Having not won a match at the US Open in five years before this week, 26-year-old Sevastova now goes on to face Kateryna Bondarenko, a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 victor over China’s Zheng Saisai. Afterward, his back seized up when he tried to sling his equipment bag over a shoulder. Harrison clearly was the fitter player as the 3-hour, 37-minute match progressed. Raonic blamed it “nerves and stress” and said he was his own worst enemy, but Harrison rose to the occasion against the Wimbledon runner-up and will advance to the third round for the first time in 20 attempts during major tournaments.
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Rain started to fall at 3-3 in the second set, forcing a slight delay in play while the roof, completed for 2016, was closed.
Though Christian bowed out in the Opening Round, Ryan was to face fifth seeded Canadian Milos Raonic.
Frenchman Gael Monfils rolled into the third-round with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jan Satral, setting up a matchup with Spain’s Nicolas Almagro who ousted 18 seed Pablo Cuvas 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9). I’m not a fan of drama.
The veteran Croatian made the last 16 in 2014 having played her first US Open back in 1997.
No. 9 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, took the first four games before losing 6-4, 6-4 to Caroline Wozniacki, who is unseeded but can rely on the muscle memory from two trips to the final in NY.
Later Wednesday, Spanish fourth seed Rafael Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, takes a 7-1 career record over Italy’s Andreas Seppi into their night time clash.
Vinci stunned Serena Williams in last year’s semifinals to thwart her bid for the first Grand Slam since 1988, then lost to countrywoman Flavia Pennetta in the final.
For Harrison, a 24-year-old born in Louisiana and now based in Texas, this is his first trip to the third round at a Grand Slam tournament.
The 23-year-old Vesely, ranked 49th, beat Djokovic in the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo event in April in their only meeting, making him one of two top 100 players with more wins than losses against the Serbian. That’s a good thing about it. “The coolest thing for me this year is that me and my brother are both playing in the main draw. My body didn’t let me”.
“It’s part of history and I am very happy to be the first to play under the roof”, said Nadal, who was also the first to practice beneath the roof on the cavernous 22,000-capacity arena. When they resumed, Harrison broke Raonic immediately to even the third set at 4-4.
Pressed on what triggered the cramps, he said: “A little bit of stress”.
After Harrison hit a cross-court forehand passing victor to break for a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, Raonic looked exhausted as can be, resting both arms on his knees behind the baseline and leaning on his racket for extra support.
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Next he’ll play Marcos Baghdatis, a four-set victor over Benoit Paire. I wouldn’t say I was happy to hear that it was cramping once I heard from the chair that he was getting cramping treatments, but you’re certainly happy that it’s not like a tear in the hamstring or something like that where he’s in jeopardy of being out for a long time.
