Big guns Rafa, Fedex battle into last 32
New York, Sept. 1: Former champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battled into the US Open last 32 on Thursday while the women’s draw lost the fifth seed from its top eight.
Federer recorded his 80th career win in New York but he needed five sets for the second successive match before claiming a 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Mikhail Youzhny. It was his 17th win in 17th meetings with the grizzled Russian, who, at 35, is his junior by just one year.
World number one Nadal, meanwhile, saw off Japan’s world 121 Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 after being blown off court in the first set.
Federer, 36, and the fivetime champion at the US Open, next faces another 35-year-old, Feliciano Lopez of Spain, for a place in the last 16. His record against Lopez is just as solid — 12-0.
“It was quite a lot of fun out there — I feel quite warmed up by now,” said Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Federer, who fired 63 winners and 68 unforced errors.
Youzhny admitted he had cramped, which meant he could move left to right but not forward and back.
Top seed Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, was rocked by New York-born Daniel in the first set.
But Daniel, who has never beaten a top-10 player, paid the price for his all-out assault as Nadal prevailed to book a third round date with Argentine lucky loser Leonardo Mayer. “All the matches are difficult but especially here as everyone wants to play their best and if you don’t play your best it will be very difficult,” said Nadal, who recovered from a set and break down.
Andrey Rublev became Men’s 2nd rd: Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x15) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; Gael Monfils (FRA x18) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 2-6, 7-5; Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3; Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez (ESP x31) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x11) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG x24) bt Adrián Menéndez (ESP) 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Dominic Thiem (AUT x6) bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Women’s 2nd rd: Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Barbora Strycová (CZE) 6-1, 6-1; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x10) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 7-5, 6-2; Coco Vandeweghe (USA x20) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2; Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-4, 6-4; Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5); Elena Vesnina (RUS x17) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-4, 6-4; Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x12) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-4, 6-4.
the second teenager to make the third round when he stunned Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
WOMEN PLAY LONGEST MATCH A record was set when American Shelby Rogers and 25th-seeded Australian Daria Gavrilova played out the longest ever women’s singles match.
Their 3hr 33min clash saw Rogers win 7-6 (8/6), 46, 7-6 (7/5). Their secondround tie went past the previous longest of the 3 hours and 23 minutes it took Johanna Konta to beat Garbine Muguruza in the second round two years ago. Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza began their campaigns with victories in their respective events. Bopanna and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas beat USA’s Bradley Klahn and Scott Lipksy 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in men’s doubles event.
In the women’s doubles, Sania and China’s Shuai Peng overcame Petra Martic and Donna Vekic of Croatian 6-4, 6-1 in the opener. — Agencies