US Open
Monday, September 1, 2008
Seeds Murray, Blake, Wawrinka Earn 3rd Rd. Spot
Scottish No. 8 seed Andy Murray (pictured) came through a testing four-set encounter against Michael Llodra, defeating the Frenchman 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) to reach the US Open third round on Thursday at Flushing Meadows.
The Dunblane native produced an impressive display against the resistant Llodra, firing 48 winners to just 13 unforced errors, although he did drop serve on four occasions and was forced to save two set points in the fourth set tie-break before securing victory with a powerful forehand winner after 2 hr., 33 min.
"I was very happy with the match," said Murray. "I thought I hit the ball from the back of the court very well. I didn't feel like I was making many mistakes from the baseline. Not too many unforced errors. He's a really tough guy to play against, and I was happy I won in four sets."
The 21-year-old Murray is making his fourth straight appearance at the US Open and enjoyed his best performance in 2006 when he reached the fourth round (l. to Davydenko). He was crowned boy’s champion in 2005, when he defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky in the final.
Murray is currently enjoying a career-high South African Airways ATP Ranking of No. 6, courtesy of a successful season that has seen him win three ATP titles and come second in the US Open Series Bonus Challenge Standings. The right-hander captured the Doha title in the opening week of the season (d. Wawrinka) and followed up with the Marseille title in February (d. Ancic). He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal), before making a semifinal exit at the Rogers Cup (l. to Nadal) and capturing his first ATP Masters Series title at Cincinnati, with victory over Novak Djokovic.
Murray now will face Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who enjoyed a very convincing 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jiri Vanek. The No. 48 ranked Vienna native was a quarterfinalist at the Beijing Olympic Games and also finished runner-up at Kitzbuhel (l. to del Potro).
"He's a tough guy to play against," said Murray of Melzer. "Doesn't give you too much rhythm. But I feel like I'm playing well just now. I'm confident and I look forward to the match."
American No. 9 seed James Blake was granted a place in the third round after Steve Darcis was forced to retire with a lower back injury. The Belgian captured the first set 6-4, but Blake had just leveled the match with a 6-3 second set and taken a 1-0 lead in the third set before Darcis was forced to concede.
The 28-year-old Blake, who came through a grueling five set tussle with Donald Young in the first round, is through to the third round for the sixth time. He has twice reached the quarterfinals in 2005 (l. to Agassi) and ’06 (l. to Federer). The Tampa, Florida resident narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games before arriving in New York, and finished runner-up at Delray Beach (l. to Nishikori) and Houston (l. to Granollers) earlier in the season.
Blake now will face countryman and close friend Mardy Fish, who dispatched No. 24 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open third round for the first time. The two have played three times before, with Blake commanding a 2-1 head-to-head advantage after winning their most recent clash in the New Haven final last year.
American Sam Querrey also advanced to the third round after defeating Frenchmen Nicolas Devilder 7-6(6), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. He next confronts Croat Ivo Karlovic, who fired 42 aces in his three-set match to defeat France's Florent Serra 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2.
Swiss No. 10 seed Stanislas Wawrinka served 17 aces as he defeated American Wayne Odesnik 6-4, 7-6(6) 6-2. The 6’0’’ right-hander now improves to a 35-16 match record for the season, highlighted by cracking the Top 10 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings and making runner-up finishes at Doha (l. to Murray) and ATP Masters Series Rome (l. to Djokovic).
Wawrinka next will face Italian Flavio Cipolla, who accounted for Yen-Hsun Lu 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
The Dunblane native produced an impressive display against the resistant Llodra, firing 48 winners to just 13 unforced errors, although he did drop serve on four occasions and was forced to save two set points in the fourth set tie-break before securing victory with a powerful forehand winner after 2 hr., 33 min.
"I was very happy with the match," said Murray. "I thought I hit the ball from the back of the court very well. I didn't feel like I was making many mistakes from the baseline. Not too many unforced errors. He's a really tough guy to play against, and I was happy I won in four sets."
The 21-year-old Murray is making his fourth straight appearance at the US Open and enjoyed his best performance in 2006 when he reached the fourth round (l. to Davydenko). He was crowned boy’s champion in 2005, when he defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky in the final.
Murray is currently enjoying a career-high South African Airways ATP Ranking of No. 6, courtesy of a successful season that has seen him win three ATP titles and come second in the US Open Series Bonus Challenge Standings. The right-hander captured the Doha title in the opening week of the season (d. Wawrinka) and followed up with the Marseille title in February (d. Ancic). He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal), before making a semifinal exit at the Rogers Cup (l. to Nadal) and capturing his first ATP Masters Series title at Cincinnati, with victory over Novak Djokovic.
Murray now will face Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who enjoyed a very convincing 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jiri Vanek. The No. 48 ranked Vienna native was a quarterfinalist at the Beijing Olympic Games and also finished runner-up at Kitzbuhel (l. to del Potro).
"He's a tough guy to play against," said Murray of Melzer. "Doesn't give you too much rhythm. But I feel like I'm playing well just now. I'm confident and I look forward to the match."
American No. 9 seed James Blake was granted a place in the third round after Steve Darcis was forced to retire with a lower back injury. The Belgian captured the first set 6-4, but Blake had just leveled the match with a 6-3 second set and taken a 1-0 lead in the third set before Darcis was forced to concede.
The 28-year-old Blake, who came through a grueling five set tussle with Donald Young in the first round, is through to the third round for the sixth time. He has twice reached the quarterfinals in 2005 (l. to Agassi) and ’06 (l. to Federer). The Tampa, Florida resident narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games before arriving in New York, and finished runner-up at Delray Beach (l. to Nishikori) and Houston (l. to Granollers) earlier in the season.
Blake now will face countryman and close friend Mardy Fish, who dispatched No. 24 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open third round for the first time. The two have played three times before, with Blake commanding a 2-1 head-to-head advantage after winning their most recent clash in the New Haven final last year.
American Sam Querrey also advanced to the third round after defeating Frenchmen Nicolas Devilder 7-6(6), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. He next confronts Croat Ivo Karlovic, who fired 42 aces in his three-set match to defeat France's Florent Serra 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2.
Swiss No. 10 seed Stanislas Wawrinka served 17 aces as he defeated American Wayne Odesnik 6-4, 7-6(6) 6-2. The 6’0’’ right-hander now improves to a 35-16 match record for the season, highlighted by cracking the Top 10 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings and making runner-up finishes at Doha (l. to Murray) and ATP Masters Series Rome (l. to Djokovic).
Wawrinka next will face Italian Flavio Cipolla, who accounted for Yen-Hsun Lu 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
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