'm not enjoying going on the courts," she confessed. "And that is the worst thing a player can have."
Federer, unflappable even as he struggles to add to his record collection of 17 Grand Slam singles titles, hardly raised a sweat as he brushed aside Argentina's Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-2 6-1.
"For me it was pretty straightforward, to be honest," Federer said. "It's one of those matches I expect myself to win if possible in straight sets and gain confidence in the process.
"All those things happened, so, yeah, I'm pleased about it."
Williams was also unflustered even though the wind was blowing hard when she strolled on to the Arthur Ashe Stadium centre court.
Her match against Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was held over because of rain. Unfazed, she cruised to a 6-3 6-0 win.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can," Williams said. "Just always trying to get a little better."
With Wednesday's rain giving way to brilliant sunshine, most of Thursday's other daytime matches went according to the rankings with none of the men's seeds losing.
David Ferrer, the men's fourth seed and this year's French Open finalist, beat fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2.
Richard Gasquet, Janko Tipsarevic and Dmitry Tursunov all won without dropping a set. If there was surprise in the men's draw, it was when Dan Evans toppled Australia's Bernard Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3.
Evans, who is ranked 179th in the world and had to come through the qualifiers just to make the main draw, upset Japan's Kei Nishikori in the first round then followed up by beating Tomic, ranked 52nd.
Petra Kvitova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic were among the winners in the women's draw, which lost four seeds, the most notable being Errani.
One of the sport's rising stars, ranked number one in the world in doubles and fifth in singles, she admitted after her loss that she was overcome by pressure.
The 26-year-old, who was promoted to fourth seed when Maria Sharapova pulled out of the tournament, said she had been shaking and struggling to ***** for four days and did not want to go on court.
"I don't want to go to play. I don't want to stay there on the court. I feel very bad," she said. "So that is the problem for me."

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka's love affair with New York continues

Victoria Azarenka charged into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3 6-1 win over Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak.
Azarenka's love affair with New York's hardcourts is starting to get serious. The Belarusian is so smitten with Flushing Meadows that she now thinks of them as an old lover.
"I would say it's my husband," she said after her 6-3 6-1 win over Wozniak.
"Because we have been together for a long time (we) got really comfortable with each other. Yeah, it's my husband."
Azarenka's affection for hardcourts, the sport's most physically demanding surface, appears mutual. Her greatest successes have all come on hardcourts. She has won each of the past two Australian Opens and reached the final of the US Open last year.
"Yeah, (I'm a) hardcourt lover," she joked.
Azarenka's popstar boyfriend Redfoo need not worry. He is always in her mind when she goes to play, providing the soundtrack she listens to on her headphones when she walks on court.
Azarenka had few real problems in her second round match with Wozniak.
The blustery winds at the Louis Armstrong Stadium made serving difficult and she was broken three times but the world number two was always in control, cruising to victory in a little over an hour.
"It was a good match. It was very good and solid beginning of the first set, and a good second set," she said. "Towards the end I felt like I let her play a little bit and she really went for her shots, so I had to adjust a little bit better."
Azarenka expects a tougher match from her next opponent in the third round, Alize Cornet of France, after the 26th seed beat Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-2.
"Alize is a great player with a lot of experience. She's been top 20 before," Azarenka said.
"She's a young player. She's the same age, highly motivated. Yeah, it's going to be a great match."

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki skips into third round with comfortable win

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki raced to a 6-1 6-2 win over South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers to reach the third round of the US Open and put last year's struggles behind her.
The sixth-seeded Dane, made to work hard for her first-round victory over Chinese qualifier Duan Yingying, dropped her first service game on Arthur Ashe Stadium court then never looked back in a 67-minute romp.
"I'm really pleased with the way I was moving today and moving from defence to offence," Wozniacki said on-court after her efficient groundstroke game contrasted with 27 unforced errors from the South African.
Wozniacki, 23, was slowed by a right knee injury last year when she failed to make it out of the first round at the US Open following a first-round exit at Wimbledon.
"I think I always improve as a player. I think I'm playing good tennis. I think I've improved since then," she said.
Neither player registered an ace but Wozniacki's superior return game gave her an upper hand as she put all but three of Scheepers's 47 serves into play.
"She didn't give me any errors in the beginning and I thought I was pressing too much and made some unforced errors," said the South African. "I was trying to get into the net a little bit and made the mistakes.
"With a player like Caroline, once you get behind, it gets tough to get yourself back in because she's such a tough competitor and doesn't give you anything."
Wozniacki, who reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows in 2010 and 2011 and the final in 2009, will next play Italy's Camila Giorgi, a 6-4 7-6 (8) winner over Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan.

 

[Smallville22]

Duval's US Open comes to an end

Victoria Duval bowed out of the US Open with a 6-2 6-3 loss to Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova before revealing she was likely to become one of the tallest player on the women's tour.
"I know I have a lot of room to grow," the 5-feet 9-inches Duval said. "I'm still growing right now. My growth plates are still open.
"I'm not sure how that's happening. But I think once my body settles in, I'll be able to work a little more on my fitness. I haven't really been able to because of injuries and growing.
"One doctor told me I will be at least six feet. My grandmother was six-four."
The animated 17-year-old American's romance with the US Open ended quickly but the Atlanta-based teenager was inspired by becoming a role model during her whirlwind 48 hours at Flushing Meadows.
Feted as the new darling of American tennis following her opening-round triumph, Duval was unable to replicate the blistering form that disposed of former Open champion Sam Stosur when she was handed a reality check by Hantuchova in one hour and 12 minutes.
"It was overwhelming," she said of the media attention.
"Obviously winning my first round was quite an achievement.
I'm just really proud that I've been able to give myself a good image on the court, and off the court.
"I was touched by all the little **** that came up to me and told me I'm their role model. I think for a 17-year-old, that's pretty cool."
Duval admitted to feeling restricted against Hantuchova in front of a boisterous crowd on Court 17.
"I don't think I ever felt free in the match today," she said.
"I don't think it had to do with the score or anything. She hits really hard and I couldn't really get myself going. I just never felt comfortable.
"I missed a couple of really close shots when I had opportunities. A couple of shots make the difference in matches ... and I don't really have an easy time playing in the dark with my glasses."
Despite new-found confidence from beating Stosur, Duval said she would keep her ambitions realistic, aiming to raise her ranking from 296 to the top 150 by the end of the year.
"I'm not going to go above and beyond myself," he said.
"I'm going to set reasonable goals. This was just another tournament, but I've had a great experience."

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal crushes Brazilian Silva

Overcoming hardship makes you stronger, according to Rafa Nadal, who is proving his point with a sensational comeback year and a sparkling hardcourt run after a debilitating knee injury.
Nadal was sidelined for seven months by the injury, but hard work and determination have again made him a ferocious ***** as evidenced by his 6-2 6-1 6-0 mauling of Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil to reach the third round of the US Open.
The victory improved the Spanish second seed to 17-0 on hardcourts this year, which has included titles at Indian Wells, Montreal and Cincinnati among his nine trophies in 2013.
Nadal said overcoming adversity was enormously satisfying.
"When you are coming back after hard times, after an injury ... you need to work hard. You need to work with the right attitude every day," said 12-times winner Nadal.
"You need to be ready to suffer, to enjoy the suffering, and to be able to change the situation."
Nadal, the 2010 US Open champion, has dramatically turned around his fortunes, posting a 2013 match record of 55-3.
He put his dominance on display in a 92-minute rout at Arthur Ashe Stadium, facing only one break point but saving it and ripping 30 winners to the Brazilian's nine.
World number two Nadal, who missed the 2012 US Open because of a knee injury, will next play Ivan Dodig of Croatia, a 6-1 6-4 6-4 winner against Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Silva had shown extraordinary grit in his opening round five-set victory against Canada's Vasek Pospisil, saving an astonishing seven match points - the most in the ATP Tour this season - before closing out the decisive tiebreaker 12-10.
Nadal gave the Brazilian no room to escape, however.
Victory on the court was sweet, but the Spaniard said making the climb back made it all the more satisfying.
"When you are in a low position, low situation, you are able to work to change that dynamic because you really feel the love for sport, the passion for sport," said 27-year-old Nadal.
"After overcoming a tough situation, then you are ready to compete better than before. That's something that I am sure. All my life I played with a lot of passion. I love the sport. I love the competition.
"So I feel very lucky and very happy to be back on the tour and playing well again."

 

[Smallville22]

Day five order of play

Order of play for day five of the US Open, with Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Laura Robson all expected on court.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Laura Robson (GBR) [30] vs. Na Li (CHN) [5]

Not Before 1pm (6pm UK)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Benjamin Becker (GER)

Jamie Hampton (USA) [23] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA) [15]

7pm (midnight UK)

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [6]

Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)

Louis Armstrong Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [3] vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [32]

Denis Kudla (USA) vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5]

Andy Murray (GBR) [3] vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)

Grandstand

11am (4pm UK)

Tommy Haas (GER) [12] vs. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [24] vs. Sabine Lisicki (GER) [16]

Donald Young (USA) vs. Florian Mayer (GER)

Jie Zheng (CHN) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [18]

Court 17

11am (4pm UK)

Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs. Rajeev Ram (USA)

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [9] vs. Kurumi Nara (JPN)

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA) [17]

Court 13

11am (4pm UK)

Julien Benneteau (FRA) [31] vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [20] vs. Somdev Devvarman (IND)

Court 11

11am (4pm UK)

Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS) vs. Tim Smyczek (USA)

Kaia Kanepi (EST) [25] vs. Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)

 

[Smallville22]

Radwanska downs Pavlyuchenkova to reach last 16

The ultra-consistent Agnieszka Radwanska wore down Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 7-6 (1) on Friday to reach the fourth round at the US Open, continuing her impressive streak at this year's Grand Slams.
The third-seeded Radwanksa survived some anxious moments against Pavlyuchenkova before sealing victory in 73 minutes. She will play Russia's Ekaterina Makarova in the round of 16.
"It was tough, two tight sets. Actually the first one, and the second one, it was just by a couple points," Radwanska said.
"I played very good in the tiebreak. I was really focused from the beginning, and I just wanted to win the tiebreaker very much."
If she wins her next match, the Pole will become the only woman to reach the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams this year.
The US Open is the only Slam that Radwanksa has failed to reach the quarters and this will be her fourth appearance in the fourth round in eight appearances at Flushing Meadows.
"Well, of course I will do everything to make the quarter-final this year," she said. "I like the hard court and I really had great results on that surface. I think it's just something wrong here that I can't pass the fourth round.
"This is another opportunity, so I will try my best."
Unlike a lot of the other top-ranked woman in the world, Radwanska is not a power player so has had to mix up her game and employ different strategies to counter her stronger opponents.
Like her ********* idol Martina Hingis, the 24-year-old used a lot of lobs and drop shots and changes of pace to bamboozle her rivals.
"We don't have powerful games or anything like that," Radwanska said. "Just mixing everything up always trying to find a way to win the point but not really bombing like others."

 

[Smallville22]

Li Na overcomes Robson in New York

Li Na recorded a straight sets 6-2 7-5 win over Laura Robson to progress to round four of the US Open.
Li, seeded fifth after reaching the Australian Open final earlier this season, needed 81 minutes to avenge her third round loss to Robson at Flushing Meadows last year.
"At least this year I'm in the second week," said Li, whose next opponent will be either Serbia's Jelena Jankovic or Japan's Kurumi Nara.
As a former French Open champion and two-time Australian Open finalist, Li had too much experience and firepower for the British teenager, 12 years her junior.
The 31-year-old Li was rewarded for her aggressive approach, hitting 23 winners and banging down 11 aces on a windy day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I was a little bit surprised because today I have a lot of aces. It was like, wow." Li said.
Robson contributed to her own downfall by committing 30 unforced errors, 15 in each set, but was satisfied with her overall performance in the tournament.
"I'm disappointed about today for sure and I thought I could have played a lot better," she said. "But I always knew it was going to be a tough match. All in all, I guess it was an average week.
"In my first two rounds I thought I played really well and I closed out the matches really well, which is something that has improved a lot over the last 12 months."
Still just 19, Robson is making steady improvement each season and was the first British woman to be seeded at a Grand Slam in more than a quarter of a century.
"I think I'm going in the right direction. I feel like I'm improving and working on a more all-around game," she said.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work, but I'm willing to do that."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic shrugs off slow start to speed into third round

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic saved two set points in the opening set but lost just four games the rest of the way in beating Germany's Benjamin Becker 7-6 (2) 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round of the US Open.
Djokovic was broken in the ninth game of the first set to fall behind 4-5, but broke right back and ****** a tie-breaker, which he won 7-2 before cruising the rest of the way.
The 26-year-old Serb said he had trouble with his footwork in the tricky conditions against a dangerous opponent in 87th-ranked Becker, best known for beating Andre Agassi at the 2006 US Open in the last match of the American's career.
"It was a struggle," Djokovic, the 2011 US Open winner, said about the opening set.
"I tried to move him around the court...that was my tactics.
"But it was very tough. It was a lot of unforced errors, very windy conditions."
Djokovic made an uncharacteristic 18 unforced errors in the first set before getting comfortable with his approach on the blustery court - an adjustment that might pay dividends as the tournament progresses.
"It was a lot of wind, wind that is not consistent. It changes direction all the time, you have to be alert," added Djokovic, stressing the importance of being balanced when attacking the ball.
"You need to have this adjustment, footwork, steps, in order to get on the ball. I didn't have that in the first set."
Djokovic adapted and after the 52-minute first set struggle won the next two sets in a total of 59 minutes.
"After I played a good tiebreak, then everything kind of settled. I started to serve better," said Djokovic, who belted in 13 aces.
"I started to step into the court, which is important." Djokovic, who lost in five sets to Andy Murray in last year's final in Flushing Meadows, has designs on adding to his haul of six Grand Slam titles.
"My game is getting there. I feel that it was a big test for me today. It was a challenge and I needed to overcome it."
Djokovic will next face Portugal's Joao Sousa.

 

[Smallville22]

Stephens beats fellow US hope Hampton

Rising US player Sloane Stephens took care of business against Fed Cup team-mate and friend Jamie Hampton, powering her way to a 6-1 6-3 victory to earn a place in the round of 16 at the US Open.
In a showcase between two players among a promising group of emerging US women, 15th seed Stephens used a combination of bigger groundstrokes and more accurate serves to charge past an error-prone Hampton in 63 minutes.
"I just tried to play my best. It's tough playing Jamie, a good friend. Definitely a tough match to come out here on Ashe," said 20-year-old Stephens. "I just tried to stay focused and do my best and luckily got the 'W'."
Stephens, who burst into the international spotlight by upsetting Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and reached the last eight at Wimbledon, benefitted from 34 unforced errors from Hampton.
Stephens, who also reached the fourth round at Roland Garros for the second successive year, put 70 percent of her first serves into play, while Hampton found the range on less than half of her first deliveries, putting her on the defensive.
Hampton, ranked 26th, broke serve in the sixth game of the second set to put it back on serve at 3-3, but at 30-30 in the next game she missed a backhand overhead volley and Stephens broke her one point later and did not lose another game.
Hampton, 23, had enjoyed an impressive stretch on tour, beating two seeded players at the French Open including 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to reach the fourth round. She made it to the Eastbourne final on grass and the semi-finals on the hard courts of Stanford.
The Americans had last played in the first round at Wimbledon, with Stephens winning 6-3 6-3.
Next up for Stephens will be another all-American clash as she faces defending champion Williams.
Stephens said her approach going forward would remain simple.
"Just play my best, play my game," she said. "All you can do is do your best and that's what I'm going to count on."

 

[Smallville22]

Frustrated Andy Murray overcomes Mayer

Andy Murray entered the US Open determined to enjoy every moment but there were times in his second-round triumph over Leonardo Mayer when all the old frustrations, aggravations and self-admonishment returned.
The defending champion dropped a set but still lodged a 7-5 6-1 3-6 6-1 victory over the Argentine slugger, finishing strongly in a typically electrifying atmosphere at a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Britain's number three seed has become such a drawcard at Flushing Meadows that the queue for his clash stretched hundreds of metres back to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Mayer's aggression paid dividends in the third set before Murray knuckled down in a blistering fourth set to close out the win in two hours and 41 minutes.
"I was a bit frustrated at points in the match because I was doing quite a lot of the running," Murray said.
"I wasn't getting much depth on my returns. I served a low percentage today. You don't feel like you're dictating the match. It can be frustrating, but I finished the match well.
"I played well when I needed to. That's a good sign. I want to keep improving as the tournament goes on. You don't want to play your best right at the beginning."
Murray's first serve was poor. He landed a mere 57 per cent of his first deliveries but his renowned fitness and defensive capabilities kept Mayer at bay in an arena that descended into organised chaos at times.
Spectators were late to their seats and called out between points on a court that has been home to numerous close struggles for Murray in recent years.
"It's a court I haven't played my best tennis on, that's for sure," he said. "I've had some tough matches there in the past, and today was the same.
"But I'm happy to play on any court. It doesn't really make a huge, huge difference. We got a great crowd out there.
"It was a really good atmosphere from pretty much the first point through to the last. Whether or not I play well on that court, it's always a really good atmosphere."
Frenetic crowd activity is a hallmark of the US Open and Murray said he would never complain about the noise of the fans because he revelled in the different atmospheres at the four major championships.
"At this tournament, on all of the big courts, it's very different to Wimbledon, for example," he said.
"It's something you need to enjoy about the tournament. It's quite loud. There's always noise during the points. There's a constant kind of murmur you hear whereas at Wimbledon, it's pretty much silence.
"It's a different atmosphere, and one that I enjoyed when I came here the first time as a ***, playing the juniors.
"You just have to get used to it each time you come back. All of the Sams have very, very different atmospheres."
Impatient while waiting until late in the evening to play his first round match on Wednesday, Murray said scheduling problems were now the least of his concerns.
His next match will be against another Mayer, Germany's unconventional Florian. They have met twice, on European clay, and Murray has prevailed on both occasions.
"It was quite a wait to play the first match," Murray said.
"By the time I got on (court) Wednesday night, I literally wanted to play. I wasn't thinking about anything else. Maybe in that way, it helped me a little bit.
"But I'm in the tournament now. I play every other day. I'll stick to the same routines pretty much until the end of the tournament."

 

[Smallville22]

Hingis serves up double disappointment on return

Two matches. Two full houses. Two losses. Martina Hingis proved she could still put backsides on seats in her return to the US Open, even if her service game recalled more the struggles of the past than the triumphs.
Hundreds of spectators were shut out of Court 17 for the 32-year-old's cameo in the women's doubles but her return to Grand Slam tennis, also incorporating an appearance in the mixed event, was blighted by a pair of defeats.
******* years after winning her only US Open singles title, the woman once known as the "Swiss Miss" made two appearances at Flushing Meadows.
In the first, she partnered Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova against the top-seeded Italian pairing of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
The match ended in underwhelming fashion for Hingis, who served up consecutive double faults to seal a 6-3 7-5 loss.
Hingis was crestfallen.
She had received a massive cheer when introduced to the crowd and been the focus of all attention. The roars and groans from the bleachers matched her own fluctuating fortunes.
Hingis beamed whenever the old magic returned but this was no hit and giggle.
The former world number one argued with the umpire, bounced her racquet in frustration and clenched her fists throughout a determined effort.
Hingis dropped her opening service game in a tentative beginning. A hint of what would come.
There were flashes of the craftiness that landed her five major titles but her serve lacked punch.
Her physical fitness was evident to everyone who saw her.
Walking through the crowd to her first match, a large man stood in front of her and said: 'Jeez, you're looking good!'
Hingis later returned for a mixed doubles match under the Court Four floodlights with India's Mahesh Bhupathi against Sweden's Robert Lindstedt and Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan.
Again she served to stay in the match at 5-6 in the second set. She held.
Another defeat was on its way, however, when Hingis conceded two mini-breaks in the tie-breaker en route to a 7-6(5) 7-6(5) reverse.
She admitted nerves and relative poor fitness had contributed to her losses.
"My calf was ******* me," she said. "I couldn't get up on my serve any more. And definitely the nerves. Not playing at a Grand Slam for six years doesn't help, either.
"I think it's because I just played a lot and my body's not used to it. I feel like I'm playing well but my body is screaming, 'What are you doing to me?'"
Hingis first retired in 2002, aged 22. She launched a full-scale comeback in 2006, but retired again in 2007. That same year, she admitted to having tested positive for *******.
By then, her finesse-based game and lack of serving penetration were proving ineffective against a powerful new generation led by Serena and Venus Williams.
She said she would continue playing with Hantuchova in tournaments in Asia, but dismissed out of hand a return to singles.
"God, give me a break," she said. "No, I haven't given any more thought to it. I have a hard enough time trying to cover half the court. Full court is a completely different ball game.
"But I always enjoyed the big stage, and you saw the people that came today. You don't see such a crowd in women's doubles, normally."

 

[Smallville22]

Hewitt stuns Del Potro

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt won an absorbing late-night thriller against Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open to move into the third round.
In a battle between two former US Open champions, the veteran Australian came out on top after more than four hours, winning 6-4 5-7 3-6 7-6 (2) 6-1, in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Del Potro, who stunned Roger Federer to win the 2009 US Open, was one of the favourites to win the men's singles title but the towering Argentine was unable to find an answer to Hewitt's counter-punches as the pair slugged it out like two heavyweight boxers.
"It's amazing," Hewitt said on-court. "I was pumped up when I won my first-round match because I knew I was playing Del Potro and we could be on Arthur Ashe (Stadium).
"I don't know how many years I have left in me so I was just hanging to get back on this court again."
Hewitt may no longer be as fast as he was when he upset Pete Sampras to win the final 12 years ago but the 32-year-old showed he had lost none of his combative spirit.
Scrambling around the centre court to keep up with his younger opponent, he fetched more balls than a golden retriever, and hit a string of inch-perfect winners.
His biggest flaw, however, remains his serve, which lacks the power of most of his opponents and it threatened to let him down.
After snatching the opening set, Hewitt, who also won Wimbledon in 2002, had a perfect opportunity to take a two-set lead.
He was just a point away on his own serve when he double-faulted. Del Potro went on to break him and take the set and seized the momentum.
The 24-year-old Del Potro, seeded sixth at Flushing Meadows, won the third set but was starting to run out of gas.
He found himself down a break in the fourth and although Hewitt failed to serve out the set, the Australian won the ensuing tie-breaker 7-2 to send the match into a deciding fifth set as the boisterous New York roared with approval.
Del Potro blinked first and Hewitt pounced to break his serve twice and jumped out to a 5-1 lead. The Argentine saved a match point on his own serve but double-faulted on the second as Hewitt celebrated a remarkable victory.
His prize for winning was a third-round clash with the unseeded Russian Evgeny Donskoy, who won his own five-set marathon against Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3, but Hewitt was not looking too far ahead as he soaked up the moment.
"A couple of years ago, when I had a couple of foot surgeries, I didn't know if I'd ever play tennis again," said Hewitt, who has fallen to 66th in the rankings.
"It was a hell of a lot of fun, I cherish every match I get. This is why I still play, to have moments like this."

 

[Smallville22]

Serena win sets up all-American fourth-round match

Defending champion Serena Williams beat unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-1 to set up a US Open fourth-round clash with fellow American Sloane Stephens.
Four-times US Open winner Williams grabbed the only service break of the first set in the sixth game and immediately seized the advantage by breaking the 78th-ranked Shvedova in the opening game of the second set and charged on to victory.
The routine win moved the world number one and top seed into the round of 16 against 20-year-old Stephens, who defeated Williams in the quarter-finals of this year's Australian Open.
The 15th-seeded Stephens defeated compatriot Jamie Hampton 6-1 6-3 in her third-round match.
Williams, 31, was never really threatened by Shvedova, who had advanced to the third round with the loss of just six games.
The 25-year-old with the heavy, flat groundstrokes produced only three winners as she fell short of becoming the first woman to reach the fourth round of the US Open representing Kazakhstan.
Williams dismissed the notion that she would be playing for revenge against Stephens with a berth in the quarter-finals at stake.
"It's going to be tough, Sloane is playing so well," Williams said on court after her late finish in the final night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"Regardless, there's going to be one American in the quarter-finals, and I'm really proud of Sloane and it's going to be a really good match."
Stephens, after her victory, said she was eager for a clash against Williams.
"I think it will be an epic," said Stephens. "I'm really looking forward to it."
The young American lost to Williams in the Brisbane quarter-finals two weeks before the Australia Open.
"She's a great competitor, one of the best players to ever play the game," she said about what she admires about the 16-times Grand Slam singles winner.
"She's a fierce competitor, obviously she's number one in the world for a reason. She's very aggressive. She stays on top of you, doesn't give you any room to breathe. She's intense. She knows what she wants to do out there.
"That's why she's number one in the world."

 

[Smallville22]

Evergreen Hewitt defies doctors to record huge upset

Six doctors told former world number one Lleyton Hewitt he should retire.
Thankfully he sought further opinion and is now looking forward to a third round clash at the U.S. Open.
Hewitt's inspirational five-set triumph over Argentina's sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro at Flushing Meadows on Friday was a crowning moment in his harrowing journey back from five rounds of surgery.
The 32-year-old Australian recovered from blowing a huge early lead to finally notch a 6-4 5-7 3-6 7-6(2) 6-1 second round win on Arthur Ashe Stadium that came two years after he was repeatedly told he should quit if he had major surgery on the big toe of his left foot.
"The foot surgery, I must have seen seven or eight different surgeons worldwide," Hewitt said.
"At least six of them told me to retire if you have it done. I'm very thankful that I found the guy that I believed in. We went in there and we were optimistic about it."
In 2011, Hewitt's toe was chronically arthritic and misshapen after years of digging into courts to launch his service action. Last year he had the toe reconstructed and irreversibly fused.
Cartilage was removed in 2012 and painful bone spurs were shaved off. A steel rod was inserted. The toe no longer moves, but nor does it give Hewitt grief.
"We thought I might be able to play doubles," he said. "But we weren't 100 percent sure whether I would be able to come back and play singles, even with doing all the hard work with rehab.
"In the back of your mind, you still have question marks, whether it's going to be good enough to go out and compete on the centre stage against the top players again.
"When I first came back for the French Open and Wimbledon, I wasn't in a good place in terms of the foot. I was still in a bit of pain after the surgery, but the last year has been pretty good."
Hewitt double-faulted at set point in the second set. He proceeded to fall in a hole there seemed no escape from before producing a near perfect tiebreaker to ensure the match went the distance. Vintage ball striking and counter-punching had him raising his arms in victory after four hours and three minutes of toil.
"I don't know how many years I have left in me so I was just hanging to get back on this court again," he said in a courtside interview afterwards.
"It was a hell of a lot of fun. I cherish every match I get. This is why I still play, to have moments like this."
Later, he added: "It was an unbelievable atmosphere. I just kept fighting and putting it out there. I kept coming at him the whole night. I was frustrated not closing it out when I had the chance. He was hitting the ball a lot bigger and I was on the defensive the whole time. I didn't put a foot wrong in the tiebreaker."
Twelve long years have ****** since Hewitt beat the great Pete Sampras to win the U.S Open. He was subdued after toppling Del Potro to set up a clash against Russia's Evgeny Donskoy, admitting he was vaguely stunned himself by the result.
"It's an amazing feeling," he said.
"For me, just going back in the locker room afterwards, I sort of had to pinch myself. I love being out in that atmosphere, sucking up every second of it.
"He's a pretty quiet guy and I was trying to stay in my zone out there. Obviously over five sets there's going to be a lot of ups and downs and momentum swings. I don't know how many times I'm going to play here in the future. I didn't take it for granted tonight."
Del Potro, also a former U.S. Open champion, paid tribute to Hewitt's tenacity. The Argentinian, however, contributed to his own demise with 70 unforced errors. "He's a great champion and a great fighter."

 

[Smallville22]

Day six order of play

Order of play for day six of the US Open, with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Dan Evans on court.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] vs. Christina McHale (USA)

Not before 1pm (6pm UK)

Ivan Dodig (CRO) vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2]

7pm (midnight UK)

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [6] vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA)

Roger Federer (SUI) [7] vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Louis Armstrong Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [14] vs. Simona Halep (ROU) [21]

Alize Cornet (FRA) [26] vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [2]

John Isner (USA) [13] vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [22]

Tommy Robredo (ESP) [19] vs. Daniel Evans (GBR)

Grandstand

11am (4pm UK)

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

Not before 1pm (6pm UK)

Jack Sock (USA) vs. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [18]

Karin Knapp (ITA) vs. Roberta Vinci (ITA) [10]

Court 17

11am (4pm UK)

Petra Kvitova (CZE) [7] vs. Alison Riske (USA)

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [23] vs. Milos Raonic (CAN) [10]

Richard Gasquet (FRA) [8] vs. Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) [32]

Court 11

11am (4pm UK)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [27] vs. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)

Julia Glushko (ISR) vs. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)

 

[Smallville22]

Ferrer through to last 16 after beating Kukushkin

Spain's David Ferrer became the first man to reach the round of 16 at this year's US Open when he defeated Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin on Saturday.
Ferrer, seeded fourth after reaching the French Open final in June, dropped a set for the second match in a row but was otherwise untroubled in his 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory.
Kukushkin matched his best performance at a Grand Slam by reaching the third round but contributed to his own downfall by committing 66 unforced errors, almost twice as many as Ferrer.
The Spaniard was a semi-finalist at the US Open in 2007 and again last year. His next opponent will be Janko Tipsarevic who beat Jack Sock 3-6 7-6(1) 6-1 6-2.