US Open 2012 daily report: day one
The major stories from the first day of the 2012 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York...
It wasn’t quite the fluid start Olympic champion Andy Murray might have envisaged, the 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 scoreline not quite reflecting a slightly scattered win over Alex Bogomolov Jr. Admitting that he struggled in the heat, humidity and wind, Murray said that other than needing to serve a fair bit better, it was not a worrying performance.
“I won in three sets,” Murray says. “I didn’t serve very well. Only lost seven games in three sets so I must have done something well today. Bogomolov, I think he was seeded here last year. He made the third round. He plays his best tennis on the hard courts. He’s a tough player. So I mean I played fairly well from the back of the court. I just would have liked ot have served a bit better because I wasn’t getting many free points on my serve. Because of that, there were a lot more rallies. When he’s in a rhythm, he’s tough to break down.”
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While the first win of the day went to Anna Tatishvili over Stefanie Foretz Gacon 6-2 6-0, they were closely followed into the locker room by defending champion Sam Stosur, who fired down 10 aces in 51 minutes as she saw off Petra Martic 6-1, 6-1. Nothing flukey about that one.
Maria Sharapova wasted similarly little time, beating Melinda Czink 6-2, 6-2. In 67 minutes, while Petra Kvitova continued on her final-then-title tear, seeing off Polona Hercog in a tight first set and roomier second set, 7-6, 6-1.
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For those on Brit-watch, there were low expectations surrounding Heather Watson’s first round match up with Cincinnati champion Li Na, the 2011 French Open champ correctly thought to have that bit too much power, bit too much movement, for the young Brit. Li took the first set 6-2, before Watson fought back to go up a break in the second, only to be felled largely by the rain delay, and surrender 2-6, 3-6. Li, who is working with new coach Carlos Rodriguez, looked ominously focused.
“She was on another level,” Watson said. “She was hitting winners off balls I didn’t think you could hit winners off. She played better tennis, played like a Grand Slam champion.”
“I was getting a little frustrated, there was nothing that would break her down. I went in with a game plan of throwing in a few high balls, but I got nothing.”
Watson insisted though that it was another valuable learning experience.
“I enjoyed it. It was a high quality match, and it’s another experience of competing against the top players.”
The British No.1 is competing in the doubles with Marina Erakovic, fresh from winning their second doubles title together in Texas last week, and has a place in the singles top 50 within her sights by the end of the year.
“My goal is top 50 but I always want to smash my goals,” she said.
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The third and final British player in action, Laura Robson, was made to wait a while by Robby Ginepri and Albert Ramos, who took four sets to finish their first-round match in agonisingly slow fashion, and, to perhaps the glee of the organisers, was back out on Court 4. It was on Court 4 that Robson lost her final round qualifying match two years in a row, and on Court 4 that she finally laid the demons to rest by qualifying for the first time here last year. So it was perhaps apt that the rally that saved her the match going into a third set was a complete stroke of luck, her return off Samantha Crawford’s serve on set point framing up into the sky, bouncing in, Crawford smashing, Robson chipping back, and Crawford missing. Two points later, Robson won the tie-break, the set, and the match.
"She was really tough," Robson said. "I'd never seen her play before, all I was going off was what people in wualies had said. the first gew games I was just trying to stick with her, she ripped every shot I hit. I tried to get it deeper, low. She definitely played like she had nothing to lose."
A match she was heavily favoured to win on paper, it will be a huge boost to Robson to advance without upset, 6-3, 7-6(6), in the end, against the American qualifier, of whom big things are expected.
"It was an interesting match," Robson said. "I thought I played ok. I treated it like every other match. I just tried to stick with her. I've had some horrible matches on that court. But it seems to like me a bit now."
The atmosphere was certainly in Robson's favour, a group of kilt-wearing Scots and colourfully dressed clowns cheering her on with chants that revived the recent Olympics.
"I loved it," Robson said. "I was surprised by the number of British people. I was very impressed. Every match should have clowns."
Robson’s reward is a meeting with Kim Clijsters, the three-time champion, whom the Brit practised with at Wimbledon before Clijsters took on another left-hander, Angelique Kerber.
"It should be amazing," Robson said. "She's playing really well, and she's definitely one of the nicest women on the tour. Hopefully it will be a night match.
"I've got nothing to lose. I need to try and not let her dictate."
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For the American public, who analyse their home hopes as closely as we do the Brits at Wimbledon, James Blake proved the wheels are still turning with a four-set win over Lukas Lacko, while Jack Sock was handed an easier pass, advancing to the second round after Florian Mayer retired.
The first five-setter of the tournament was an all-American affair between two qualifiers, American Tim Smyczek beating Bobby Reynolds in five, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Meanwhile there was no believing for Melanie Oudin, who famously made a name for herself and her sloganed shoes here in Queens in 2009. The American lost 4-6, 0-6 to Lucie Safarova, but there was better news for 31st seed Varvara Lepchenko, who survived being broken while serving for the match to win in three against Mathilde Johansson.
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It was not a good day to be German in New York, as Julia Goerges, Florian Mayer, Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki were all sent home. Lisicki lost in three sets to Sorana Cirstea, the US Open continuing to hold less than happy memories for her, while Goerges was upset by former junior star Kristyna Pliskova.
But the losses were remedied by Bjorn Phau and Daniel Brands, both of whom came through their first round match-ups.
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Other notable winners
Marion Bartoli over Jamie Hampton in three, Nikolay Davydenko over Guido Pella in four, Lucie Hradecka over Anabel Medina Garrigues (27th seed), in two, Nadia Petrova over Jarmila Gajdosova in two, Kei Nishikori in three, Fernando Verdasco in three, Jeremy Chardy in three, Kim Clijsters in two, Victoria Azarenka in two, while Roger Federer was expected to see off Donald Young without ado.
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One very unwelcome competitor in New York was the rain, which made a tumultuous appearance, delaying play for two hours around lunchtime. It elicited the usual lack-of-roof discussions, and lack of cover debates, but after a while the mop squad came out with their squidgees, and the sun returned.
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Bizarre question of the day
"Is there a downside to being named Sam?"
Poor Sam Stosur.
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Name of the day
Mallory Burdette. An American wild card. She won her first ever Grand Slam main draw match today.
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Coming up on Tuesday
Arthur Ashe
Agnieszka Radwanska, Andy Roddick and Venus Williams, followed by Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams at night.
Louis Armstrong
Tomas Berdych, Sam Querrey, Francesca Schiavone and Caroline Wozniacki
Grandstand
Ana Ivanovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Monaco and Christina McHale
Other notables
Anne Keothavong on Court 17, Sara Errani on Court 13, Milos Raonic on Court 11, Stanislas Wawrinka on Court 8, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins on Court 14, Christian and Ryan Harrison on Court 15, Johanna Konta on Court 15, and Dennis Novikov, who at 18 years and 10 months is the youngest player to start this year’s men’s main draw, and at world No.1098 is also the lowest-ranked player.
For full scores, draws and results from New York, check out the US Open official website
