US Open 2012 weekend report: roaring into the second week
The major stories from the middle weekend of the 2012 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York...
Djokovic, Federer cruising along
There is a very strong suspicion that the US Open title will come down to the increasingly inevitable semi-final meeting between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as the world Nos1 and 2 continued to cruise through their matches. Federer had no problem whatsoever with Fernando Verdasco on Saturday, through to a fourth round match up against Mardy Fish, while Djokovic disposed of Julien Benneteau by losing just seven games. His next opponent will be either Juan Martin Del Potro or Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals.
It was last year, of course, that Federer crumbled nanoseconds from the finish line when, facing match point, Djokovic hit what remains one of the most ridiculous forehand returns ever seen. But Federer has crushed the Serb in their last two meetings, at Wimbledon and at the Olympics, so perhaps he’ll be ready to avenge that defeat.
Robson's run comes to an end
There was to be no third upset for Laura Robson, the British 18-year-old felled in straight sets by defending champion Sam Stosur. Made to wait for two men's matches to come and go on Louis Armstrong, Robson began by breaking serve, but was just missing a bit too much. Stosur chose today to have one of her more consistent days, and, having broken back, broke at 5-4 when Robson double faulted to take the set. Breaking to lead 3-1 in the second set, the Australian looked like it would be an easy cruise to the finish as she lead 5-2. But Robson saved eight match points, five on her own serve, two on Stosur's, to get back to 5-4.
But Stosur found the bit between her teeth, bringing up two more match points on the Robson serve. Robson saved the eighth, but couldn't handle the ninth, going down 4-6, 4-6.
Disappointing, no doubt, but it remains a landmark week for Robson, who will move up to just outside the world's top 70, with plenty more to come.
Del Potro to play Roddick
Winning an enthralling third set tie-break 11-9 against Leonard Mayer, Del Potro roared at the floor, a very emotive reaction to reaching the fourth round here in New York. The big man, the last player not named Federer, Nadal or Djokovic to win a Grand Slam singles title, had treatment for his knee during the match, but, other than the tie-break, was not too troubled by Mayer.
His next opponent will be Andy Roddick, who swatted aside Fabio Fognini, even if he did drop a set, to reach the second week of the US Open for the ninth time. Roddick took three hours exactly to reach the round of 16, and although he only served 10 aces and hit only 39 winners to the Italian’s 56, looks in fairly decent nick for a man about to play his last match.
Farewell Kim
Kim Clijsters finally bid farewell to professional tennis as she and Bob Bryan exited the mixed doubles 10-12 in the match tie-break to Ekaterina Makarova and Bruno Soares. Lingering over her post-match press, the last time she will face the world’s scribes after losing a match, she was as sun-beamy as ever.
“When I was in the shower, I was like, it really felt like, whew, like a big release,” Clijsters said. “It feels right.”
“I was nervous,” Bryan said. “I didn’t want to let her down and let all her millions of fans around the world down. But it was a lot of fun. Even if we win the doubles, this is the highlight, playing with Kim.”
“Everyone has so much respect for her, so much love for her. I think when all your peers in the locker room look up to you and love you, that’s something very different,” he said.
Lucky escape for Murray
Andy Murray dragged himself back from total exhaustion in hot and humid conditions to beat Feliciano Lopez for the seventh time, eventually prevailing in four sets in a match that not so long ago, he might have lost. Lopez had taken just one set off Murray in their six previous meetings, but he made life tricky indeed for the third seed, giving new meaning to the word ‘indefatigable.’
Murray sneaked through 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4) to set up a blockbuster fourth round against Milos Raonic on Monday night, and looked relieved to still be standing up at the end.
“Yeah, it was tough. Yeah, obviously very, very hot, very humid,” Murray said of the heat on the court following the match. “It's a quick court, that one, as well…I actually felt better towards the end of the match than I did maybe halfway through it.”
“I mean, I just played a little bit better at the end of the tiebreaks, a little bit more solid than him, and that was the difference,” Murray said. “I always say you never take matches or any players for granted because on any given day, you know, things can change. If you don't play your best, they play a great match, you know, you can lose.”
Monday night will mark Murray’s eighth consecutive Grand Slam fourth round since losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round here in 2010.
Fish survives, Blake, Sock and Stephens exit
It’s hard to believe Mardy Fish ever had a heart problem the way he played into the early hours of Sunday morning to survive Gilles Simon in four sets. Winning 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in front of a rowdy Saturday night crowd, Fish fired 67 winners and 75 unforced errors to reach the fourth round on his father’s 60th birthday.
But it was good bye for James Blake, overwhelmed by the brute force of Milos Raonic, and good bye to Jack Sock, who was out-experienced by Nicolas Almagro.
Sloane Stephens, too, was denied a place in the fourth round by Ana Ivanovic in an enthralling tussle, the Serb fist-pumping like she hasn’t in a little while at the 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 win. "I was expecting a tough match because she's improved so much in the last year," said Ivanovic. "Even though the crowd is always going to be for the American, I loved the experience of playing out there tonight." Tsvetana Pironkova is up next for Ivanovic, who is aiming to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final since Roland Garros 2008.
Other bits
Lleyton Hewitt continues to play some of his best tennis in some years, but couldn’t work miracles against the relentless solidity of David Ferrer, going down in four sets. Hewitt, who is on retirement watch, is next off to Davis Cup to try and get Australia up into the World Group, and wants to play four more tournaments this year.
Serena Williams ensured there was no repeat of her Australian Open upset at the hands of Ekaterina Makarova, beating the Russian 6-4, 6-0, Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska advanced, one with ease, the other with difficulty, as did Marin Cilic and Tomas Berdych.
Doubles trouble
Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins followed Jonny Marray and Freddie Nielsen out of the men’s doubles, losing to the rather inspired Harrison brothers on Court 17. Most amusing moment of the match was when Ryan went in for a bear hug with his younger brother, and Christian simply shrugged him off. But there was a big win for Ken Skupski and Jamie Delgado, who ousted the experienced Philip Petzschner and Jurgen Melzer.
In the women’s draw, the biggest shock was the upset of top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, who have perhaps not recovered from the double-whammy of losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals and then failing to medal at the Olympics. They were taken down by Su-Wei Hsieh and Annabel Medina Garrigues in three.
Top juniors advance
The junior singles main draws kicked off today as all the favourites advanced without trouble, Australian Open champ Taylor Townsend and French Open champ Kimmer Coppejans at the helm. While the biggest upset was the defeat of the boys’ sixth seed, Britain’s Luke Bambridge was seen off by a Texan in straight sets, but Josh Ward-Hibbert made it through safely.
Overheard around the grounds
‘Is this Louis Armstrong?’ said a fan as he left the court after sitting on it for 10 minutes. Hmm.
Coming up tomorrow
Arthur Ashe
Ana Ivanovic v Tsvetana Pironkova, Serena Williams v Andrea Hlavackova, Roger Federer v Mardy Fish, followed by the Williams sisters v Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko, and Andy Murray v Milos Raonic at night.
Louis Armstrong
Nicolas Almagro v Tomas Berdych, Angelique Kerber v Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci v Agnieszka Radwanska, Marin Cilic v Martin Klizan.
Other notables
Jamie Delgado and Ken Skupski on Court 17, Kyle Edmund on Court 4, Liam Broady on Court 10, Evan Hoyt and Josh Ward-Hibbert on Court 12.
For full scores, draws and results, and videos from Flushing Meadows, check out the US Open official website.
