Nadal cruises and Murray crashes; qualifier upsets Muguruza
NEW YORK: Defending champion Rafa Nadal eased into the third round of the US Open with a regulation 63, 64, 62 victory over unseeded Vasek Pospisil yesterday.
A freshlooking Nadal, whose firstround match was cut short after opponent David Ferrer retired with a calf injury midway through the second set, started brightly against the Canadian and never looked back.
The topseeded Spaniard wrapped up the opening set in 35 minutes after breaking early to go 30 up as Pospisil, ranked 88th in the world, struggled to settle into a serving rhythm.
The Canadian rallied briefly in the second set and managing to break Nadal to lead briefly, but the world No 1 broke back immediately and went on to win four games in a row to seize complete control.
‘‘In the second set I had two games in a row where I had trouble with my serve,’’ Nadal said courtside.
‘‘The first one I saved, the second one I couldn’t. I was lucky to be able to break back.
‘‘To win in straight sets is always positive.’’
Nadal started the third set on the front foot, breaking early again as Pospisil ran out of steam. The Spaniard wrapped the contest in exactly two hours, and will next face Russian Karen Khachanov, the 27th seed.
Andy Murray’s return to the US Open lasted just two rounds as the 2012 champion bowed out with a controversial 75, 26, 64, 64 defeat to No 31 seed Fernando Verdasco.
Murray hit out at officials for failing to prevent Verdasco talking to his coach during the 10minute heat break at the end of the third set, something that was stopped only after the Scot alerted the supervisor.
‘‘It shouldn’t be for the player that’s competing against him to have to go to the supervisor,’’ Murray said.
‘‘If I hadn’t said anything, they would have been chatting about the match, giving tactics and stuff.’’
Czech qualifier Karolina Muchova stunned twotime grand slam champion Garbine Muguruza, dumping the Spaniard out in the second round with a threeset victory.
Muchova, who came into the match against the 12th seed with a world ranking of 202, was nervous but grew into the contest and eventually prevailed 36, 64, 64 in two hours and 27 minutes.
Muguruza, a former world No 1 who has triumphed at Wimbledon and the French Open, raced to a 50 lead as she appeared on course for a routine victory.
The Spaniard closed out the opener in 37 minutes and few watching would have predicted
what was to follow.
Muchova, playing in the main draw of a grand slam for the first time, turned the tables at the start of the second set, evening up the contest after she opened a 30 lead with some brave shotmaking.
‘‘It’s the first match for me on such a big stadium so I was feeling nervous. Somehow I got used to it. I don’t know how,’’ the 22yearold said.
Muchova hit eight aces and 41 winners as she rallied from a break down in the deciding set to seal victory, the biggest win of her career, as the clock ticked past 1am at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Serena Williams overpowered German Carina Witthoeft 62, 62 to set up a thirdround clash with big sister Venus.
Williams sent down 13 aces and 30 winners to record her second consecutive straightsets victory at Flushing Meadows as the 36yearold, who is hunting a recordequalling 24th grand slam title, wrapped up the win in 1hr 7min. — Reuters/AAP