Dudi Sela was knocked out in the first round of a Grand Slam event for the fifth time in the past six tournaments on Monday, losing a five-set thriller to No. 18 seed Pablo Cuevas in the US Open in NY.
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Said Gasquet, the 2013 US Open semifinalist, hadn’t lost in the first round at a major since 2010 at Roland Garros: “Not sure I could do worse”.
Later Wednesday, defending champion and world number one Djokovic, who needed treatment on a right upper arm injury during his laboured four-set win over Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz on Monday, faces Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.
Vesely beat Djokovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on clay in Monte Carlo in April.
Last year’s surprise finalist in the women’s tournament, Roberta Vinci, sailed past her first-round opponent Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-2 6-4. “I had a hard time this year”. I was looking forward to that match.
In the women’s event, second seeded Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, needed just 33 minutes to progress but Roland Garros victor Garbine Muguruza required three sets and a visit from the doctor before she survived.
The 120th-ranked Harrison won 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 and goes on to face Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the last 16. “I’ve had a long summer as well”, he said.
“This is a big win for me. That’s very important thing for me, the most important thing”.
Djokovic is bidding to clinch his 13th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows and third in 2016, following successes at the Australian and French Opens this year.
After the first set, Hercog took a medical timeout. “I loved every bit of support I got from my family and friends here”, Saketh said after his match.
There have been plenty of question marks over the Serb going into the tournament as doubts remain about his fitness, and he did not look content during the game – constantly grimacing and wincing.
Rafa Nadal was worn out from his Rio Olympics exertions after emerging from an injury absence to win doubles gold, but the Spaniard perked back up with his trip to NY for the U.S. Open. Now 17 and a qualifier, Bellis faces 49th-ranked Shelby Rogers on Tuesday.
John Isner came from two sets down to deny Tiafoe 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in 3 hours, 28 minutes.
But he did manage to deflect attention away from his on-court woes with a odd moment during his post-match interview on the blue surface of Flushing Meadows. But before the injury I was the third in the race and not very far from No. 2.
Two-time Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitova, the 14th seeded Czech who recorded her best performance in NY 12 months ago when she made the last-eight, beat Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
Edmund, ranked 84th, had 40 winners, 21 on his forehand.
Puig, who became the first person from her country to win the gold medal when she upset Angelique Kerber in the final in Rio, went down to China’s Zheng Saisai, who had beaten Agnieszka Radwanska in the first round of the same tournament.
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Early winners in the men’s event were South Africa’s Kevin Anderson who saw off Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4. Cilic is coming off his first Masters title, beating Andy Murray in the final at Cincinnati.
