Six years on and despite the effects of a wrist injury, it looks as though he may have found another secret weapon as he bids to win a third U.S. Open crown.
Advertisement
Rafael Nadal has the distinction of hitting the first practice and match ball under a closed roof in Arthur Ashe Stadium’.
“It was not an easy match”.
“When it rains, you’re going to get noise”, U.S. Tennis Association Executive Director Gordon Smith said, when asked about the players’ comments about the ruckus.
When serving in the ad-court – the side where the majority of key points are played – Nadal is now standing about halfway across to the tramlines, rather than in the more traditional position next to the center line.
When the former world No.1 and Seppi were tied 3-3 in the second set of the match, tournament referee Brian Earley was forced to close the roof after a slight shower. So I expected that.
“I have never officially been in tennis court or stadium that has been as loud as this”, ESPN analyst John McEnroe said during the broadcast. “I started getting small [cramps] where I couldn’t hold the racket”. Her latest triumph was by no means a formality, however, Safarova’s inability to convert the odd purple patch into scoreboard dominance ultimately proved costly. Her joy did not last long, the Romanian soon finding herself in something of a hole in the second set.
Konta won the first set 6-2 and was up a break in the second, which the 71st-ranked Pironkova went on to win 7-5.
The seventh-seeded Cilic needed just 1 hour, 40 minutes to beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday. “My goal is to be playing in the second week of every Slam that I’m playing now”.
Milos Raonic fell to a stunning 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 second-round loss to 120th-ranked United States qualifier Ryan Harrison, with cramps affecting Raonic’s play.
Two-time U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki has reached her first Grand Slam round of 16 since 2015 Wimbledon.
Britains Kyle Edmund backed up his first round win over world number 15 Richard Gasquet with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 victory over USA wildcard Ernesto Escobedo.
The 20th-seeded Isner beat Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (10), 6-3 in 2 hours, 54 minutes Wednesday. When rain halted action, the players had split the first two sets and were knotted at 4-4 in the third. It was Vinci’s first major final at age 32.
For the 44th-ranked Baghdatis, the victory ends a nine-match losing streak in Grand Slam third rounds.
Isner improved to 9-0 in U.S. Open second-round matches. It’s the first time since January she’s won three matches at the same tournament.
PAST CHAMPS: Djokovic is one of three past champs in NY who are on the third-round schedule, joined by Rafael Nadal (2010, 2013) and Marin Cilic (2014).
Advertisement
World number one Djokovic was handed a walkover when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their second round encounter suffering an inflammation of the left forearm.
