U.S.Open Day 3
Murray Cruises in Title Defense Opener; Del Potro Battled Past Lopez, Rain Delay
August 28, 2013 ITS Staff: New York - Defending champion Andy Murray had to wait until Wednesday to play his opening match at the U.S. Open Championships - only to be delayed again for almost five hours due to rain.
When the reigning Wimbledon champion finally got on court, he made sure there were no more postponements as he crushed Michael LLodra of France in straight sets 6-2 6-4 6-3. The Scot, who hit 35 winners while committing only 5 unforced errors, broke the Frenchman six times in the one hour and 38 minute match. Murray’s second-round opponent will be Leonardo Mayer of Argentina who defeated Romania's Victor Hanescu 7-6(4) 6-4 3-6 7-6(4).
Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 U.S.Open champion, won his opening match on rainy Wednesday battling past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(7). It took almost the whole day to complete the match due to heavy rain and storms. In the second round, the sixth-seeded Del Potro will Australian Lleyton Hewitt whom he idolized growing up in Argentina. The 32-year old 2002 U.S. Open champion defeated American Brian Baker, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in over three hours.
In other men’s first round matches, No.21 seed Mikhail Youzhny eliminated Newport Hall-of-Fame winner Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-4 7-6(4). Two-time NCAA Singles champion Somdev Devvarman of defeated Slovakian Lukas Lacko in five sets 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis was the first player to register a victory on Wednesday before the rains created mayhem beating Go Soeda of Japan 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and 31 minutes.
Radswanka, Li Na Advance to Third Round; Zheng Edges Venus in Epic Thriller
Rain dominates most Wednesday's play, watch live
August 28 2013 ITS Staff: New York - Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seeded Li Na were the first players to win on Wednesday and advance to the third round at the U.S. Open Championships in Flushing Meadows.
The 2012 Wimbledon finalist Radwanska defeated Spaniard Maria- Teresa Torro-Flor 6-0, 7-5 while former French Open champion Li swiftly eliminated Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2 played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Radwanska will face Russian No.32 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Friday who beat Australian Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-0. Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, No.18 seed, took out American Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-4.
Wednesday’s second-round match between Venus Williams and Zheng Jie had all the makings of a dramatic thriller fit for a New York crowd. There were rain delays – two and a half, to be exact – several momentum swings, intense rallies and a high-energy, standing-room-only crowd. And after three hours of a hard-fought match in which Williams dug deep into her reserves and gave all she had in the third-set tiebreak, the American was knocked out of the US Open by a tenacious Zheng, who took a 6-3 2-6 7-6 win. Continue onto Clair Maciel article
Men's Singles First Round Wednesday August 28
3-Andy Murray beat Michael Llodra 6-2 6-4 6-3
6-Juan Martin del Potro beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(7)
9-Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Radek Stepanek 7-6(2) 6-3 6-2
Rajeev Ram beat 16-Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-2 6-2
17-Kevin Anderson beat Daniel Brands 7-5 4-6 6-2 6-3
20-Andreas Seppi beat Xavier Malisse 6-3 3-6 7-5 7-5
21-Mikhail Youzhny beat Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-4 7-6(4)
Alex Bogomolov Jr. beat 24-Benoit Paire 7-5 2-6 6-4 5-7 7-6(5)
Evgeny Donskoy beat 29-Jurgen Melzer 7-5 6-3 7-6(3)
Marcos Baghdatis beat Go Soeda 6-4 6-3 6-1
Peter Gojowczyk beat Igor Sijsling 7-6(7) 2-6 6-4 6-1
Lleyton Hewitt beat Brian Baker 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4
Tim Smyczek beat James Duckworth 3-6 6-2 6-4 6-1
Marcel Granollers beat Jurgen Zopp 6-1 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-4
Somdev Devvarman beat Lukas Lacko 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Ivo Karlovic beaat James Blake 6-7(2) 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) 7-6(2)
Alexandr Dolgopolo beat David Goffin 6-2 6-4 6-4
Leonardo Mayer beat Victor Hanescu 7-6(4) 6-4 3-6 7-6(4).
Women's Singles Second Round Wednesday August 28
15-Sloane Stephens beat Urszula Radwanska 6-1 6-1
23-Jamie Hampton beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 6-4
Zheng Jie beat Venus Williams 6-3 2-6 7-6(5)
30-Laura Robson beat Caroline Garcia 6-4 7-6(5)
5-Li Na beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2
18-Carla Suarez Navarro beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-4
3-Agnieszka Radwanska beat Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-0, 7-5
32-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-0
Daily U.S.Open Update
Day 10: Gasquet Upsets Ferrer, Faces Streaking Nadal in Semis
Day 10: Huey, Inglot Denied Final Four Spot by Melo, Dodig
Day 9: Azarenka Edges Ivanovic, Enter Quarter-finals
Day 8: Robredo Shocks Federer in First Win After 11 Tries
Day 8: Huey, Inglot Enter QF; Bryans Closer to Grand Slam
Day 7: Serena Stops Stephens; Noles, Murray into 4th rd
Day 6: Nadal, Federer, Ferrer Roll On; Kohlschreiber Denies Isner Anew; Halep Crushes Kirilenko
Day 3: Murray Cruises in Title Defense Opener; Del Potro Battles Past Lopez; Radswanka, Li Na reach 3rd rd; Venus Ousted by Zheng
Day 2: Federer, Berdych Ease to Second Round; Errani, Kvitova, Ivanovic Advance; Stosur Shocked by 17-year old;
Day 1: Nadal Breezes, Nishikori Stunned in Opener; Radswanka, Li Na Cruise; Venus Ousts No.12 Flipkens;
Last American Standing: U.S. Men's Players Ousted First Week
Open News Bits: Tomic Conquers Self, Ramos; Reister Posts Golden Set; France sends 14 players to main draw
Lisicki and co. looking to do great things in NY: Porsche Team